Of the entire Sapindus genus Sapindus Mukorossi produces the biggest soap nuts with the highest saponin content and is found growing throughout North India and Nepal.  It is a large deciduous tree that grows up to twenty-five meters tall and produces small greenish white flowers that develop into fully ripened fruit ready for harvesting towards the end of November.

In the south of India, Sapindus Trifoliatus produces small creamy white flowers, which turn into comparatively much smaller soap nuts. These nuts are normally cheaper to purchase than Sapindus Mukorossi, but the reduction in saponin can make them a false economy when used for washing clothes since more shells are required for each load.

Sapindus Saponaria, also known as the soapberry tree, is a fast growing South American evergreen whose fruit also contains saponin.  Although Sapindus Mukorossi takes nine years to reach maturity, far longer than its South American counterpart the Sapindus Saponaria, which takes just four years, many believe that its fruit produces far better washing results. This is probably due to Sapindus Mukorossi high saponin content.

Soap Nuts have been used by people for centuries to wash both clothes and themselves.  Soap Nuts are not actual nuts, but the fruit of Sapindus, which are harvested and dried before use. Inside the Soap Nut shell is a layer of saponin, a natural ingredient that lathers with water, making it an eco-friendly detergent.

Also known as a Soap Berry, Soap Nuts are an eco-friendly alternative to washing powder. They contain no additives, which means that your laundry has none of the fake chemical smells that are almost overwhelming in commercial washing powder. In fact your washing doesn’t smell at all and is one of the first things you will notice once you start using Soap Nuts. The difference is particularly noticeable if you compare it with laundry using your current brand of washing detergent.

Soap Nuts are also safe to use if you have a septic tank or greywater filtering system. If you “feed” your septic tank  to keep it working well, you can save money by adding bicarbonate of soda to your white washes. This not only makes whites brilliantly white, but helps to stabilise the pH within the septic tank too.

It doesn’t matter if you wash your clothes at 30deg or 90deg, Soap Nuts will work just as well.  Just pop a few shells into a cotton wash bag (normally provided by the supplier) and put it in the bottom of the washing machine drum, place your laundry on top and wash as normal. It’s easy to see when your Soap Nuts are ready to be put on the compost heap and if you dry them in between washes they should last at least two and sometimes more depending on the temperature of the wash.