Natural Laundry Detergents

Its so difficult to find a mild laundry detergent in Malaysia that i am seriously considering making my own or just using water except for tough stains. I recently tried a locally manufactured     "natural" laundry detergent and found my clothes laden with soap residue after every wash cycle.

Apart from the local detergent above, the only other product available in stores, actually just one store (Village Grocer) in the city is Earth Choice. This product comes from Australia and it cost close to RM18 or USD5 a bottle approximately. It lasts a month (for one person) hence needless to say you will be spending a lot if you have a family! A 750 ml bottle of Earth Choice can rinse up to 21 washes or so they say.

I have been using it for 6 months and have no complains so far.  The label says its a plant based formula. Readiliy Biodegradable Surfactants. No petrochemical Surfactants, Phosphate, Ammonia or Chlorine. Reduces Chemical Waste & Pollutants. Low Sodium (6%). Septic Safe. No added Phosphorus.

For more information please visit www.natureorganics.com.au. I know some of my friends use just a little bit of Dettol to wash clothes instead of detergents and fabric softeners. Perhaps I should experiment with making my own detergents and see how that works out.

E2 Energy Saver

I came across an interesting gadget at a Home Dec exhibition last month. The gadget in question is called E2 Saver. This gadget claims to be able to reduce your utility bill by 40%. You simply need to plug into any 13A 3-pin power outlet nearest to your distribution box.

The friendly salesman also highlighted that E2 Energy saver will
- Stabilise the flow of current into the building
- Improve power efficiency
- Reduce temperature of wire and risk of fire
- Prolong the lifespan of electrical appliances

Would love to hear from anyone who has actually purchased the E2 Saver and get some feedback/reviews in this product. It cost between RM300 to RM400 approximately and is available Handy Fix Sdn Bhd, Houz Depot Sdn Bhd, Ace Hardware Sdn Bhd, Home-Fix (M) Sdn Bhd.

The salesman also showed me a reduction in utility bills as a result of E2 Saver but that could be due to a variety of reason. I also googled E2 Saver Scam to see if anything came up from other websites or blogs. What I found was this product has been in the market for couple of years and has been getting mixed reviews from customers.

At one of the forums a user pointed out how E2 Saver works:
1. Inside all of these boxes are just industrial non polar capacitors. You can get it at electronics shop for ~RM5 each.
2. The capacitors will indeed filter out the noise in electrical current, and thus making your total power reduced. This is because:
Total Power = Real Power + Reactive Power
The cap reduces reactive power.
3. Old TNB meters (those with spinning discs, measures TOTAL POWER), so if your house is still using that type of meter, using the caps will help to reduce your bill to a certain point. (especially if you use a lot of aircons/washing machines)
4. The NEW DIGITAL TNB meters is already designed to measure REAL POWER ONLY. So, TNB does not charge you for any reactive power that you use anymore (true for houses only, but for factories, tnb still charge for reactive power under a certain level of Power Factor).

I am not sure if the above explanation is true and frankly i didn't know we had something called reactive power. Finally, E2 Saver does have a credible websites as more often than not these gadgets appear on website that look rather suspicious. I am rather skeptical about the whole gadget thats sounds too good to be true and you know what they say when things are too good to be true...

Favourite Robin Sharma Quotes

Always remember the key principle to the quality of life is the quality of communicatiom. This means the way you communicate with others and more importantly the way you communicate with yourself. What you focus on is what you get. If you look for the positive this is what you get. This is the fundamental law of nature.

Stress is simply a response you create in the interpretation of an event. Understand that the perceived negative effect of an event or task may be mentally manipulated and conditioned towards the positive.

Remember that forgiveness is a virtue that few develop, but one that is most important to maintaining peace of mind. By using emotional forgiveness muscles more regularly, petty wrongs, remarks and slights will not touch you and nothing will penetrate your concentrated self.

Never argue with the person you work for you will lose more than the argument

Two of the fundamentals for a happy joyful life is balance and moderation. One must maintain a balance of all activities and do nothing to extreme

Remember that effective time management makes you more rather than less flexible. It allows you to do the things you really want to do rather than the things you have to do.

Spend time with Nature. It has a powerful effect on your senses which will lead to a sense of renewal, refreshment and peacefulness. Cultivate a friendship in Nature and you will find more serenity, contentment and richness in your life.

Sound body rest a sound mind. Feed it the finest fuel, exercise daily and care for as you would your prized possession.

Remember an ancient Indian proverb: "If you conquer your mind, you conquer the world"
Keep your words soft and arguments hard

When you look for something you will find it. If you constantly expect exceptional success you will surely have it. Peak performers attract success. You must keep the goals you desire to achieve at the forefront of your mind throughout the day.

Get deep into the habit of personal introspection. Spend ten minutes every night before you go to bed in self-examination. Think about the good things you did during the day and the bad actions you may have taken which you must change in order to excel and grow.

Remember the power of prayer

When the breath is still and strong, so is the mind

Fill your home with bright fresh flowers. This is one of the best investment you can make. Let the sound of great music, laughter and good fun fill the oasis of your home

The mind is like a garden-as you sow, so shall you reap. When you cultivate it and nurture it, it will blossom beyond your wildest expectation. But if you let the weeds take over, you will never reach your potential. What you put in is what you get out.