Don't know what to do with wood ash?
How about making laundry out of it? Yes, yes, you read that right, laundry detergent!
What is ash lye? It is a 100% natural detergent made from wood ashes.
Not only is the recipe super effective, but it's free!
Today I am sharing with you the recipe for the wood ash laundry detergent that my grandmother entrusted to me and thatI now use on a daily basis.
Don't worry, it's quick and easy to make . All you need is water and ashes. Watch:
- a colander
- 2 containers :bucket, can, basin...
- a fabric
- a drainer
- 1 liter of water
- an empty bottle
- a funnel
1. Take 50 g of ash .
2. Sieve it with a colander.
3. Put it in the bucket or canister.
4. Pour 1 liter of water over it.
5. Mix with a stick or wooden spoon.
6. Let sit 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 ashes sink to the bottom. And collect only the mixture on the surface.
11. Pour the liquid into a bottle.
There you go, your wood ash detergent is already ready :-)
Easy, fast and efficient, right?
In addition, it is certainly the most economical detergent in the world , since the ash is free.
And it's completely natural:no chemicals in it!
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! The ash detergent is very gentle on the textile fibers.
It does not attack them, unlike industrial detergents.
This also allows you to save on fabric softener!
This 100% natural detergent washes our clothes perfectly.
And it's especially effective on organic stains like blood, food or oil stains.
To leave a pleasant fragrance on the laundry, you can add a few drops of lavender or lemon essential oil, for example.
- On the other hand, it must be recognized that it is less effective on mud stains. To remove mud stains, I therefore recommend that you use this trick before putting your laundry in the washing machine.
- Over time, ash detergent can tend to gray white linen. To avoid this, just add soda ash to the drum of the machine. The laundry will regain a dazzling whiteness. You can also use one of these tricks to whiten laundry.
- Torevive the whiteness of laundry , baking soda also works wonders. Find out how here.
- You can also soak light-colored clothes and linens in hot water mixed with soda crystals to restore their shine.
Don't have a stove or fireplace at home? It doesn't matter.
You can always collect the ashes from a neighbour . 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.
- 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 viscous between your fingers . If this is not the case, stir and leave to macerate for an additional night.
- If you can, choose hardwood ash such as oak, chestnut, fruit trees or acacia. Because these woods are richer in potash than softwoods. So your laundry will be even more efficient.
- Always wait until the ashes are really cold before using them for this recipe.
- Go outside to prepare your laundry with ashes because mixing ash and water creates dust.
- If you're in a hurry and don't want to wait an entire night, use hot water instead of cold water.
Wood ash is rich in potash.
And potash is very effective in dissolving grease on dirty clothes.
That's why wood ash is a very effective natural cleaner, ideal for washing clothes!
