Soap Nuts - the eco friendly way to wash clothes and more!
Use Soap Nuts instead of everyday washing machine detergent and not only will you help to save the planet, but you will save money too. A totally natural ingredient, simply add 4 or 6 half shells to each wash load for great results. You need no extra fabric softener and in most cases the Soap Nuts can be used for at least one extra wash, before you throw them on the compost heap. It’s difficult to see how washing your laundry could be greener.
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.