Wood Ash Laundry Detergent: Finally an Easy And Quick Recipe To Make.
Don't know what to do with wood ash?
How about doing laundry with it? Yes, yes, you read that right, laundry!
What is ash lye? It is a 100% natural detergent made from wood ash.
Not only is the recipe super efficient, but in addition it is free!
Today I am revealing to you the recipe for wood ash detergent that my grandmother gave me and that I now use daily.
Do not worry, it is easy and quick to do. All you need is water and ash. Look :
What you need
- a colander
- 2 containers: bucket, can, basin ...
- tissue
- a drainer
- 1 liter of water
- an empty bottle
- a funnel
How to do
1. Take 50 g of ash.
2. Sift it with a colander.
3. Put it in the bucket or can.
4. Pour over 1 liter of water.
5. Mix with a stick or wooden spoon.
6. Let stand overnight.
7. Fold a fabric in four.
8. Place it in the drip tray over a clean container.
9. Pour the water and ash mixture over the fabric to filter it.
10. If any ash particles remain on the surface, allow the liquid to sit so that the ash sinks to the bottom. And only collect the mixture on the surface.
11. Pour the liquid into a bottle.
Results
And there you have it, your wood ash detergent is already ready :-)
Easy, fast and efficient, isn't it?
Plus, it's arguably the most economical laundry in the world, as ash is free.
And it's completely natural: no chemicals in it!
Use
The dosage is very simple!
Just pour 1 glass of your detergent in the washing machine for 5 kg of laundry.
And no need to add fabric softener! Ash detergent is very gentle on textile fibers.
It does not attack them, unlike industrial detergents.
This also allows you to save fabric softener!
My opinion
This 100% natural detergent washes our laundry perfectly.
And it's particularly effective on organic stains like blood, food or oil stains.
To leave a pleasant scent on the laundry, you can add a few drops of essential oil of lavender or lemon for example.
Limits
- On the other hand, it must be recognized that it is less effective on mud stains. To remove mud stains, I recommend that you use this trick before washing your laundry.
- Over time, ash-based detergent may tend to gray white laundry. To avoid this, just add sodium percarbonate to the machine drum. The laundry will regain a dazzling whiteness. You can also use one of these tips to bleach laundry.
- To revive the whiteness of the laundry, baking soda also works miracles. Find out how here.
- You can also soak light-colored clothes and laundry in hot water mixed with soda crystals to restore their shine.
Bonus tip
You don't have a stove or fireplace at home? It does not matter.
You can always collect the ash from a neighbor. We always have too many.
Or take a trip to the local baker or pizza maker. He will be happy to get rid of his ashes.
On the other hand, if you have too much ash and you don't know what to do with it, check out these 32 surprising uses for wood ash.
Advice
- Your ash lye can be kept for several years. You can therefore prepare a large quantity when you have ashes available.
- To be sure that your ash detergent is ready, check that the liquid is a little slimy between the fingers. If not, stir and let steep overnight.
- If you can, choose the hardwood ash like oak, chestnut, fruit trees or acacia. Because these woods are richer in potash than the woods of coniferous trees. Your laundry will therefore be even more efficient.
- Always wait until the ash is very cold before using it for this recipe.
- Go outside to prepare your ash laundry because mixing ash and water produces dust.
- If you are in a hurry and don't want to wait an entire night, use hot water instead of cold water.
Why does it work?
Wood ash is rich in potash.
And potash is very effective at dissolving grease on dirty clothes.
This is why wood ash is a very effective natural cleaner, ideal for washing clothes!
Your turn...
Have you tried this ecological recipe for ash laundry? Tell us in the comments if it worked for you. We can't wait to hear from you!
Do you like this trick ? Share it with your friends on Facebook.
Also to discover:
I Made my Laundry with Wood Ash! My Opinion on Its Effectiveness.
Wood Ash Laundry Detergent: Grandmother's Surprising and Effective Recipe!
