How to Make Common Ivy Soap
The process of making this natural cleaner is very easy. It takes only a few minutes of active work, followed by a long resting period.
What You Will Need:
60 to 100 fresh Hedera helix (Common Ivy) leaves
1 liter (about 4 cups) of cold water
A pair of protective gloves
A saucepan with a well-fitting lid
A strainer, sieve, or clean piece of cloth
A clean glass bottle or jar for storing the liquid
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Gather the leaves: Put on your gloves and pick the leaves. Young, bright green, and waxy leaves growing upwards are the best because they hold the most saponins.
Wash the leaves: Rinse the harvested leaves in the sink to remove any dirt, bugs, or dust.
Break them up: Still wearing your gloves, tear the leaves into smaller pieces using your hands, or cut them with scissors. Tearing the leaves is an important step because it helps release the saponins into the water.
Boil the mixture: Place all the torn leaves into your saucepan and pour in the 1 liter of water. Put the saucepan on the stove and bring the water to a boil.
Simmer and cover: Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to low, put the lid on the pan, and let it simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes.
Let it steep: After 20 minutes, turn off the heat. Do not take the lid off. Leave the saucepan on the stove to sit and steep for a full 24 hours. This long waiting time extracts the maximum amount of cleaning power from the leaves.
Strain and bottle: The next day, filter the dark liquid through your strainer or cloth into your glass bottle. You can use the back of a spoon to press the wet leaves and squeeze out every last drop of soap.
Discard the leaves: Throw the used leaves into your compost bin. Label your bottle clearly with the date.
