Unlike expensive, chemical-laden, store-brand laundry detergents, soap nuts are inexpensive, non-toxin and reusable. Each berry can be used for numerous loads of laundry before its soap is expended. When the outer shell begins to gray, just wet it and squeeze. If no sudzy liquid comes out, it's spent. Soap nuts also act as a natural fabric softener.
Simply add a few soap nuts into a muslin drawstring pouch (which is typically included with your soap nut purchase), and toss them into the washing machine with your clothes and wash as usual. Hot water works best for mild stains and requires only a few soap nuts. Cold water can take 5 or more per load. Just keep playing around with the amount until you achieve the results you prefer. Oh, and never overload the machine with clothing. To be effective and generate suds, soap nuts need space to agitate and move around. When your laundry is all washed, hang up the pouch with the soap nuts still in it, so they can dry completely between uses.
These soapberry husks are hypoallergetic, biogdegradable (spent nuts can be tossed in the compost pile), and for centuries, they've been utilized for their medicinal, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, to treat skin conditions, hair loss, colds, headaches and more.
The saponin in plants produce a natural defense-mechanism that protect them from fungi, microbes, and pests. This is why toxic insecticides are not necessary when cultivating soap nuts. Insects are naturally repelled by saponin and skedaddle. For this reason, soap nuts steeped in water make an amazing, organic pesticide spray for house plants and the vegetable garden.
But that's not all! Today, people are using soap nuts, not only for laundry, but as a household cleaning agent, dish soap, glass cleaner, carpet cleaner, shampoo (for pets too), shaving cream, body wash, vegetable wash, car wash and more.
Soap Nut Concentrate Recipe
- Add a dozen soap nuts to 4 cups of water in a pot.
- Bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
- Mash the soap nuts a little to get all the saponin out.
- Add 2 more cups of water, stir, then simmer another 10 minutes.
- Once cooled, strain into a glass jar, add lid and store in refrigerator for up to a month.
Simple Ways To Use
- Laundry - If you favor a liquid concentrate for washing clothes, add 2-3 tablespoons of concentrate per load of wash.
- All-Purpose Cleaner - Pour 2oz of soap nut concentrate into a spray bottle, add 1/4 cup of water. Optional: add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and a few drops of essential oil.
- Shampoo - Massage concentrate into hair and scalp and let sit for 5 minutes before rinsing. There won't be a lather, but it's working none the less.
- Body Wash - Simply apply concentrate to skin with a wash cloth, then shower off.
- Veggie Wash - Fill a bowl with water. Add a tablespoon of concentrate. Swish around, then add vegetables. Let soak for a few minutes, scub off any dirt, then rinse well.
- Glass Cleaner - Pour 2 tablespoons of concentrate into a spray bottle. Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and about a cup of water. Spray on mirrors or glass and wipe with paper towel or cotton fabric.
- Shaving Cream - Wisk soap nut concentrate into foam using an immersion blender. Apply to skin and shave.
Conventional laundry detergents are chock-full of toxic chemicals that are detrimental to our health. These can get breathed in during the washing process and absorbed through our skin while wearing the clothes laundered in them. Some of the worst culprits are: Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, nonylphenol ethoxylate, dioxane and phosphates. These not only negatively impact our health, but harm the environment, pollute waterways and contaminate the wildlife within them. Since soap nuts are simply the dried husks of the soapberry fruit, they are an excellent, all-natural alternative for much of our cleaning needs around the home.
So now you're probably wondering, "Where the heck do I get these amazing soap nuts?" The most prevalent way to find them is online through Farmers Almanac, Etsy or Amazon. Like anything else, read reviews and go for the ones stamped organic.
Lot's of nut puns and quips crossed my mind while writing this, but I decided ending with a corny, one-liner laundry joke was cleaner.
My washing machine is so unstable, everytime I use it, it gets agitated and spins out of control.ðŸ¤