English Ivy (Hedera Helix) is invasive and known to grow aggressively on walls and fences and can choke out trees. I’ve been dealing with this problem for over a decade, as the plants are left on their device in the neighbor’s yard. I finally got around to using the leaves for something other than composting. I’ve read about the potential use of English ivy in soap or detergent before, and thanks to a wonderful friend for encouraging me to try it! 🙏🏽💚

English Ivy contains saponins, a plant compound known as a secondary metabolite with foaming properties and can be used as a detergent. Some plants produce saponins to defend against pathogens and insects or deter animals. Certain marine animals and some bacteria also produce saponins. Other plants containing saponins include soapnut, yucca, allium, soapwort, horse chestnut, soybeans, alfalfa, and many others.

I boiled 60 English Ivy leaves in one quart of water for 15 minutes. I then allowed the decoction to sit overnight and strained it. It yielded about 3 cups. Use detergent within a week and store it in the refrigerator. Use ½ to 1 cup per load or when hand washing your laundry. This soap is not meant to remove tough grease and stains but is suitable for delicate or lightly soiled laundry. I’ve also used it to hand wash dishes, but it could use more saponins in the decoction.

I don’t know any long-term effects on washing machines as they’re made to be used with regular detergents. For now, I plan on using it mainly for hand washing. If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves when handling the leaves or using soap to hand wash clothes or dishes.

Have you tried making soap from plants before? If not, will you be trying this out?

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