Cleaning up after DIY… Urgh! It can be a tedious task that requires patience. The best advice I have is to find a time to get creating when you’re not in a rush. Stress is not something we want hovering around us during DIY!
Most recipes are so straightforward, you won’t need to clean much more than a bowl and whisk in a sink or a dishwasher – I’m referring to foaming washes, facial oils, hand sanitiser, body scrubs etc. Balms and creams that use beeswax and thick butters require a little more effort, and that’s where this information becomes useful!
A guide to cleaning up after DIY
Step 1 – The key is to remove as much of the product from your bowl with a flexible spatula (silicone is preferable) and get it into your pot or container. You don’t want to waste any of that stuff, especially since a tablespoon of deodorant could last you two weeks!
Step 2 – Wipe out as much balm as possible with paper towel or an old cloth. You want the bowl to look clean, almost good enough to eat from (but don’t – not yet, anyway).
Step 3 – Rinse your bowl with boiling water and wash as usual, in a sink of hot soapy (naturally) water. Alternatively, boil a few cups of water with a slice of lemon/dash of white vinegar to remove any remaining residue. After this, you can put it in the dishwasher if you feel the need to.
Here are some extra tips
〉Do not pour melted balms or bowls full of oily water down the kitchen sink. This will only lead to eventual build up and clogging. I recommend finding a quiet spot in your yard, over stones or a corner patch of grass to discard such water.
〉It is a terrible idea to throw your bowl straight into the dishwasher. Everything will be coated in an oily film and that will only make your job ten times harder. Zinc oxide is not water-soluble, so you absolutely must adhere to steps 1 and 2 when making anything that involves this ingredient!
〉Here’s a thought – why not order your recipes in a way that allows you to make multiple recipes without needing to clean in between? For example, start with sunscreen then make your deodorant and finish with a body scrub. 3 recipes, 1 clean up. Boom!
