A woman has revealed how she saves £112 per year by turning foraged conkers into laundry detergent – and it’s enough to make anyone go for a forage.

Tripti Khettry from London recently shared the thrifty hack on TikTok with her 31,300 followers, where it has since racked up over 93,400 views.

The chef has been using the trick herself for two years and claims it has saved her £224 – and says it's also better for the environment.

“I am very satisfied with the result. “Probably the most obvious advantage is that it is free! With regards to money-saving, before turning to conker detergent, I used Ecover laundry detergent. It worked out to about £10 for 45 washes. I do about 100 washes a year so that's £112 a year", Tripti said.

The filmer said that this is not just about the money. "It's about using something that already exists, reducing my carbon footprint and the use of manufactured chemicals. Of course, there is the physical effort to go and collect the conkers, but that is free exercise and a great opportunity to get fresh air".

In the clip, Tripti can be seen harvesting nature's detergent ingredients, and chopping and straining the horse chestnuts afterward.

The response from TikTok has been mixed though, with some people leaving jokes about "nuts".

“No way I bet clothes would stink,” wrote one person.

“I tried this and now my boxers smell like nuts,” commented one user.

“I tried that last week, now every day I’m being chased by squirrels," said someone else.

But others were quick to praise Tripti on her waste-friendly idea.

“Eco soap! Cool [....] more of that please,” wrote another user.

It's worth noting that the natural product is not suitable for dark linen or cotton.

Tripti said: "Conkers detergent is good for whites as it has a natural bleaching quality so it's very handy for my chef whites!".

With regards to the amount of conkers needed, she said she "collected 5 kgs for the whole year".

“When ready to do laundry with the dry conkers, rehydrate 100 grams of conkers by pouring 500 ml boiling water and setting aside overnight to steep. The next morning, strain and it's ready to use. Again the liquid can be kept in the fridge for up to a week."

However, she does admit the clothes don't smell "fragrant" as when using a fabric conditioner – but Tripti isn't bothered.

One final warning: keep conkers away from pets and small children – they are toxic if ingested.

A woman has revealed how she saves £112 per year by turning foraged conkers into laundry detergent – and it’s enough to make anyone go for a forage.

Tripti Khettry from London recently shared the thrifty hack on TikTok with her 31,300 followers, where it has since racked up over 93,400 views.

The chef has been using the trick herself for two years and claims it has saved her £224 – and says it's also better for the environment.

“I [am] very satisfied with the result,” Tripti told Needtoknow.online

“With regard to money-saving, before turning to conker detergent, I used Ecover laundry detergent.

"It worked out to about £10 for 45 washes. I do about 100 washes a year so that's £112 a year.

“Probably the most obvious advantage is that it is free!

“But it's not just about the money for me, it's about using something that already exists, reducing my carbon footprint and the use of manufactured chemicals.

"Of course, there is the physical effort to go and collect the conkers, but that is free exercise and a great opportunity to get fresh air."

In the clip, Tripti can be seen harvesting nature's detergent ingredients, and chopping and straining the horse chestnuts afterwards.

The response from TikTok has been mixed though, with some people leaving jokes about "nuts".

“No way I bet clothes would stink,” wrote one person.

“I tried this and now my boxers smell like nuts,” commented one user.

“I tried that last week, now every day I’m being chased by squirrels," said someone else.

But others were quick to praise Tripti on her waste-friendly idea.

“Eco soap! Cool [....] more of that please,” wrote another user. [sic]

“I have loads of conker trees near me. I finally can put them to use lol,” commented one viewer. [Sic]

“Saponin is definitely natural soap,” added another viewer.

So just how does Tripti make her conker detergent and what does it smell of?

She said: “[You’ll need to] collect the conkers from a horse chestnut tree.

"Either chop or smash them.

"If smashing them, wrap them in a tea towel before giving them a whack so the bits don't fly everywhere.

“For fresh conker liquid, you need about 100 grams of chopped conkers.

"Add room temperature or hot water and set aside for 30 minutes.

"Strain, and it's ready for use.

"You can also store the strained liquid in the refrigerator for a week.

“If you make a large batch to store, dehydrate them in the oven or a dehydrator. It is very important they dry thoroughly if creating a large batch; otherwise, they will go mouldy."

It's worth noting that the natural product is not suitable for dark linen or cotton.

Tripti added: "Conkers detergent is good for whites as it has a natural bleaching quality so it's very handy for my chef whites!

"For a year's supply of detergent, collect a sufficient amount of conkers.

"I have collected 5 kgs for the whole year (I do my laundry once or twice a week).

“When ready to do laundry with the dry conkers, rehydrate 100 grams of conkers by pouring 500 ml boiling water and setting aside overnight to steep.

"The next morning, strain and it's ready to use. Again the liquid can be kept in the fridge for up to a week."

However, she does admit the clothes don't smell "fragrant" as when using a fabric conditioner – but Tripti isn't bothered.

One final warning: keep conkers away from pets and small children – they are toxic if ingested.

ENDS

EDITORS NOTE - Must include a hyperlink to Tripti’s blog - https://kitchenandotherstories.com/natural-laundry-detergent/

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