No products in the cart.
Are you concerned about the chemicals that are present in industrial cleaning products? Whether in terms of their effects on your body – itchy or dry skin or hair – or on the environment, the amount of chemicals that are present in industrial laundry detergents is not to be sniffed at.
For fairness and for transparency, it must be said that, in recent years, the French market has seen the introduction of detergents with plant-based and natural ingredients, as well as concentrated formulations that reduce packaging waste and environmental impact. 1 The growing demand for eco-friendly and biodegradable cleaning products among consumers has been hard to avoid and so the laundry detergents in France have evolved to balance cleaning performance with environmental considerations.
But did you know that you can make something just as effective, just as efficient – at home?
Hedera helix – also known as English ivy, ivy, the ivy, the main ivy, that invasive thing that you are constantly ripping out of the ground/wall – well, did you know it is rich in saponin? Saponin is a surfactant which makes it a natural detergent and foaming substance, effective at lifting grease, dirt and grime from clothing.
Ivy is also a fascinating plant, not the noxious invasive that you may believe. In fact, part of my job is to care for the largest collection of ivy in the world at Jardins du Gué – so if you have ivy questions or needs, please ask away. You can also find most of the information here, at the Ivy Site.
Back to our laundry detergent. Following is the recipe for a decoction (this refers to the extraction ofa concentrated liquor as a result of heating or boiling a substance, especially a plant)
Hedera helix Decoction Recipe
Preparation Time: 25min
Total time: about 10 hour (assuming the ivy is not in a forest far far away)
- Preparing the tea in the evening will allow for the resting to happen overnight > this is optimal
Makes enough for 6 loads of laundry.
Materials and ingredients:
- 60 English ivy leaves (Hedera helix)
- 1 litre of water
- Large pan
- A tea filter or cheesecloth
- Vinegar (optional)
Steps:
1. Grab your ivy (Hedera helix)!
o If you live in Europe, western Asia or the United States, you’ll likely find the vine growing on a tree in the forest, on the forest floor or covering the walls of a house/your hourse.
2. Put your gloves on (if your skin is naturally sensitive) and collect the leaves.
o The sap from the English ivy can cause skin irritations. Wearing gloves is a preventative measure in case you have sensitive skin.
o Collect 60 or so ivy leaves and bring them home!
3. Make a decoction.
o Once home, rinse and scrunch the leaves in your hands (with or without gloves)
o Put the leaves in a pan and add 1 litre of water. I’ve found that adding a sprig of rosemary, sage or lavendar can create a really wonderful fragrance.
o Put the pan on your stove and bring the water to a boil. Let it boil for 15 minutes
4. Wait and filter.
o Let the ivy tea cool for about half a day. Again ,this is easiest to do overnight!
o Then, squeeze the leaves by hand (with gloves) so that their juices drip out into the tea. Discard the leaves into your compost pile.
o Filter the tea into a jar by using a tea filter or cheesecloth.
5. Wash your clothes!
o For each load of laundry, use the same amount of this tea as you would use of regular laundry detergent. This recipe was enough for around 5/6 loads of laundry on my side.
6. Extend the life of the detergent.
o To make your English ivy laundry detergent keep longer, store it in your fridge or add a little bit of vinegar to it (at a 1:5 ratio).
✅What it works for:
- Wool/cotton/linen/delicates
❌What it will not work for:
- Clothing that is extremely dirty or stained, graffiti or acrylic paint stains, etc. It’s not that heavy duty 🙂
If you make the detergent overnight, then this can become a substitute for you regular laundry detergent. But there is the time and energy factor that may outweigh the benefits.
I suggest that you give it a go either way as it’s a really fun afternoon science experiment!
