Did you know you can make your own washing detergent from Conkers! Conkers are the brown seeds from the Horse Chestnut tree and can be found in the UK towards the end of Sept, beginning of October when they fall from the trees.
When the conkers fall they are encased in a green spikey shell, inside the shell the conkers are brown and glossy. When the conkers fall from the tree they are usually ready to collect and the outer spikey green shell usually splits when it hits the floor to reveal the conker. If there are any that aren’t split you can lightly put your foot on them to split the outer shell.
Before you start foraging for Conkers to make your own washing detergent it’s worth remembering that you can’t eat them as they are poisonous to humans and most animals, icluding dogs.
How to make conker laundry liquid
You’ll Need:
- Foraged Conkers
- Boiling Water
- Glass Jar for Storage
How To:
- Chop the Conkers roughly into small pieces.
- Dry them in a warm oven or sunny windowsill
- Store in a jar to use later
- To make laundry liquid put 2 to 3 tbls in a jug and add roughly 500ml of boiling water, leave for 30 mins
- Strain the mixture and use as laundry liquid.⠀
- The conkers can be used up to 3 times but you’ll need to leave them in the water for longer each time.⠀
- Use 1/3 to 1/2 cup per load⠀
Note – If you want to use for Whites it’s best to peel them first.
Conkers are poisonous to animals and humans if eaten
Other uses for Conkers
As well as making laundry liquid with your Conkers there are other things you can do with them:
- Let the kids play Conkers – How to Play Conkers
- Make Conker & Coconut Shampoo
- Use as Moth repellant – place fresh conkers in drawers and wardrobe
- Use for Autumn decorations
And unfortunately there’s no real evidence to support the old wives tale that they keep spiders away but you can always give it a go to see if it works for you.
Brilliant! Can’t wait to try this in the autumn.