In Day 5, we looked at how ‘a clean home shouldn’t mean a dirty river‘ and how phosphates in our dishwasher powder and laundry detergents can be unwittingly adding to pollution in our rivers.

Whilst researching phosphate-free cleaning products, we came across a washing detergent recipe made out of English Ivy!

Apparently, English Ivy leaves are rich in saponin, a natural detergent and foaming agent. When the leaves or cut or bruised, the saponin is released.

Take a look at this video for an Ivy Detergent Recipe Nancy Birtwhistle.

We can’t wait to try this!

Do let us know if you try this and how you get on!

Do you have any similar recipes?

Have you tried making detergent out of conkers?

Have you tried making a ‘green’ dishwasher solution?

Please let us know in the ‘Please leave us a reply’ below or contact us with your suggestion.

Thank you for reading this.