Conker Laundry Detergent

Plastic What You Preach
by Plastic What You Preach
2 Materials
1 Hour
Easy

Looking for a way to reduce chemicals and plastic in your life? This 100% natural laundry detergent made from conkers is gentle on skin, eco friendly and easy to make.

First of all you'll need some conkers! This amount of conkers made approximately 500ml detergent, so adjust the number of conkers you need roughly based on how much you want to make.

You need to use a large, sharp knife to cut the conkers into pieces. I went for 8 pieces per conker but you could do quarters instead or you could chop them up more. The smaller the pieces, the faster the product will infuse later.

Once you've chopped all your conkers, you should have something that looks a bit like this. Now, get the kettle on! (Not for a cuppa)

Put your chopped conkers into a jug or other suitable container and once the kettle has boiled, add as much water to the conkers as you'd like to make. You should notice (as shown in pic) that the liquid has a soapy, bubbly look to it. Leave this liquid to soak for at least an hour, stirring occasionally. You'll notice the liquid becomes creamier and less transparent the longer it soaks.

Strain the liquid through a sieve just to make sure no little bits of conker stay in yoir detergent. There you have it! Each load of laundry will require between half a cup and a full cup of liquid detergent depending on load size. The liquid can be stored in a tub or jar for a few days in the fridge, or you can make up as required. I found the detergent to be effective on a standard load of laundry but I decided to still use fabric conditioner to keep the "clean washing" smell. Let me know if you give it a try and how you get on! You can also dry large amounts of conkers to keep throughout the year to make more when conkers are not available.


Check out @plastic_what_you_preach on instagram for more eco ideas :-)

Suggested materials:
  • Conkers   (Park)
  • Boiling water
Frequently asked questions
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  • Lari Lari on Jan 12, 2020

    hello, ok PLS don't think I need a book called 'Dummies for Conkers' lol but are conkers in all areas of U.S.? all year? thank you for the share I am absolutely in for saving our planet from the plastic's!

  • Karlene Hamilton Karlene Hamilton on Jan 12, 2020

    Conkers? They look like Buckeyes. Are they the same thing?

  • Marva Litow Marva Litow on Jan 13, 2020

    What are confers?

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