In this study, the stain removal performance of cooking water obtained from legumes such as chickpeas, beans, and lentils (100% first boiling water) on cotton fabric was investigated. Based on the assumption that components such as saponins, proteins, and polysaccharides present in legume cooking water may exhibit natural cleaning properties, controlled experiments were conducted on ketchup, coffee grounds, mustard, and olive oil stains. The results were compared with commonly used cleaning solutions such as plain water, soapy water, and detergent solution. The experimental results showed that legume cooking water, particularly bean and chickpea water, demonstrated a “moderate to good” cleaning performance on certain types of stains, whereas lentil water showed a “weak” effect on all stain types. Detergent solution exhibited the highest performance across all stain types. However, legume cooking water was found to be more effective than plain water and soapy water. In the final stage of the study, a natural mixture prepared by adding lemon juice and baking soda to legume cooking water was tested. This mixture significantly increased cleaning effectiveness, especially on oil and coffee stains. The findings support the potential use of legume cooking water as an environmentally friendly, low-cost, and natural cleaning alternative. This study represents an important step toward the development of sustainable cleaning products and suggests that stronger formulations can be developed through further research.

Keywords

Legume, ecology, stain removal, natural cleaning, environment.