Soapnuts

student100

Thanks for the article link chipmunk13 posted. It basically sums up what rational people with a scientific mind knew all along, soapnuts etc are nothing more than snake oil and you might as well use nothing at all. Or use a decent laundry detergent and quit worring about it.

Calgon etc is not necessary, provided you use a normal laundry detergent, because the detergent itself has limescale-beating properties. (This is why if you read the dose info on a box of normal washing powder, you'll see that you're recommended to use more if you're in an area with harder water). People who use Calgon and proper detergent at the same time are probably wasting their money on a "belt and braces" approach.

If however you go for no detergent at all, or some hocus-pocus nuts or balls or whatever, you will benefit from using an anti-limescale product - but then you could have just spent the money on a proper detergent anyway.

ksh123

Sorry to say Student100 you have been "duped" by the manufacturers of washing machines who also have a vested interest in sales of washing powders. Given the huge financial investment the industries have in each other you are hardly likely to find an article on UK White Goods praising soapnuts as it would do them out of million of pounds.:rotfl:
As far as research and scientific tests go I think you will find that we are our own testers. We are not stupid people on here you know? We research, try things out in small quantities and then go for it if we are impressed with our results.
Personally I have always found Eco balls worse then useless and am glad I tried them 20 years ago when they were cheap! They didn't work for me. Soapnuts on the other hand - do. And I've just bought another 1kg which will last me almost 12 months and save me just short of £100 per year:T . If I need extra stain removal I use soda crystals.
Recently my 12 year old WM needed new brushes - well who could blame it - and I spoke to the repair man about soapnuts. His wife uses them and he spoke very highly of them. He also said that using soapnuts, and the occasional hot wash with vinegar, are all that's needed to keep a WM in tip top condition. And, at 12 years old (the machine, not him) he found nothing wrong not even an excess of limescale. Just some gunk deposits where I had "succumbed" and used fabric conditioner!
Please, Student100, give us MSEers a little respect. Stop accusing us of being idiots who fall for any old tripe and remember we've all been students too!

gillaman

Well said ksh123!!

I've been using soapnuts for a few months now. I find the best combination for things like white towels and tea-towels is soapnuts, Ecover bleach powder and either soda crystals, borax or white vinegar to soften. I don't have a family to wash for any more so my washing is not really heavy duty. Anything that is a bit dirtier than normal I soak in a soapnut solution first.

student100

Yeah. Well if you want to believe that then fair enough, but it's not exactly moneysaving.

I'm sure if soapnuts were any good, the likes of Procter & Gamble and Unilever would be packaging them in expensive wrapping and marking them up hugely... but they're not. Because normal detergent is better.

If you want to know what's really a good cleaning product, look to the pros - the people who do it all day every day. I doubt you'd find a commercial laundry (hotel, hospital, even local service launderette) using anything other than a good commercial detergent. They won't be using Ariel or Persil either, rather a detergent formulated to do the job with no marketing hype, but they certainly won't be fussing around with soap nuts. I wonder why? Their livelihood depends on getting laundry clean, so if they really could save money using soapnuts or wonder balls, why aren't they? Oh, that's right, they don't actually work (or maybe they work a little, but detergent works better, and is better value for money)...


(BTW, I'm no longer a student, but this site won't let you change a username...)

daleigha

have you tried the soapnuts student100?

yes, they may not get out tough stains, but neither do conventional washing powders etc - hence why vanish is so popular!

detergent definitely isnt better value for money - a bag of soapnuts is about £7 and will probably last about a year!!

i also use them for the eco-friendly aspect - yes, you could say they are being taken off trees and transported miles, but im sure they dont do the same kind of damage that detergents etc do.

all i know is that my clothes are as clean as they were when i used other conventional methods, and it is saving me a fortune. therefore in my eyes its a good deal!! :T

xx

brokenstar

my friends and i are going to place a bulk order with www.organicsoapnuts.net i've ordered from them before and have been really happy compared to some other places i tried, anyways...the more we order the cheaper they are, and with what we are ordering its already about 12 dollars a pound...so if anyone (in the US only...sorry!) is interested in going in on it... let me know, so we can do even better !

mybrokenstar<at>gmail.com


PS. www.sapindusmukorossi.com a great usage reference by the way!

Stillsmiling

I bought a box of these last year from Lakeland and didn't like the smell. Does nobody else find that they have an odd smell?

JHWilts

student100 wrote: »

(BTW, I'm no longer a student, but this site won't let you change a username...)

HAH! Hope you don't include "long term planning" as one of your key skills student100!!! LOL!!:rotfl:

CelticHippo

Just ordered my sample to try and hopefully they will be as good

Brooktop

Aimmee

If you are trying to restore whiteness, you need to put some borax (which will now be hard to find unless you have some already) or borax substitute which have a mild whitening effect. You could also try an oxi-bleach if there are stains.

You may also want to try a liquid soap, which is easier to dissolve in water. http://www.dri-pak.co.uk/liquid-soap-for-laundry.html