ecobites.com

Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

Making your very own home brewed laundry liquids makes sense and can save you money at the same time.

Here are some recipes for organic washing agents that have been recyled and translated from a French book Guide de l'Anti-Consommateur, (The Anti-Consumer's Guide) by Dorothee Koechlin-Schwartz and martin Grapas, published by Livre de Poche.

Follow these simple to make recipes and voila!, you will never buy commercially made products again.

Lessive a la Luzerne

'Washing powder' made from the roots of lucerne (alfalfa, Medicago sativa).

100 g roots, 1 litre water, 1/2 hour

Wash roots and cut into small squares. Place in boiling water and boil for 1/2 hour. Use the water for your laundry.

Lessive aux Feuilles de Lierres

Ivy-leaf washing liquid.

100 leaves, 2 litres water, 1 hour.

Climbing ivy (Hedera helix) resists all pollution. Pick your ivy leaves, throw into boiling water and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Grind in a vegie grinder using a plate with fairly large holes.

Put back in pan and strain the mash.

In the warm strained juice you may soak all delicate fabrics such as silks, woolies etc. Use like a proprietary detergent.

Lessive aux Marrons d'Inde

Laundry liquid made with horse chestnuts.

1 kg horse chestnuts, 3 litres water, 1 hour.

Horse chestnut trees (Aesculus hippocastanum) are common in Europe, but may also be found in gardens and parks in cool parts of other countries, including Australia.

Peel chestnuts, mash and grind.

Place into boiling water and boil for one hour.

Strain. Store the liquid in bottles and voila! there is your washing solution.