Over the past few years, many recipes explaining how to make wood ash lye have appeared, encouraged by a growing awareness of the harmful effects of some common household products, such as industrial laundry detergent. Not only is wood ash lye eco-friendly, but it is also remarkably effective for cleaning clothes. Its use goes back centuries. The potash it contains is what makes it such an efficient detergent. However, its usefulness goes beyond washing laundry; it can also be used to extract pigments from plants.
In addition to potash, whose main role was mentioned earlier, wood ash lye is useful for pigment making because of its alkalinity. This is what causes the alum to precipitate onto the dye to form a lake. Wood ash lye can therefore replace other substances commonly used for this step, such as sodium carbonate or calcium carbonate. Its exact composition varies depending on the type of wood burned and what was added to the fire.
minimum 2 liters each
Oak wood ash gives excellent results for extracting pigments, but most ashes will do. Just add a little more lye when you mix it into your preparation.
This step is essential because the ash must not contain large pieces of charcoal, nails, or anything other than ash itself.
You’ll notice the liquid has a slightly yellowish, soapy appearance.
Your wood ash lye is ready to use!
