Clean and convenient

PHUKET: Phuket Town’s first co-working initiative –The SEA Co-working Space and Marine Cafe – hosted a make-your-own home cleaner workshop at their space on Phang Nga Road on June 5.

Led by Green Fins Project Coordinator and environmental health advocate Petchrung “Aey” Sukpong, the workshop covered the process of producing an all natural, all purpose and inexpensive cleaning solution.

The procedure is surprisingly simple and enables anyone to create a vast stockpile of the cleaner in a short amount of time with minimal effort and money. The solution can then be used to clean dishes, counters, floors, bathrooms, laundry and has a variety of marine applications.

The cleaner utilizes the natural benefits of effective microorganisms (EM) which consists of a proprietary blend of beneficial microbes such as yeast, lactobacillus and phototrophic bacteria.

The process of creating the natural cleaner begins with the use of EM to react with and break down food waste – especially fruit by-products such as pineapple rind and orange and lime peels. Aey says that she sources the leftover fruit waste from shops that sell juices and smoothies. In a large container, the fruit waste is mixed with clean water, brown sugar and the EM which can be purchased through Best Care International (BCI) Thailand. The mixture is then covered and left for four to six weeks to allow the EM to react with the sugars in the fruit. When a white layer of what looks like mold forms on top of the mixture, it is ready to be used. EM has a variety of applications including fertilizer and soil conditioner.

The SEA Co-working Space and Marine Cafe offers an inviting space conducive to learning and productivity. Photo: Jeremie Schatz

The other main ingredient needed to create the cleaner is a product called Texapon N-70 which is derived from natural fatty alcohols found in coconut or palm oil. Texapon N-70 is the commercial name with which it will be labeled and it can be found at the Super Cheap across from the new bus station.

Once the EM have worked their magic and the fruit matter has been strained out, it’s time to gather up the ingredients that will formulate the final product. To make about 10 liters of the cleaner, it will require 10 liters of the EM solution, one kilogram of Texapon N-70 and one kilogram of salt.

In a 12-15 liter container, the Texapon N-70 and the salt are mixed together, stirred slowly by hand in one direction. The EM solution is then added slowly while the mixture is continuously being stirred. Once all 10 liters of the EM solution have been added, stirring must continue until all of the granules of salt have been dissolved which should take 10-20 minutes depending on the temperature of the other ingredients.

Once the salt has been dissolved, the mixture should be covered and left overnight to settle at which point it can be bottled and is ready for use.

To further simplify the process of making the do-it-yourself cleaner, Aey says she will be making the EM product as well as the Texapon N-70 available for purchase at the SEA Co-working Space next month.

For more information on the SEA Co-working Space and Marine Cafe, visit: facebook.com/theseacoworkingspace or greenfins-thailand.org

— Jeremie Schatz