Making Ivy Leaf Laundry Soap

This is the Wilderness We Choose; Our Lenten Journey, day 15

We are often told that the wilderness has nothing to offer us, that without the conveniences of modern life we would suffer much drudgery and despair. There are, of course, many good and helpful things about contemporary living that we wouldn't want to be without, but our disconnection from nature and the abundance she shares with us freely is great. And so, our Lenten journey day 15 is for making ivy leaf laundry soap.

Ivy leaves contain saponins, a kind of natural soap, and so provide a cheap, chemical-free, & sustainable alternative to shop-bought detergents. We can make the same thing from horse chestnuts, which I have yet to try, but the beauty of ivy, as one of our evergreens, is that it's available all year round. For me, I also value opportunity to create deeper relationship with the green beings who I share this land with. We don't exist as islands in lonely seas but as part of a beautifully woven web of interconnection & interaction. The more that we can consciously involve the beings around us in our everyday lives the better, especially in these wobbly times. And ivy literally weaves itself into the world all around us. S/he is a wonderful teacher.

To make your laundry soap, which is an astonishingly simple process, you first need to identify a source of English Ivy (hedera helix). I know that there are other plants known as 'ivy' in other lands so be careful to find the right one. Often you will find it growing up a tree or fence.

Next collect 60-100 leaves. The larger, deeper green leaves contain more saponins so look for these especially. You might want to wear gloves, especially if you have sensitive skin, as ivy sap can irritate the skin. I didn't & experienced no ill-effects.

Wash the leaves & then roughly chop them into a saucepan. Add 1 litre, or 3 1/2 cups, of cold water.

Bring to the boil & continue boiling for 15 minutes with a lid on the pan. You will probably see that the water is frothy.

Pour, leaves & all, into a glass container & leave for at least 3 hours, or overnight if you can.

When the mixture has been left to stand, strain out the leaves, using a colander, sieve, or muslin cloth. Make sure to squeeze out the leaves to get all the moisture out. The leaves can then be composted.

Store the laundry soap somewhere cool in a glass jar & use as needed. It should keep for 3-4 weeks, although I have read of someone adding a little vinegar to help it last longer.

When you want to use it just pour a cupful of the liquid into your washing machine drawer, or use for handwashing. I use mine for handwashing and, once I got used to the lack of detergenty smell which our brains have become used to associating with cleanliness, I found it gentle and effective to use.

I have read that the ivy laundry soap may not work quite so well in hard water areas. You can watch an experiment to see what works best here

Do let me know if you make this & how you get on.

References:

https://domino-ecofashion.com/diy-ivy-laundry-detergent-natural-home-made/