Soapnuts. You're probably thinking, what the heck are those? Basically it's the berries from an evergreen tree which naturally have saponin in them. They have been used for thousands of years to naturally wash clothes. In the picture above on the left are dry soapnuts, and on the right are ones that have been used up. I started using soap nuts because I was having a horribly difficult time finding a soap that would work well with my cloth diapers. We have really hard water in Tucson and it makes washing cloth diapers difficult sometimes. So in a last ditch attempt to find a soap that would work I tried these out.
Soap nuts are super easy to use. You take 3-4 soap nuts, put them in a little bag like the one above and then toss them in the wash and wash on warm or hot. They will last you for 4-5 loads depending on the size. When you are done just take them out of the bag and throw them in your compost bin.
If you need to do a cold wash, which I always do because I wash lots cloth diapers, you can make a soap nut soak. Just take 6-7 soap nuts and soak them overnight in 4 cups of boiled water. Then discard the nuts and put the liquid in a mason jar with a lid and you are set. You only need 1/4 cup for most loads.
I really enjoy using these as they are not messy in any way. They leave no scent in your laundry and can be composted. You get a little bit of bubbly action but nothing like you would with commercial detergent. Your laundry will smell truly clean. Wash with soapnuts then hang to dry and you've got the real smell of freshness! Mmmm....
By doing a google search you can find many companies that sell soapnuts online. The one I use is from Laundry Tree. ( Note: I have no affiliation with Laundry Tree)
If you decide to try these out please leave a comment below when you do and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear other people's experiences with them.
so awesome! thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I should add that soapnuts make your laundry really soft too. No need for dryer sheets. And if you hang them outside the should be much softer then clothing normally would be when using conventional detergent.
ReplyDeleteSo these work well with your hard water, I have always wondered about that. We are on a well and while the water isn't really hard, it is hard.
ReplyDeleteI just may have to give them a try. Do you know if they are safe for spetic tanks, I would assume so since you can compost them.
Thanks for posting about your experience with them.
Kim- Soapnuts are safe for your septic tank. You can see a whole list of FAQ's here: http://www.laundrytree.com/using-soapnuts/faqs.html#septic
ReplyDeleteI've been using soapnuts too, for almost a year now I think. We have quite hard water here and they seem to work fine, and the great thing is they stay in with the rinse cycle too and act as a fabric softener. I love the fact that my washing smells like nothing now! I do still need to use some pre-wash stain remover spray on visible marks and sometimes soak things if stains don't come out in the wash. But I'm a convert! Another thing I love is that the 'grey' water is about as safe as it could possibly get to use on the garden... no buildup of salts or anything to worry about. That's a good tip on soaking them if you need to do a cold wash.
ReplyDeleteJane- That's great! I wish we owned this house so I could do a grey water set up. I'd feel a lot better about all the water we use here in the desert if I could recycle it more. Yeah for soap nuts!
ReplyDeleteAwesome, thanks KC, will check it out.
ReplyDeleteI just placed an order :)
ReplyDeleteKim- Yeah! I hope you like them as much as I do.
ReplyDelete