Soap Nuts

WHAT ARE SOAP NUTS?

Soap Nuts are actually the fruit of the Sapindus tree, which are harvested, and dried before using. The fruit is brown in colour, the size of a cherry and contain a substance called Saponin which is natures own detergent that lathers with water, making it an eco-friendly alternative to washing powder.

Soap Nuts are native to Nepal & India where they have been used for centuries for washing and cleaning purposes. They are also known by other names such as Soap Berry, Wash nut or Reetha in Hindi.

Though in the western countries their more popular use is as a laundry detergent, it is interesting to note that traditionally soap nuts were also used as a common ingredient in Ayurvedic Medicine as a treatment for eczema and psoriasis. They can also be used as an alternative to regular dishwashing liquid, shampoo, hand soaps and for washing windows, cars or pets.

LAUNDRY

Use these natural, biodegradable and economical nuts instead of your usual washing powder for laundry. They contain no additives, chemicals and artificial fragrances.
When using them in the laundry take the following things into consideration:

1) What is the size of the load and how soiled is it?
Smaller to Medium sized load may require 3-4 shells
Large and soiled load require 5-8 shells

2) The type of water, is it hard or soft?
Hard waters may require 1-2 shells extra

3) Water Temperature settings of the washing machine.
Soap nuts wash most effectively between 30-60 Degrees Centigrade. To use them more efficiently you can soak the sack of the nuts in hot water for ten minutes and then throw the water and the sack in the washing machine with the laundry.

Soap Nuts may be reused for upto 2-4 washes until the Saponin has been exhausted from the shells. Once exhausted, the soap nuts will look dark and feel soggy, and can be thrown to your compost heap.

When you buy soap nuts they usually come with a cotton or muslin sack. You simply have to put the shells in it, tie it securely and then drop the sack in the washing machine with your dirty laundry. If your soap nuts came without the sack, you can use an old sock or a piece of cloth, but the most important thing is to tie it securely so that the soap nuts don’t disintegrate into the laundry.

A soap nut laundry wash will give you a perfectly clean and odor free result. However, if you would like to have a fragrance in your washed clothes you can just add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the laundry before washing.Soap nuts can be used for all kind of fabrics such as silk, cashmere and wool.

You can also prepare an All Purpose Soap nut liquid and use it as a shampoo, hand soap, or a dishwashing liquid.

To prepare the All Purpose Soap nut liquid, crush around 200 grams of the nut shells into 2 litres of water, bring it to a boil, and simmer for about 30 minutes. The boiling water will help in releasing the saponin from the nut shells into the water. Strain the liquid and store into an airtight container. This natural chemical free liquid can be used for almost all household cleaning needs and the strained residue can be thrown into your compost heap.

So give this eco-friendly way to do your washing and cleaning a shot!