Gather up your champion conkers and give them a new life as a laundrette
Horse chestnuts contain lots of saponin – an organic chemical with a name that’s a clue as to why they’re useful: sapon is ‘soap’ in Latin. While it won’t zap the toughest of stains, this homemade liquid is an economic and eco way for more everyday washing.
The prep:
• Gather your conkers (about a handful per wash load).
• Remove the outer brown layer, then quarter.
• Blitz into small pieces in a blender or bash with a rolling pin through a tea towel (Wash any kitchen implements very carefully afterwards as conkers are poisonous to humans).
• Leave the mixture to dry somewhere like an airing cupboard or windowsill.
• Once completely dry, store in an airtight jar ready to use. (You can buy ready made ‘washkers’ at watercressqueen.company.site/products)
The wash
• Boil a kettle and add double the quantity of water to the mix used.
• Steep for at least 30 mins.
• Filter the liquid through a muslin. The used bits can go in your food waste/compost.
• Use the liquid as you would a normal laundry liquid (add a couple of drops of essential oil if you like it scented).
• Any leftover liquid can be kept in the fridge for a week.
This Horse Chestnut Laundry Wash is just one of the fascinating ideas from our October Miscellany pages. Turn to page 117 of the October issue to read more miscellaneous things from puzzles and paperweights to turnip carving and foraging for fungi.
Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe
