Ivy is becoming increasingly popular as an inexpensive and environmentally friendly detergent. If you want to stock up, you can easily preserve the freshly collected leaves by drying them. You can find out how you should proceed in this article.
How to properly dry ivy for washing?
Ivy can be preserved by drying it so that it can later be used as an environmentally friendly detergent. To do this, spread out the leaves, let them dry for several days, grind them up and store them in containers. Drying in a dehydrator, oven or outdoors works, but not in the microwave.
Can you dry ivy?
Ivy leaves can be preserved,like almost all plants,by drying. The detergent saponins remain in the leaves after the moisture has been removed received.
- Spread the leaves on a towel.
- Make sure that the plant material is not on top of each other.
- Let it dry thoroughly for several days.
- Rub between your fingers and store in well-sealed containers.
Can I dry ivy in the dehydrator?
You can also dry theivy leaves in the dehydrator. To do this, spread the collected items out on the floor and set the device to 40 Degree on.
After about eight hours, the ivy leaves are completely dry and can be stored for a longer period of time.
Can I dry ivy in the oven?
Ivy leaves can be easily driedin the oven:
- Place the ivy leaves side by side on the baking tray.
- Turn the oven on to the lowest temperature.
- To allow the moisture to escape, place a wooden spoon in the oven door.
- The ivy leaves will dry after 45 to 60 minutes.
- If you have a hot air oven, you can even dry several trays at the same time.
Can I dry ivy in the microwave?
Drying in the microwave doesn't work,because the leaves char after just a short time. The moisture is not sufficiently removed and the ivy is unusable.
How do I wash with the dried ivy?
Theuse is no differentfrom thatof fresh ivy leaves. To wash, put three to four tablespoons of the dried leaves into a gauze bag, which you close tightly.
Alternatively, you can pour 250 milliliters of boiling water over the dried leaves, let the mixture cool slightly, shake well and let it steep overnight. Strain the leaves into a sieve and add the solution to the detergent compartment.
Are the dried leaves suitable for tea?
Sinceivy is poisonous in large doses, we advise against making a tea from the dried leaves. If you have he alth problems, prefer to use standardized medications from the pharmacy.
Tip
Ivy can cause allergies
In very rare cases, people react overly sensitively to clothes washed with ivy. If there are allergy sufferers in the family, you should first do an allergy test. For example, wash the socks with the natural detergent and wear them for a day. If there are no reactions, you can usually use it without any problems.
