So, after researching about soap in general, I decided I needed to change from my ALL Free to Soap Nuts. Even I am fooled by the marketing guys - LOL! Even though I chose a product that had many of the OBVIOUS toxins - it still is a problem. So, I changed this week to soap nuts. I had an interesting research product to decide are there any concerns? which was the best? how many should I get? and is there any difference between them? sooo many questions! :)
Are there any concerns? Actually, the answer to that is yes. There seems to be a difference between products that are packaged in the US and those packaged overseas. Both for quality and for contamination. I found several very good sites that explained in detail about how and why the choose specific types of soap nuts.
Which is the best? Rather than best - you may want to use the phrase most preferred. There are so many different kinds of soap nuts - I was hard pressed to determine which was best. But most all of the sites do agree that the berries from the Sapindus Mukorossi which is the larger of the trees - providing the larger berries are most commonly used. Whether it is due to the higher concentration of saponins or for some other reason - I am unsure.
How much should I get? This question is also mated with "how long do they last" - right? :) Let's start with the last question first as it may answer the first one for you. Soap nuts are dried fruit and dried fruit has a very long shelf life if kept in a dry dark place. Soap nuts should be stored at an average temperature of 65 - 75 degrees with low humidity. For your laundry 3 - 4 soap nuts in the small muslin bag will work - you can do 3 - 5 loads with each group of soap nuts - replacing when they turn gray and mushy. One pound of soap nuts equals about 180+ loads of laundry and will cost you about $25.00 US.
Is there any difference between them? As I alluded to above. Yes, there are differences. Read up and make your choice on which is better for you. I liked the NaturOli site as it provided me with the most amount of actual information. I ordered one pound - and expect to share it with family to last for quite some time!
NaturOli: http://www.naturoli.com/
BuySoapNuts.com: http://www.buysoapnuts.com/
Organic SoapNuts: http://www.organicsoapnuts.net/
Blessings... E
Q: Thank you Darling Dear. I read it. I honestly never heard of soap nuts before. Let me know if they do a good job! Now I feel better because I got my daily fix. LMBO
ReplyDeleteA: LOL! They are fabulous! When I stopped using bleach and started using vinegar instead - I was shocked... I couldn't believe that vinegar did better than the bleach. Soapnuts are the same! They clean anything... no strong odor... it is great!
So, I found a little pamphlet enclosed with my soap nuts (found it when I took some to my grandmother) and in it there were some additional uses for soap nuts.
ReplyDeleteOne thing to note - you can boil your soap nuts to create a liquid to use in your wash if you prefer.
Household uses: glass cleaner, basic cleaner, dish detergent (hand washing), jewelry cleaner, carpet shampoo
Outdoor uses: plant spray (bug deterrent), car wash.
Personal care: shampoo, bathing soap
Pet care: shampoo
I have found a downside to soap nuts... but have two resolutions. Since soap nuts stay in the machine throughout your wash, your never get rinsed out completely.
ReplyDeleteOption 1: remove the soap nuts prior to your rinse cycle (if you can find them).
Option 2: create the liquid version of soap nuts by cooking them down in water. You will use the liquid instead of your detergent. You will only need about 1/2 - 1 tsp of the cooked down liquid for a full load of wash.