Here we go! Finally, the long-awaited:

After reading our previous article on Gargouilles, several of you asked me, “Wait a minute, what about those other supposedly natural and eco-friendly detergents? Are they any good?” So, I tested several “alternative” and “natural” washing methods, and here are my results. But first, let’s meet the contenders:

IN THE RED CORNER… wood ash detergent!

Can you see where this extended metaphor is heading?

Not so long ago, people washed their clothes using wood ash because it naturally contains potash (a key ingredient in soap) and was considered an excellent stain remover.

Making laundry detergent from ash is very simple (provided you can get your hands on some ash):

1. Mix one part water with one part ash in a jar,
2. Let it steep for 2 days, stirring 3 times a day,
3. Strain the mixture through a cloth to keep only the liquid,
4. Done.

You’ll notice that after steeping for 2 days, the liquid becomes very viscous, with a texture similar to conventional laundry detergent. Your subconscious will likely tell you that if it has the same texture, it must work just as well… No spoilers – but it doesn’t.

Second contender: soap nuts

They were very trendy a few years ago and were touted as THE most eco-friendly solution for doing laundry. Since then, they’ve become quite hard to find, as if they were pulled from organic shop shelves to make room for laundry balls‍ (which, let’s be clear, are useless)…

Soap nuts are the fruit of the Sapindus mukorossi, or “soapberry tree”, and contain a natural emulsifying and cleansing agent called saponin.

Washing your clothes with soap nuts is, once again, very simple:

1. Pop over to India and back to pick the fruit of a tree that never asked for any of this,
2. Place the nuts in a fabric pouch,
3. Put the pouch in your washing machine drum and run a 30°C cotton cycle,
4. Replace the nuts every 2 washes.

You’d be right to question my neutrality on soap nuts, I’ll grant you.

Final challenger: ivy laundry detergent

Like soap nuts, ivy contains saponin and can therefore also be used to make laundry detergent.

1. Pick and then rinse 10 young ivy leaves,
2. Boil the leaves in 20 cl of water for 15 minutes,
3. Turn off the heat and let the liquid steep for 2 days,
4. Strain your mixture through a cloth to keep only the liquid in a jar (the liquid will foam).

Since my article on Gargouilles, I have slightly improved my testing protocol. Here is how I went about comparing these 3 detergents:

• I cut 5 cloths, each 30 cm square, from a 100% cotton white sheet,
• I stained each of these cloths with the 3 types of stain there are: greasy stains (olive oil), enzymatic stains (melted dark chocolate), and oxidisable stains (red wine). I made sure that each stain was the same weight and diameter on every cloth,

• I waited 15 minutes and not a minute longer,
• I washed my cloths in the machine on a standard 30°C cycle, using in turn: a dose of conventional detergent, a dose of tap water, a bag of 10 soap nuts, a dose of ivy-based detergent, and a dose of ash-based detergent.
• I left the cloths to air-dry in the shade.

Based solely on the effectiveness of detergents at removing stains (1 = best, 5 = worst):

Conventional detergent ranks first, with the underdog—ivy detergent—not far behind, and soap nuts in third place. It’s a tough break for ash-based detergent, which comes in dead last, tied with plain water.

If we add other factors to the mix, such as price, origin, and ease of use and preparation (because my goal isn't to turn you into Caroline Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie, spending all day doing the laundry), the ranking becomes more objective in my opinion:

Ivy detergent then climbs to the top spot, tied with conventional detergent. Tap water moves up to third place, well ahead of ash-based detergent and soap nuts.

What can we take away from this action-packed bout?

I wouldn't have bet on it before looking into this, but my tests show that ivy detergent and soap nuts work better than washing without detergent, especially on certain types of stains: enzymatic stains like chocolate for ivy detergent, and oxidisable stains like red wine for soap nuts. That said, the effectiveness-only ranking and the overall ranking point to the same conclusion: good old conventional detergent, the kind you buy in the shop, is the most effective, despite its price and the fact that it doesn't grow in your garden (it is generally produced in France, though that isn't always indicated on the bottle).

In my view, just because something grows on a tree doesn't mean it should be canonised, especially if it comes from the depths of the Himalayas. Conversely, just because a product comes from a factory doesn't mean you should be wary of it, especially when you live in a country that regulates the use of chemicals, particularly those for domestic use. If your goal is truly to pour only biodegradable substances down your drains, remember that plain water cleans too, and it’s usually enough for lightly soiled everyday clothes.

P.S.: Why didn't I test soap flake detergent? The aim of this test was only to compare washing methods that grow ready-made in nature, so I didn’t include homemade soap-flake detergent in my line-up. Without having looked into it too much, I imagine this type of detergent must be quite effective, almost as effective as conventional detergents. My only doubt is how much it might clog up the pipes. Judging by how quickly my shower gets grimy when I use a bar of soap (and don't even get me started on cold-processed soaps...), I imagine it would be the same with a detergent made from soap flakes. If you have a more informed opinion than mine, feel free to write to me at hello@loom.fr, I'm all ears! P.P.S.: In French, "tâche" with a circumflex means "chore" or "task," while "tache" without one is a synonym for "stain." So don't work yourself to the bone (the "tâche") fighting stubborn stains (the "taches") with soap nuts. Use regular detergent instead... Good evening, fellow word lovers.

Who am I to talk to you about garment care?
My name is Claire and I am in charge of monitoring production at Loom. Basically, I try to avoid stock shortages on our site (well, it's not perfect yet, but I'm working on it) and I make sure at every stage of manufacturing that the clothes meet our quality standards. On top of that, I’m passionate about everything that helps extend the lifespan of our clothes: care, repairs and other grandmother’s tricks. I love giving clothes a little extra soul: reworking them, repairing them and giving them a second chance when no one else wants them. On these pages, I will try to pass on what I know that might be useful to you. One last thing: I’ve genuinely tested every tip you’ll find on this site and checked for myself that they work (in other words, this isn’t a copy-paste of internet searches). If you have new ones to suggest, feel free to leave a comment below this article.