A soapnut tree?

Angelselondon

How do Soap nuts work?

soapnutter

They contain saponin - a natural soap. It is activated and released in warm water between 30 and 60 deg C, a normal washing temp. The saponin washes your laundry!

The shells are better if cracked or smashed so you put them in a little cotton bag and bung them in the drum of your washing machine with the washing.

The saponin is so mild that it rinses out even with the shells still in the machine at the end but if you're worried about residue build up then you can take the bag out and do an extra rinse afterwards.

The cotton bag of shells can also be popped into a bucket of hot water and used to mop the floor, wash the car or whatever. Any left over water can be left to cool and then used to water your garden - it is meant to help keep greenfly away. I've thrown a bag of shells into the bath with my kids too!

Angelselondon

I read on here you can use them for shampoo, so you keep them in bag as if it is a bath lily? sound interesting. Do they have a scent at all?

pawpurrs

I find soapnuts good, but obviously dont get things as white the Ecover bleach is quite good.

Sarah, you may get in to trouble for your link, as we are not supposed to have links that we profit from on our sigs, not that it bothers me in the slightest! Welcome to OS

soapnutter

I've had my wrists slapped so it's gone from the sig!

Shampoo - You can either use the bag of shells and rub that on wet hair or make soap nut juice and use that poured over your hair. Either way you can add essential oils to the mix to scent them.

Soap nuts don't have a smell really, just a bit kind of earthy, like the garden when you've just dug it.

Sarah

lil_me

Seakay wrote:

Linen washed in this liquid, and afterwards rinsed in clear running water, takes on an agreeable light sky-blue colour. It takes spots out of both linen and woollen, and never damages or injures the cloth.

:eek: I think I best not use it on the whites then, don't want them sky-blue

BusyGirl

I've been using soap nuts for the past 4 months and they're great! :j
I usually add a few drops of essential oils so that the washing smells nice. I sometimes put soda crystals in the drawer if the clothes are really dirty and I do still use Liquid Persil for my bedding and towels. I haven't used fabric conditioner for years and I reckon our clothes are much softer using the soap nuts. My DH hasn't noticed any change...so nothing new there! :rotfl:

Angelselondon

:T

soapnutter wrote:

I've had my wrists slapped so it's gone from the sig!

Shampoo - You can either use the bag of shells and rub that on wet hair or make soap nut juice and use that poured over your hair. Either way you can add essential oils to the mix to scent them.

Soap nuts don't have a smell really, just a bit kind of earthy, like the garden when you've just dug it.

Sarah

Thank you, your site looks very good, I think I may try some.

angelatgraceland

Soapnutter-what essential oils would you recommend apart from lavender for laundry?
bathing?
shampoo?
I'm gonna get "into" this! They seem to go a long way and I must remember to try them in my bucket when I wash the car.

soapnutter

Anything you like the smell of really. I use tea tree if we're a bit under the weather. But mainly I either leave the oils out (I love the smell of sun dried washing!) or bung in a few drops of whatever I'm liking that day.

Yesterday it was juniperberry!