Wanted to post it for quite a while already, as I've been trying out several recipes and am actually really happy with this one! For those of you who are into DIY things and who like to know what's inside all the products you use, want to avoid chemicals and basically, want to care about the earth and create as less waste as possible, here's a very simple and low cost recipe to make your own washing "powder" (liquid here! :) ).
I have been testing it for quite a while now (over 2 years) and its working nicely on most stains, from 30 to 60 degres washings. Even with white laundry, compared to "ashes" washing powder which tends to leave minor traces on white clothes over time (greyish). I have had no problems so far, and several friends have been using it as well with only good feedbacks.
for this recipe, I use IVY leaves, yes that's right! just regular climbing ivy leaves. It contains about 5 to 8% saponin, a surfactant with detergent and foaming properties. pick about 50 leaves, rinse them in water, the put them in a pot (you can cut and crease them in order to allow more saponin to get out), add 1 liter of water, make it boil, and let it boiling for about 15 minutes, stir from time to time. Cover it up and let it rest for at least a night (I usually let them for 24h more or less, this gives time for the saponin to mix with water). By then, the color should be bright green/brown. use either a tissue, old stocking, coffee filter and pour it in a bottle. Its ready to use. You can add some essential oils, I usually use lavender, or lemon, tea tree... but you can use whichever you like, some just have anti bacterial properties. You can keep you washing liquid for several weeks (about a month or so), you can even store it in the fridge. If you're washing a lot of white/clear clothes you can add a bit of percarbonate directly with the laundy. Use it as a regular washing powder (or a tiny bit more). Nice thing is you can get Ivy leaves all year long! Enjoy! feel free to get back to me if you have any questions or to leave feeedbacks! Always nice to here what you're thinking, experimenting etc... When camping into the wild, this can also be used as soap/shampoo and for the dishes!
