DiY: Make shampoo and detergent from chestnuts

Autumn, autumn, autumn is here. It's bringing a drop in temperature, that much is clear. Once you've gotten over the initial shock of summer finally being over, you'll quickly realize how beautiful autumn is. The leaves on the trees are turning vibrant autumnal hues, and once the sun comes out, it's actually quite cozy to take a walk, wrapped up in a thick jacket and soft scarf, and let the wind blow around your ears. It's all a matter of attitude!

For me, the beginning of autumn brings three things every year:

1. A really nasty cold,
2. the insatiable desire for pumpkin soup and
3. a thick load of magical childhood memories.

I fondly remember how, as children, we would sit on our knees and collect chestnuts in front of our house. Back then, our loot seemed precious to us, and we would invent fun games, spend hours making little hedgehogs out of the chestnuts, or challenge each other to a chestnut-throwing competition. That was autumn!

So, what are you waiting for?

Go outside, collect chestnuts, and make your own shampoo and laundry detergent—environmentally friendly, chemical-free, guaranteed to be kind to your skin, and cost-effective, too! Sounds appealing, right?

Making chestnut shampoo

let's go

1. Cut the chestnuts into small pieces with a knife. The fresher they are (picked), the easier this will be. Also, chop the apples, including the cores.
2. Place the chopped chestnuts and apples in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
3. Strain the whole thing through a fine sieve or an old towel.
4. Then put it back on the stove.
5. Stir in agar-agar or another thickener while stirring constantly and bring to a boil.
6. Pour the thickened mixture into empty, clean shampoo bottles or another container. Done!

According to the recipe, the shampoo is relatively odorless and has only a faint apple scent. Those who prefer a fruity flavor can also spice it up with orange or the aroma of fresh herbs like lavender or rosemary .

Making detergent from chestnuts

What you need (for one wash): Only two ingredients are needed, and they're even free. Grab 8-10 chestnuts and a clean jam jar, and you're ready to go.

Ready, set, go, laundry

1. Cut chestnuts into small pieces with a knife.
2. Fill a jam jar or similar with water (approx. 300 ml) and soak the chestnut pieces in it for at least 4 hours.
3. Over time, the water turns into a milky liquid due to the saponins released in the chestnuts. If you shake the jar once, you'll see a light foam form.
4. You can now dispose of the chestnuts; the milky water is the detergent you've obtained!
5. A little tip: For white laundry, you should remove the chestnuts' shells before soaking them.

What about the annual supply?

Well, if you want to use chestnuts for washing clothes or hair all year round, you'll need to build up a year's supply. Unfortunately, it's not enough to simply collect lots of chestnuts. Because unprocessed, you won't have much use for them for very long... so: quickly process the collected chestnuts into flour. This is best done with a robust (!) mixer. It's a bit tedious, but it's worth it. The best thing to do is take advantage of the first really nasty autumn day and first chop all the chestnuts into a coarse flour. Then it's time to fire up the oven and drink tea. Spread the flour out on baking sheets at low heat to dry out properly. Remember: you should leave the oven slightly open so that the moisture can escape.

We wish you a magical start to autumn!