Horse chestnut in laundry gel?
Horse chestnuts, parks and sidewalks are full of them in the autumn but did you know what a treasure these round, shiny fruits hide?
Chestnuts, the fruit of the Horse Chestnut tree, are high in saponin, a natural detergent and foaming agent. Saponin is a surfactant that effectively removes grease, dirt and grime from clothes.
At TERRA GAIA, we love finding the most mindful ways to care for your laundry and home. That's why these little gems take a central role in our laundry products. There’s no raw material that’s more local.
We harnessed this power of chestnuts and developed a Laundry gel concentrate beyond our expectations. Just a very small amount - 15 ml per wash - delivers perfect results . We're totally impressed by the combination of conscious laundry detergent, localness and effectiveness and we hope you will be too!
Chestnuts as your laundry care solution:
- are sustainable - the fruits are not cultivated, but wild grown
- are local, with a minimal shipping footprint - the ripe fruit is dried, crushed and then made into an extract which is the basis of our laundry gel
Interesting facts about chestnuts:
Horse chestnuts are native to eastern Europe, but Louis XVI liked them so much that he had them planted in his chateau gardens, inspiring nobility throughout Europe! Which is why chestnuts adorn almost every chateau park or garden.
Chestnuts were used as horse feed, hence the name horse chestnut.
Chestnuts grow in the wild and are not treated with any chemicals.
Chestnuts are also in demand as a raw material in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries as they contain active substances beneficial to human health. Traditional horse ointment uses aescin as its main active ingredient, which is extracted from chestnuts.
Chestnuts in your pockets or under your pillow are said to banish stress, relieve back pain, help you get pregnant and much more! You don't have to believe us, but maybe next time you see one... :-)
And last but not least, the chestnut is the fruit of one of the most beautiful trees around.Take a look, and you might agree!
The horse chestnut is not edible - so never eat the fruit.