Many only know ivy as ubiquitous usurer and bird food.
The climbing plant is a real all-rounder and can even be used in the bathroom.
The evergreen ivy * can be found everywhere: it climbs up house walls and fences and overgrows garages or entire roofs.
For nature he is a real asset.
Although its fruits are not fully ripened until spring, birds can find something to eat with the fruit sets even in the barren late winter.
With humans, however, he is not always a welcome guest.
After all, the roots with which the ivy likes to hold on to steep surfaces can sometimes
damage
the masonry or the
facade
.
In addition, its strikingly shaped leaves are considered
poisonous
.
The ivy has a use that very few people know about - it can be used as an
environmentally friendly alternative to detergents
.
More:
Make your own washing powder with three ingredients - it's that easy.
How does the ivy work in the washing machine?
The reason ivy is so good for cleaning dirty laundry is because of the chemical properties of the plant.
This contains so-called
saponins,
which
have been shown to have
soap-like properties
, as DieGlocke.de reports.
This means that they bind dirt and grease and wash them out.
Organic laundry detergents made from chestnuts also use this group of substances.
Also read:
Ivy as a houseplant: light place only partially suitable.
How do I use ivy as a detergent?
Making your own detergent from ivy is very easy.
You can put a
handful of sheets
into the machine for laundry at temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius without any further additives.
All
you have to do is
rip
them
roughly
and then place them in a laundry net or an old sock, which you should knot well.
So you can put the ivy
straight into the washing drum
.
A little washing soda can enhance the result; add this to the powder compartment of the machine as usual.
In order
to use
the ivy as a
mild detergent at low temperatures
, you have to process the leaves and make a
washing solution
.
This is because otherwise the saponins cannot dissolve.
To do this, take a handful of leaves, a tablespoon of washing soda and 300 milliliters of water.
But be careful:
You should not use the solution
for
animal fabrics
such as silk or wool, as the soda causes the fabric fibers to swell.
(lw)
* mercury.
de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
Also read:
Washing towels properly - you have to pay attention to that now.
You haven't heard of these cleaning tricks
You haven't heard of these cleaning tricks