Horse Chestnut (Conkers) Laundry Detergent
Make your own Horse Chestnut laundry detergent: all-natural, non-toxic, and completely free. It doesn't get much better than this when it comes to alternatives for store-bought detergents!
NATURE ALREADY HAS ALL THE SOLUTIONS
For me, an important aspect of learning how to take care of all my relations in this life, has been to become a mindful consumer. Our wallets hold power: each day through our purchases we vote for what we want to see more of in the world. When I buy this item, does this contribute to water pollution, or does it help regenerate the soil? Did other beings suffer so I could have this, or did it make their lives better? Truly understanding what effects our purchases have on others, whether on our human family or our other Earthly relations, is a comprehensive and continuous pursuit. One thing that has become very clear to me is that the great majority of products bought in chain stores and -restaurants are created in ways that have serious negative effects for the other life we share this planet with. Laundry detergent is no exception to this rule.
Most mainstream laundry detergents are toxic not only for us humans, but also for the aquatic environments they are released into after your load of laundry is done. Their powerful chemicals and artificial fragrances are linked to serious human health consequences, which include hormone-disruptions, allergic reactions, damage to reproductive health, and even carcinogenic effects. When you use these detergents, toxic and hazardous chemicals are also released in the ground- and surface water, into the air, and onto the land, bringing about a wide range of serious environmental problems. Most of these substances can't be (fully) removed by wastewater treatment facilities. When they enter marine environments they cause damage to the health of ecosystems by creating chemical imbalances and poisoning various animal and plant species. Furthermore, the raw materials used to make laundry detergents are mined and then transported over long distances, to then be put in large plastic bottles that create high volumes of waste.
Thus, the unfortunate news is that the laundry detergent on your shelf is most likely detrimental to your health as well as that of the wider environment you are a part of. While this initially might sound rather depressing, one thing I have learned over and over again in my life is that if you are curious and listen, you will find that nature always has an answer for you to help fix a problem. Luckily, as with everything else, nature as also provided us with a simple and healthy solution when it comes to cleaning our clothes, that is also completely free! Let's meet the Horse Chestnut.
HORSE CHESTNUT
To me, Horse Chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum) are truly marvelous trees. There is something majestic about their energy and appearance, and I really enjoy spending time in their presence, looking at all their unique features and shapes. I encourage you to try this yourself. You can find Horse Chestnut trees in temperate areas of Europe, Turtle Island (USA), and Asia. The tree is native to SouthEastern Europe, but was distributed widely by humans who appreciated their beauty. For this reason, they are now often found in residential areas like parks, city streets, gardens, and graveyards. Because Horse Chestnut trees have a large canopy densely populated with leaves, they are considered an ideal shade tree for large parks or open landscapes. Their gorgeous large clusters of white flowers that appear in spring are an additional feature people appreciate. From the places they are planted by us, Horse Chestnuts often self-sow further in open habitats, such as unmanaged scrub, rough grasslands, or abandoned plots.
The tree's name 'Horse Chestnut' originates from the similarity of the leaves and fruits to those of the Sweet Chestnut tree (Castanea sativa), which belongs to a different family. The other part of their name is connected to the historical use of their nuts to help relieve colic and coughing for horses.
While only introduced to most parts of the world a few hundred years ago, people everywhere have developed relationships with the Horse Chestnut tree. In Ukraine, their leaves have become part of the national coat of arms. In Ohio (Turtle Island/USA), Horse Chestnut is the state's official tree, and in Ireland and Great Britain the tree's nuts are used in a traditional children's game named 'conkers.'
The Horse Chestnut trees offers us another gift, which is the gift of medicine. Their leaves, bark, and flowers have been used medicinally for a long time. Extracts of the leaves and the bark of young branches have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and are one of the most effective plant extracts for inhibiting the growth of Candida albicans in the human body. The saponins derived from the seed are used as a treatment for various issues, including vascular disorders, rheumatism, coughs, hemorrhoids, bladder and gastrointestinal disorders, fevers and leg cramps. Research indicates they might even assist in reducing the growth of certain types of cancer.
It is important to note that despite these valuable medicinal benefits (contrary to sweet chestnuts) the raw nuts of the Horse Chestnut tree are NOT EDIBLE for humans. Other animals like deer and wild boar are able to eat their nuts. Horse Chestnut trees are also hosts for many other beings in nature. Various insects benefit from their presence, including red-listed hoverfly species and the many pollinators that visit their flowers in the spring. Welcoming a Horse Chestnut tree to your landscape could therefore be a great way to invite more biodiversity to the local area.
Next to the medicinal benefits that the saponins in Horse Chestnuts offer, they have another advantage: they are a natural detergent and foaming substance, perfect for making different types of soap! Saponin is a surfactant that’s effective at removing grease, dirt, and grime from clothing. This is why horse chestnuts are the main ingredient for the laundry detergent we're making in this article!
FINDING & HARVESTING HORSE CHESTNUT
As we have seen, a good place to look for Horse Chestnut trees is in residential areas. These beautiful trees can grow impressively large; up to 39 meters (128 ft) tall, and are quite easy to identify in the landscape due to their large, rounded palmate leaves, white-pinkish flowers growing in conical clusters, tall stature, and domed crown. The bark of younger trees is rather smooth, but will show an interesting texture of cracks and 'scales' when the trees grow older.
Their nuts start dropping to the ground in the early fall. When this will be exactly, depends on your geographical location (for me this was the first weeks of September). Horse chestnuts are large, glossy, brown nuts with a light spot on them. The nuts should not be confused with sweet chestnuts. Unlike sweet chestnuts, horse chestnuts are inedible – in fact, they are toxic when consumed! Luckily it’s quite simple to tell the two nuts apart. A sweet chestnut will have a spiny husk that is very sharp. A horse chestnut, on the other hand, has a husk with much fewer spines, which aren’t quite so sharp to the touch. The shape of the nut is also a good way to identify them. Sweet chestnuts have a pointy tip at the end of the nut, whereas horse chestnuts are completely smooth.
Please remember that whether you're working with Horse Chestnuts or any other living beings in nature, it’s important to walk softly on the Earth and to forage with care. We are guests and receivers of gifts from the natural world around us, so please consider how you can forage with care and consideration, to only take as much as you need, and leave plenty. When you harvest Horse Chestnuts, you could also offer a gesture of gratitude to the trees that so generously give you part of themselves.
In the last decades Horse Chestnut trees have been struggling greatly from various issues that are linked to damaging human behaviors. In 2017 they were put on the UCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is estimated that in Europe there currently are only 5,000-9,000 trees left. The time has really come for us to heal our relation with this special tree and to become better relatives to them. If you ask me, what better way to give thanks to them for their gifts to you, than to help ensure their survival. This year I'm planting eleven nuts in pots, which I will plant out next year and support to develop into mature trees. Imagine what a difference it could make if we all do this.
MAKING HORSE CHESTNUT LAUNDRY DETERGENT
Now, let's make some soap! After you have harvested the nuts, give them a quick rinse to make sure they are free of any sand or debris. The next step is to make sure the saponins present in the nut's inner white center can easily dissolve later on in the process. For this to be possible, this white material needs to be in direct contact with water. This means the chestnuts will have to be broken into smaller pieces! The smaller the pieces are, the quicker and better the saponins will be released. I've come across different methods to accomplish this, which include:
Chopping each nut into four quarters with a knife
Chopping each nut into four quarters, and then blending these quarters in a food processor/blender
Putting the nuts in a tea towel and then crushing them with a hammer
Chopping each nut into small pieces with a knife
Whichever method you choose, it is important to use fresh chestnuts that have not dried out. Dry chestnuts are very challenging to work with! An indicator for their freshness is that their skin is smooth and shiny (vs wrinkled and dull).
I used the fourth method of chopping the chestnuts into small pieces with a knife. After doing this, they are ready for immediate use. However, if you have prepared a larger quantity, you likely want to store most of them for later use. For this it is important to dry the pieces so that they have a long shelf life. You can dry them in a dehydrator, or on a baking tray in the oven on the lowest temperature setting (50 C/120F) for about 3 hours, turning the pieces every half an hour.
You can store your chestnut pieces in a glass jar or other airtight container. Here they should stay good for months to come. When it's time to do laundry, just follow a few more simple steps to get your detergent ready for use!
To make detergent, put 1-2 tablespoons of the chestnut pieces in a small jar. Next, add about 200 ml / 3/4 cup of hot water. Close the jar and set it aside for 1-2 hours. During this time, the saponins stored in the nuts will be released in the water (if your pieces are larger, it will take longer). During the infusion time, the water will become cloudy white. When you shake the jar, a lot of foam will form on the top, which means your detergent is ready!
The chestnut laundry detergent is pretty much scent-free, so you can just use it as is. If you prefer your laundry to be scented, however, you could mix in a few drops of an essential oil of your choice (e.g. lavender or citrus). Now all that is left to do, is strain the detergent! The used chestnut pieces can be composted, so nothing is wasted.
After several loads, I can only say Horse Chestnut laundry detergent is a great natural solution for everyday washing. All of my clothes have come out fresh and clean! For heavily soiled or stained clothes, it might be good to pretreat them before putting them in the washing machine. I hope you enjoy getting to know this new, all natural way of washing that is made possible by the generous gifts of the Horse Chestnut tree.
Happy washing!
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