Posted in Health, Home | Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
Soap nuts are actually dried fruit of the Chinese soap berry tree (Sapindus mukorrosi). They are similar to the lychee. They can be found in warm, tropical climates and are grown mainly in India, Nepal, and other parts of Southeast Asia. When the dried fruit or “nuts” get wet, they automatically create saponin or a soapy substance. People in Southeast Asia and India have been using the nuts for years to wash their clothes, dishes, homes and quite often their hair.
How to use soap nuts in your laundry:
Soap Nuts come with a little organic cotton or hemp drawstring pouch for you to put about 4 or 5 of them in. All you have to do is toss the 
pouch into the drum of the washing machine along with your clothes and let ‘er rip! After about 4 or 5 washes, the nuts will be lighter in color and smaller. That’s when you can compost them, or throw them away. If your not sure if you can still use your soap nuts, test them by taking them out of the bag, and tossing them in a glass of water. Shake or swirl the glass around a bit to agitate the soap nuts. If the water gets soapy, they can still be used, if not, toss ‘em.
Other uses for soap nuts:
The best way to use soap nuts around the house is in liquid form. To learn more about making Soap Nuts Liquid, click here. Once in liquid form, it can be used for the following.
Stay tuned for more info on Soap Nuts as I experiment with some of the above suggested uses, as well as a giveaway very soon!
Sources:
http://www.buysoapnuts.com/howtouse.html
http://www.natural-healthy-home-cleaning-tips.com/soap_nuts.htm
http://www.yoreganics.com/
About Savvy Brown
I believe being healthy doesn't have to be complicated, being green can be easy and being broke isn't an option!
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Honestly I have never used soap nuts. I have seen them at a fair trade shop I go to but have not picked up a bag. Can’t wait to see how your trial goes.
This sounds interesting!
That’s fascinating… i want to try.
I’ve never heard of these! I will definitely try them in my laundry. I tried making a shampoo using yucca root since that also has saponin but it didn’t really work out. I’m going to try these. Thanks!
[...] they worked pretty well on their own. If you’re curious as to how they work check out my post “What Are Soap Nuts?” And the nuts lasted about 4 washes. I do suggest wetting the nuts first in a cup of water and [...]
[...] make it up to you by hosting a few giveaways for November! You heard m talk about the benefits of soap nuts and I also reviewed this very YoreGanics sampler I’m giving away. Here’s what you [...]
[...] yet, make your own. Here’s a powder detergent recipe we use all the time. Or you can even use soap nuts to wash your [...]