Soap nuts that is.
I was running low on laundry soap and had been casting around for a zero waste alternative to buying a new plastic container full of liquid soap or a box of powder with ingredients I can’t even pronounce. Do I make my own? Do I buy from the bulk aisle?
I wasn’t keen on making my own. It’s not hard, but sourcing all the ingredients for zero waste was not a challenge I was in the mood for. The liquid soap at the zero waste store has a scent which I didn’t want to learn the hard way I am allergic to. And powders, I wash everything in cold water and find that powders do not dissolve well.
When we were shopping at our food co-op recently I spied, just peeping out from behind the bulk liquid soap and shampoo, a bulk container of soap nuts. I did some research and the next time we were at the co-op, bought a scoop to try.
In case you have never heard of soap nuts, they are 100% natural and hypo-allergenic. Soap nuts, also called soapberries, come from about five to twelve species of small trees and shrubs in the lychee family. The fruits, soap nuts, contain saponin and have surfactant properties. They have historically been used in Asia and by Native Americans for washing. When you buy them for laundry, they are dried “shells.”So how did they work? I love them! The first time I used them I just tossed a small handful loose into the laundry. I had read that the nuts need to be activated by hot water, but it turned out to not be so. They worked just fine “unactivated” in all cold water. And everything came out of the washing machine feeling soft. I can re-use my handful of nuts five or six times and then toss them in the compost.
After the first try with the soap nuts I have since been putting them in a mesh washing bag. Turns out shaking all the laundry to find the soap nut pieces gets tedious really fast. And then there was James calling me from work, laughing, to tell me he found a piece of soap nut in his pants pocket!
Soap nuts will not work on heavily soiled items or on grease. Also, stains like spaghetti sauce will need to be pre-treated, but you would likely do that no matter what kind of laundry soap you use. I highly recommend them especially if you have a grey water system or allergies.
Interesting! Everyone in my family has sensitive skin (my daughter once got hives in college from using her non-scented laundry soap in a washer that must have had some residue from a previous load) and I’m glad to know there’s such a thing as soap nuts.
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Oh yikes Jeanne! What happened to your daughter was one of my biggest fears in college and when I lived in an apartment. I’d get inexplicably itchy sometimes but never a full blown rash or hives thank goodness.
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These sound great. J has psoriasis so I have to be very careful what I use. I hope I can get these. Thanks.
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I really like them pining. If your local stores don’t have them, you can find them online.
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Thank you for this! Will be on the hunt for some! 🤗💋♥️🇨🇦
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You bet nanadebi!
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I’m a huge fan of soap nuts. Recently squealed with delight on seeing a bag of them in a health food shop. Yes. Glad you are spreading the word!
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Why am I not surprised you are a fan of soap nuts Maggie? 🙂
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I never heard of soap nuts. That’s really cool. Where do you get them? My kids have sensitive skin too, and I love the idea that I could compost them after. Do they leave any particular scent on the clothes?
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Jeane, they are really cool. I get mine at my natural food store. I don’t know if someplace like Whole Foods or Trader Joes have them. Alternatively, it appears they are available from a number of places online. They have no scent at all. And it’s really obvious when they are used up because they go from being brown and waxy to tan and not waxy.
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Interesting! I’ll keep an eye out for these! We use very little detergent and have a local (Canadian) product which is “not terrible” (ha) so we’ve prioritized other kinds of changes, but if our usual haunts begin to stock these, we’ll add them into our regiment for sure.
Lately we remain preoccupied by continuing to replace everything in the bathroom cabinets with homemade versions. That might take us awhile yet because, as with cooking, some recipes are better than others, and, yet, when you don’t want to waste things, you have to use up the “less-than-satisfying” attempt. LOL And we are not even super product-oriented when it comes to hair/skin care – thankfully!
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LOL buried, I get the “not terrible” that’s what I have been using too so was really glad to discover soap nuts. Give them a try if you get the chance. Since I am able to buy them in bulk I just got a little bit to try out and if they didn’t work, then no real loss. But they worked! So now I have a quantity that will definitely last a long time.
We are on the use up and then replace path too. It’s tempting to throw out everything but that just adds to the waste and we are trying to avoid that. We are doing the same with clothing as we transition to 100% natural fibers. I want to get rid of all the synthetics but continuing to wear and mend for as long as possible keeps them out of the landfill for longer and in the end that is more important.
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Can lychee nuts work too then? I’ve never heard about this function of those nuts. But if they work as soaps and even anti-static I’ll given them a try. 🙂
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I don’t think so Arti. While they are in the same family, I don’t think lychee nuts produce saponin. But if you have some, you could always agitate them in some water and see if they produce any “soap.” A science experiment! 🙂
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Wow, I’ve never heard of soap nuts, but they sound ideal. I hate to think what’s in the usual detergents I buy. I’m in Serbia right now and my language skills don’t yet extend to asking for soap nuts, but hey, you never know. I’ll try a few health food stores and see what I find. Thanks for the tip!
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Heh, yeah Andrew, I would not know how to ask about soap nuts in Serbia! I hope you can find some!
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I’ve never heard of soap nuts either, so thanks for this Stefanie. I must check my Let’s Be Natural shop when I go there on the weekend.
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oh, if anyone would have them, it sounds like that shop would! If they do, and you give them a try, let me know what you think 🙂
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I might get to the shop tomorrow. Will see. This shop has just sent out its COVI-19 precautions.
BTW It’s really sad to see all the return to the use of single use and disposable products again because of this crisis. No keep cups, plastic straws, etc etc.
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“I can re-use my handful of nuts five or six times and then toss them in the compost.”
They sound perfect! I’m going to see if I can find some. I’ve been trying to reduce waste.
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