Jen contacted me and asked me about Soapnuts for laundry so I though I would share with everyone…

In going chemical free, we started using soapnuts about a year or so ago.

Soapnuts are not really nuts, but actually a non-edible fruit in which the shells contain saponin which is released in warm water. They can be used to clean almost anything and you can boil them to make dishsoap, wash the car or pets, used as a body soap or shampoo and of course Laundry. Because we use cold water we just soak the soapnuts in warm water for a few minutes before hand.

They have a very mild scent that doesn’t really come through in the laundry so we add essential oils to make the clothes smell nice (I love Patchouli) and since they are SO mild and not really a nut they are perfectly hypoallergenic and safe for even the most sensitive of skin, they also make the clothes really soft and we haven’t used any softener since… Though they don’t make whites whiter, they do work well for all clothes… even cloth diapers and there is NO residue left so no need for stripping diapers!

ok… so I sound like a commercial but they are amazing and I highly recommend them!!!

So where do you get them and how much do they cost? Well.. I buy they from the supplier where I buy wraps and carriers and the suggested retail price for a Kilo is about 19$ which is good for about 144 loads.

You can look around to see what other options are available…

How to use them?

Just put a few in a pouch or sock, either into a hot water wash or soak in hot water and that’s it… to make dishsoap etc you can just boil them in a pot for a few minutes… but of course instructions are included…

Oh… and they can then be composted!