The miracle of soapnuts!
Soapnuts come from the Soapnut tree (Sapindus mukorossi) they are actually a berry, they grow in tropical climates and are used around the world. They have been widely used for cleaning and laundry for centuries.
They contain saponin which works as a natural surfactant which aids the cleaning process, most washing powders contain a chemical surfactant, but these are all natural. They are naturally hypoallergenic and are kind to fabrics. They also have many other uses.
Benefits of soapnuts
Eco friendly,
All natural,
Sustainable,
Re-usable,
Compostable,
Can be used in any temperature, so save energy.
Affordable, the bag lasts ages, (I will let you know how long my'n lasts for, but I have loads left still),
100% biodegradable,
Hypoallergenic,
What soapnuts can be used for.
Laundry
One of the most popular uses is Laundry.
They can be used as they come in their natural form, placed in a muslin bag and put directly into the washing machine, I like to add a few extra cleaning boosts see homemadenaturallaundrywashingpowder blog for details.
Soapnuts can be made into a soapnut liquid. Which can be used for a multitude of things including...
All purpose cleaner
Washing up Liquid
Car wash
Insect repelent
Glass cleaner
Shampoo
Body wash
see Basicliquidsoapnutrecipe blog for how to make it.
and Soapnutrecipes blog for how to make each of the above (to follow)
One thing to note, as it is a fresh product it can go off after about a week a so, so needs to be kept in the fridge to prolong life a bit or by adding a citric acid it will prolong the life even longer. I have not done this though, I prefer another option which is to freeze it, then use the cubes as and when I need to. (tip - if you have children put the cube tray in a paper bag and mark them do not use - cleaning product!!) I freeze the basic liquid, then add the ingredients for what i am making as and when I need to.
Soapnuts are easily available on various auction site's and well known on-line shopping sites just google it and you will see. I bought a 1kg bag for approx GBP8-9.00 this gives you a huge amount, and will last ages, as the soapnuts can be re-used several times, basically when you squeeze them no more saponin comes out and they go a bit hard inside, you will notice the inside is slightly soft normally.
Finally once used the shells can be composted in your compost heap, so no waste to be added to landfill, yey!!