![]() As they have no nutritional value or other practical use for humans beyond soap (and likely get shot out of lawnmowers like buckshot), if you had a neighbor with a buckeye or horse chestnut tree they may be thrilled if you went and collected them, but maybe ask before trampling their grass! How to make Buckeye / Horse Chestnut laundry soap? Sweet chestnuts are edible (that’s why we sing about roasting them at Christmas) but horse chestnuts and buckeyes are not. The time to harvest them is around September and October, once they’ve hit the ground but aren’t covered in leaves or snow. ![]() Horse Chestnuts or Buckeyes with smoother cases are ideal for making laundry soap at home, DO NOT EAT THEM! These are Sweet Chestnuts ideal for roasting & eating in moderation rather than making laundry detergent from! There are fewer spikes on Horse Chestnuts or Buckeyes - giving a smoother appearance to their outer shells, and they are much shorter, as seen in the images below. So, for those lucky enough to find some kicking around on the sidewalk in your neighborhood, here’s the skinny on how to make soap from buckeyes or horse chestnuts! How to tell the difference between chestnuts and buckeyes?įor identifying them to be sure you’re using the right ones, note that Sweet Chestnuts have many long spikes that almost look fluffy from a distance. We have access to alternative eco-friendly soaps and cleaners, but most of the world does not. So please don’t go buy them from the other side of the world based our recommendation, for a couple of reasons - they are an invaluable and dwindling resource for poorer populations, so beyond stripping them of a resource, there is the carbon footprint reality of shipping anything from across the ocean to consider. Note that "soap nuts" can also be purchased, but like some other natural medicinal plants and some ‘super foods’ like quinoa, western demand (and our ability to procure most anything we desire) is having a detrimental effect on poorer nations in the world and their abitlity to source and afford their own native plant products. Buckeyes are a favorite of those pesky black squirrels - as well as for making DIY eco-friendly laundry detergent! We collect a few handfuls each day while out walking our dog, economising on time and getting some fresh air at the same time. But, if there are any of these magnificent trees growing near you, the nuts can be collected to make chestnut soap. They can be found lounging under the Aesculus hippocastanum tree, which is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry (there's a hint here in the name!) and lychee family Sapindaceae that grows mostly in the Central and Eastern US, Europe and more temperate parts of Canada. Buckeyes have little value and are inedible to humans, though you might need to fight some squirrels for them. Where to find Buckeyes or Horse Chestnuts for making soap ![]() Not long ago we featured Tru-Earth eco strips with natural ingredients and greatly reduced packaging, but for the real enthusiasts, here is how to make your own laundry soap with buckeyes, horse chestnuts or indeed conkers as they are known in the UK! Who knew it was this easy to make your own eco-friendly and effective laundry detergent using ingredients you can pick off the floor?! Horse chestnuts and buckeyes for making laundry detergent are easy to find in many towns in autumn. So protecting indoor air quality in homes, and reducing toxic chemicals in them is more important than ever.Īlong with helping people find non-toxic building materials, we are always happy to share clever natural cleaning product ideas that keep unnecessary toxins and perfumes out of homes. As we live in an increasingly toxic world, more people all the time are becoming chemically-sensitive or developing respiratory problems, and the rate of childhood asthma has seen a disturbingly high increase in recent years that could be linked to "natural" fossil gas cooktops, heating, and appliances. The most important thing that goes in homes is, in our opinion, people. ![]() The mission of Ecohome goes beyond providing sustainable and energy efficient home building guidance - what goes in the home matters too. DIY laundry soap made from Buckeyes/ Horse Chestnuts - who knew?
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