Did you know that putting bay leaves in the washing machine provides benefits to your clothes? Here’s how to give new life to our clothes.
In the past, especially in the Middle Ages, many plants were used to soothe ailments or cure certain diseases and also for certain household tasks when hygiene products did not yet exist.
Many of them also had something magical and many times, plants, spices, etc. They were used by wizards, witches and alchemists in literary stories where they used them to pulp them and use them for their own purposes.
Laurel: this is how it is used to wash our clothes
Obviously some of these plants really do have beneficial purposes and some of them over the centuries have become a symbol of something very important, just think how the olive tree was a symbol of Athena .
In fact, according to legend, the goddess gave birth to the first olive tree by planting her spear in a rock and making the beautiful tree sprout, which later became her symbol.
Or also, the olive tree is also a symbol of peace , of regeneration because at the end of the flood a dove appeared with an olive branch in its beak, signifying the reconciliation of God with men.
Another very important plant, a symbol of peace and victory, is Laurus nobilis , better known as laurel or laurel, an aromatic medicinal plant belonging to the Lauraceae family .
Laurel in recognition
Spread throughout the Mediterranean basin, it is one of the oldest plants present in ancient Greece and ancient Rome and symbolizes victory in both sporting competitions and in the army.
For this reason, its branches were intertwined to create a crown that was placed on the heads of the winners of the games and the most loved and grateful characters in the community.
The crown symbolized the highest honor and this tradition has been kept alive through the centuries even today when a university student manages to graduate and is crowned a doctor.
Indeed, as happened to the poet laureates of writing and composition competitions who became graduate poets , the name Laurea derives from this plant and from the pose of the laureus on the head.
popular beliefs
The bay leaf is also the protagonist of some popular beliefs, such as that if you put bay leaves under your pillow before going to bed and falling asleep, you can have prophetic dreams.
Or, keeping some leaves at home would help you have well-being and prosperity because it invites you to have the protection of the sun god and it is also said that the laurel tree is never struck by lightning and therefore protects the houses built around it. . . .
A symbol of immortality, the bay leaf is also highly valued in the food sector, in fact it is used to flavor the dishes and dishes that we like the most, giving a very captivating and unmistakable flavor.
It combines very well with tomato sauce , chickpeas , fish and meat , but it is especially with thyme and parsley one of the aromatic plants most used to flavor roasted , stewed or boiled meats .
An infusion called canary is also obtained from the bay leaf, which is used, once the leaves are boiled, to promote digestion and relieve the feeling of heaviness after a heavy meal.
How to use the laurel plant to make our clothes shine
Adopted as the logo for Fred Perry clothing , bay leaf is also used to liven up clothing when used with another ingredient in the washing machine during washing.
In fact, it often happens that when we use products marketed by large industries to clean and disinfect our clothes, they become duller, wash after wash, despite advertisements saying otherwise.
Therefore, we always try to find a method that can save the bright colors of our clothes and preserve them over the years almost as if they were bought for a short time without deteriorating over time.
This is possible precisely through the use of bay leaf. To do this, just use a little of this aromatic plant for our clothes with baking soda and the clothes will be as vigorous as before.
But there is a way to use the plant while washing, you certainly cannot put the leaves as they are in the washing machine because in addition to having a different effect, it would also run the risk of destroying the device.
What do we need
First we need to have bay leaves and baking soda with us. As a general rule, to prepare a balanced mixture, it is advisable to use 10 bay leaves and 4 teaspoons of baking soda .
Once you have these ingredients, put a pot to boil and add the bay leaves and baking soda and bring everything to a boil after a few minutes.
Thus, during the boiling process, the baking soda will tend to melt gradually while the bay leaves , in addition to a pleasant aroma, will give off properties that will be useful for washing our clothes.
Once it has reached the right temperature and has boiled for a few minutes, remove the mixture from the heat and drain the liquid into a bowl or sink, being careful not to burn yourself.
Once done, soak the clothes in the liquid and let them soak for a whole day without adding anything else or removing some elements or adding others, it could cause problems with the final objective.
After the indicated time, take out the clothes and rinse them in the washing machine or by hand with a normal wash. In this way, all our garments will regain their shine and will return with the same vitality as before, recovering the shine lost in previous washes.
Beyond the laurel
The result will be surprising and this happens because laurel has many properties, including bleaching and revitalizing colors, and that is why this homemade method known to our grandmothers is one of the most effective.
Among others, there are also other methods that see the use of two other completely natural products and these are salt and apple cider vinegar .
For the salt, just soak a glass of salt in a bowl full of water and leave it for a whole day and proceed as explained for the use of bay leaf, and also with apple cider vinegar, proceed in the same way. using at least at least a full cup submerged in water.
Finally, even black tea seems to be a perfect ally to contrast the faded colors of our clothes. Seeing is believing.