Product Review: Soap Nuts!

I had first heard of Soap Nuts when reading Lindsay's blog. If any of you know me well, you know that I am always on the look out for ways to avoid chemical cleaners. I've been struggling to find affordable, effective alternatives to toothpaste, shampoo, and dishwasher detergent. For the past year I have been using Charlie's soap for laundry soap. And I've been very happy with it. But then I heard about how cheap and versatile soap nuts were. That was enough for me to order a sample packet! Here's a little blurp from her blog:

"Soap Nuts are the only laundry soap that grows on trees, thus giving us the most sustainable and natural option out there. It is 100% safe and natural for the most sensitive skin. Soap nuts are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry tree. They contain saponin, a natural cleaner. They are simply harvested, de-seeded, and then dried in the sun. Great for hard water and high efficiency machines. It is biodegradable, hypo-allergenic, brightens colors, low sudsing, and contains a natural fabric softener. You can reuse a handful of nuts for 5 or more loads (depending upon water temperature, etc), and then they can be added to your compost! Most soap nut orders come with a reusable cotton bag which you use to place the nuts in and then throw in the washer, keeping them contained. The best price I have found is the NaturOli Soap Nuts. If you buy it in larger quantities ($50 for 800 loads), you are looking at around $0.07 per load! You can also purchase them in smaller quantities, which will be no more than $0.12 per load. Plus you will save additional money as there is no need for dryer sheets or fabric softeners.

By simply boiling soap nuts in water you can use it for: all household cleaning, liquid hand soap, plant cleaner, jewelry cleaner, produce wash,toothpaste, and even shampoo! It has also been found to be effective for skin allergies. You can even use some of this liquid in your dishwasher! I am in the process of experimenting further with soap nuts for these uses. I will let you know how it goes!"

My review: I was very pleased! The clothing came out clean and fresh smelling. I line dried my clothing and they dried soft (with the exception of the towels. Those pesky towels!). Just a note: If you are washing in cold water you must let your soap nuts soak in hot water for 5 minutes and then add them to the wash. Once I finish my last bag of Charlie's soap I think I'm going to order a larger quantity of soap nuts and give them a try for a while!

As soap nuts are very frugal, can accomplish so many different purposes in one product, and is completely sustainable…that seems to be the way to go!

Thanks for reading!
~A