If you are set out to start making detergents, fabric softener, bleach, disinfectant and shower gel at home, first you need to get the ingredients. In Nairobi they are found in various shops, the most famous one is a chemical shop located in OTC right in front of Tuskys Supermarket. From there, you can actually see a huge number of buyers flocking into the shop or if you are unable to locate the shop, asking any one at the place could be easier as it is very famous. While the prices vary for different supplies, with at least 140/-, you can get ingredients for one type of product and be able to produce up to 5 litres of the same for personal use or commercial purposes.
1. Fabric Softener
Ingredients:- Softener granules, Preservatives, Perfume and Color
Get the granules for softener. Then, boil 5 liters of water to mix this with the granules. Ensure all the granules dissolve into the water and add 5 more liters of water. Ensure that this is cold water, not hot.
Then, add the perfume, preservatives and color. Allow them to settle and you will have fabric softener, 10liters.
2. Bleach
Ingredients:-Chlorine, Magadi and Caustic soda
Take all the ingredients and mix in 10 liters of water. stir well until you are able to get a milky chalky mixture. Add more water to make 20 liters or 25 depending on how concentrated you want your bleach.
After at least 5 hours, stir the mixture once again, repeat this after 12 hours and after 12 more hours. To ensure that it comes out as expected, repeat the stirring process for at least 3 days and you will end up with a clear liquid.
Now sieve using a piece of cloth to ensure that residue pieces are eradicated.
3. Disinfectant
Ingredients:- ungarol half kg, np9-1 kg, salt 1kg, perfume, color, and preservatives.
Mix ungarol, np9 and salt together in 2 liters of water. Once they are dissolved, add 18 liters of water, i.e. in case you were making 20 liters.
Stir these well once more and add the remaining ingredients, that is, perfume, color and preservatives.
Thursday, 4 May 2017
Home Made Detergents, Fabric Softener, Bleach, Disinfectant and Shower Gel
In addition to making money from home, you can also seek to reduce your daily expenses by using some supplies that are not only cheap to acquire, but also sufficient to enable you open a part-time business of supplying these items to your friends, neighbors and relatives.
I am referring to the detergents, fabric softeners, shower gel, and bleach that are made from ingredients bought in local shops found within Nairobi CBD. In the last few years, you must have seen posts on Facebook or any other social media sites where individuals are selling these supplies at very cheap prices and in large quantities. Some are even supplying to individuals they just meet on these social media and in the process, able to support themselves while lowering their daily expenses at home.
I would say, this is a very nice way to start small business at home with only 250/- and raise above the poverty line. Some of the supplies sold on social media and along the streets include:-
I am referring to the detergents, fabric softeners, shower gel, and bleach that are made from ingredients bought in local shops found within Nairobi CBD. In the last few years, you must have seen posts on Facebook or any other social media sites where individuals are selling these supplies at very cheap prices and in large quantities. Some are even supplying to individuals they just meet on these social media and in the process, able to support themselves while lowering their daily expenses at home.
I would say, this is a very nice way to start small business at home with only 250/- and raise above the poverty line. Some of the supplies sold on social media and along the streets include:-
- Bleach for Coloured clothes that could be as low as ksh. 120 per litre
- Bleach for whitening that could be as low as ksh.100 per litre
- Hand washing gel that could be as low as ksh.150 per litre
- Glycerine for ksh. 250 per litre
- Laundry Washing detergents for ksh.60 per litre
- Utensils washing detergents for ksh.60 per litre
- Toilet cleaner for ksh.100 per litre
- Toilet cleaner for stained toilets and tiles for ksh.150per litre
- Fabric softener for ksh.150 per litre
- Disinfectant for ksh.120 per litre
- Shower gel for ksh.150 per litre
- Hair shampoo for ksh.100 per litre
- Car shampoo for ksh.120 per litre
Saturday, 8 April 2017
How to make shaggy mats at home
In the previous post on Making Shaggy Mats for Commercial Purposes we discussed the benefits of learning how to make shaggy mats and the materials needed as well as where they can be found.
In this post, we show you, step by step, how to make the shaggy mats. It is very easy, no prior knowledge needed. All you need is determination, focus and time to learn.
Step 1:- Gather all your materials (Tapestry, cutting wood, threads, scissors, crotchets and mark-pen)
Step 2:- Cut out all the rough edges of the tapestry. This makes it easier for you to bind the tapestry at the edges and make it stronger to avoid easy wearing-out during cleaning and as it gets old.
Step 3:- Do binding all round the tapestry. This should go all round. When binding, do not knit on the first hole but the second one. If you focus on the first hole, the thread might come out easily.
Step 4:- Design the Tapestry as you wish. You can either draw a shape, picture, or anything you wish for it to look like. Words can also be part of your design. The lines border the different regions you will knit using different threads in order to bring out the words or designs. For example, if the main color is green and you have drawn a flower, the flower could take up a different color like red or white or any other of your choice. This way, it shall be visible.
Step 5: -Cut out the thread to desirable pieces using scissors and the cutting wood. Take out the two edges of the thread, (the inner one and the outer one as shown in the video) tie round the cutting wood from one end to the other and to hold the threads tightly together, tie twice or thrice across as shown. Cut through on both end. Do this repeatedly for the entire thread and for the others until the mat is complete
Step 6:- Take a piece at a time and knit. The crotchet with hook is better and faster to allow you tie the thread pieces on the tapestry one by one. In order to make a nicely looking mat, when you start knitting upwards, do not change the pattern and start proceeding across. This will ruin the pattern and it will look unpresentable when you finish.
The back part of a well knit mat should look like image A. When you confuse the pattern and move across while you started knitting in a different pattern, it will appear as shown in image B. One or two threads will not show but they will if the number increases and you will end up consuming more thread than needed.
If you do everything as shown, the final product should be a smart, comfortable and nicely knit shaggy mat.
In this post, we show you, step by step, how to make the shaggy mats. It is very easy, no prior knowledge needed. All you need is determination, focus and time to learn.
Step 1:- Gather all your materials (Tapestry, cutting wood, threads, scissors, crotchets and mark-pen)
Step 2:- Cut out all the rough edges of the tapestry. This makes it easier for you to bind the tapestry at the edges and make it stronger to avoid easy wearing-out during cleaning and as it gets old.
Step 3:- Do binding all round the tapestry. This should go all round. When binding, do not knit on the first hole but the second one. If you focus on the first hole, the thread might come out easily.
Step 4:- Design the Tapestry as you wish. You can either draw a shape, picture, or anything you wish for it to look like. Words can also be part of your design. The lines border the different regions you will knit using different threads in order to bring out the words or designs. For example, if the main color is green and you have drawn a flower, the flower could take up a different color like red or white or any other of your choice. This way, it shall be visible.
Step 5: -Cut out the thread to desirable pieces using scissors and the cutting wood. Take out the two edges of the thread, (the inner one and the outer one as shown in the video) tie round the cutting wood from one end to the other and to hold the threads tightly together, tie twice or thrice across as shown. Cut through on both end. Do this repeatedly for the entire thread and for the others until the mat is complete
Step 6:- Take a piece at a time and knit. The crotchet with hook is better and faster to allow you tie the thread pieces on the tapestry one by one. In order to make a nicely looking mat, when you start knitting upwards, do not change the pattern and start proceeding across. This will ruin the pattern and it will look unpresentable when you finish.
The back part of a well knit mat should look like image A. When you confuse the pattern and move across while you started knitting in a different pattern, it will appear as shown in image B. One or two threads will not show but they will if the number increases and you will end up consuming more thread than needed.
 |
| Image A |
 |
| Image B |
If you do everything as shown, the final product should be a smart, comfortable and nicely knit shaggy mat.
Making Shaggy Mats for Commercial Purposes
Not Into Online Writing, Transcription and the Like? Don't Give Up, There is plenty to Do From Home
Some people might think that to be able to work from home you have to sit in front of a computer all day, type thousands of words and submit to online clients to get paid.
Well, this is just one way of earning money while at home. There are more activities that one can execute and reduce the time they spend in front of a computer to be able to put food on their tables. For instance, in the last few years, the shaggy mat business, or rather, the hand-made carpets have become a trending business that has seen many women manage to start earning after learning the trade.
As the name suggests, shaggy mats are carpets that are hand-made using thread, crotchets, and tapestry. The process is quite easy but one needs to be able to invest a considerable amount of time in order to be able to produce a smart and presentable carpet.
Getting started!
Buy the materials first. These includes the tapestry, crotchet, cutting wood, thread, scissors and mark pen.
Some people might think that to be able to work from home you have to sit in front of a computer all day, type thousands of words and submit to online clients to get paid.
Well, this is just one way of earning money while at home. There are more activities that one can execute and reduce the time they spend in front of a computer to be able to put food on their tables. For instance, in the last few years, the shaggy mat business, or rather, the hand-made carpets have become a trending business that has seen many women manage to start earning after learning the trade.
As the name suggests, shaggy mats are carpets that are hand-made using thread, crotchets, and tapestry. The process is quite easy but one needs to be able to invest a considerable amount of time in order to be able to produce a smart and presentable carpet.
Getting started!
Buy the materials first. These includes the tapestry, crotchet, cutting wood, thread, scissors and mark pen.
Threads (colors of your choice), cutting wood (the white board), scissors, crochets ( I use the normal one and another with hook), tapestry (the red one).
There are several places where the materials can be found, but in Nairobi all can be found biashara street Freeman's shop. This is to the right as you are entering biashara from moi avenue, just next to Rafiki Microfinance Bank.
The prices for threads ranges from 90/- to 110/= per piece. Tapestry can be cut as per your request and sizes, one metre costs around 1400/-. If you want for door mat or toilet set, you just need to let the attendants know, they understand your needs.
Crotchets and cutting woods are of different sizes and shapes as well.
NB. To know the number of threads that will be adequate for your mats, you need to know that a meter can consume up to 30 pieces of thread.
Why shaggy mats?
Here are some of the reasons why you should learn how to make shaggy mats or consider having one for your home!
1. Feels nicer to step on, made of wool and more comfortable for kids.
2. Easy to clean, made of wool, thread just like the sweaters we wear.
3. More durable and easy to maintain
4. Softer in case you have a small baby learning to stand, crawl or walk.
5. Cheaper if you learn to make them yourself.
6. Helps keep one busy when they are busy at home taking care of the little ones. (It can get lonely and tiring especially if the only activity is watching telenovela soaps and other programmings!)
7. Its therapeutic! When mad and feeling exploding, I take out my anger on the mat and come up with some very nice designs. Focusing on the art of knitting can help one learn to be patient and more focused.
8. Its is a business! Some people have taking this very seriously and they are training others in groups to knit the mats, they are making them for commercial purposes and making them for their homes as well.
9. Saves money that could have been spend purchasing carpets from supermarkets worth 18k.
10. You can make one for a relative or friend as a gift
11. Helps making the home look presentable.
12. They are custom made. You end up with something you like, is unique for just you, and lovely for your home.
Below are some of the designs one can adopt for their home-made shaggy mats.
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