Nuts About Soap Nuts
By Jenn | February 17, 2009
About two weeks ago I tweeted about soapnuts, asking if anyone had personal experience with using them. Owing to the magical powers of social media, Lisa from LaundryTree.com replied and offered to send me a trial batch of soap nut, which I readily and happily accepted.
Soapnuts is the common name for the fruit from the Sapindus genus of shrubs and trees, which grows in tropical regions around the world. The fruit (nuts) contain saponin, a natural detergent, which has been used as a cleanser for centuries but is just now making its way to our neck of the woods.
I’ve been wanting to try these silly looking little buggers for a while now, because if they worked as advertised, it would signal the end of disposable plastic laundry detergent bottles in my life and the beginning of a single-ingredient and compostable laundry solution. Which would be a pretty exciting upgrade, don’t you think?
LaundryTree assures us that the workers who harvest their soapnuts are paid fair wages, and that their product is organic and high-quality. And check out the list of additional uses from Wikipedia:
Soap nuts, especially are used medically as an expectorant, emetic, contraceptive, and for treatment of excessive salivation, epilepsy, chlorosis, and migraines. Studies show that saponin from soap nuts inhibits tumor cell growth. Soap nuts are among the list of herbs and minerals in Ayurveda. They are a popular ingredient in Ayurvedic shampoos and cleansers. They are used in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for eczema, psoriasis, and for removing freckles. Soap nuts have gentle insecticidal properties and are traditionally used for removing lice from the scalp.
Contraceptive? Removing freckles! These are some powerful claims…
So, I tried out the soapnuts in my wash today. Since I wash in cold water, I followed the recommendation to make a soapnut liquid for the wash, since cold water doesn’t release the saponin from the nut. I put about 8 nuts into 4 cups of boiling water, and let that sit overnight. In the morning I strained it into a repurposed glass jar, and added some of the Energy Blend essential oil which came with the starter kit (the nuts themselves do have an unappealing smell, which apparently doesn’t transfer to the clothes, but it’s a nice option to add some scent). I then added about 1/2 cup of this liquid into my washing machine along with my clothes, and put the leftover liquid into the fridge for about 7 future loads. (If you wash in hot water, you can just put the nuts into a cotton drawstring bag which comes with your order, and toss that into your machine).
And, I’m excited to say that my laundry came out clean! I put some tough stuff in there too, to give the soapnuts a real trial– my stinky Bikram clothes came out smelling fresh, as did the armpits of a polypropylene wicking shirt I wore cross-country skiing this weekend. The soapnut smell didn’t transfer to my clothes– in fact they have no real smell, which is how clean clothes should be, no?
The nuts are pretty economical, especially when compared to the more “natural” clothing detergents on the market– $10 worth of soapnuts will wash up to 40 loads of laundry– but for me, the most exciting part of the whole deal is twofold: first, no more schlepping of heavy water-based detergent containers, and second, no real waste– the nuts go into my compost pile when they’re used up. Sure, the nuts still have to be shipped from their homeland to me, but that’s it– just one ingredient needs to travel, instead of the laundry list (hah!) of ingredients in a traditional cleanser.
So, my verdict: I’m a convert. I like them! I like how they clean, I like their simplicity, compostability, and utter naturalness. Soapnuts are a great addition in my bid to simplify my ingredient life, and I’m looking forward to a long-lasting love affair.
Have you tried soapnuts? What’re your thoughts?
[Image by Ingorr via Creative Commons]
Related posts:
- Tiny Choices Giveaway: Soap Nuts!
- Tiny Choices Winners: Soap Nuts!
- Dish Soap, Revisited
- Washing clothes by “hand”
- Using up ALL the bar soap
- Ruminitions on Laundry Detergents
- Help Me Help My Washcloths!
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Sold! Thanks for this fantastic tip on Soapnuts - I’d never heard of these, and I can’t wait to try them! Of course, I just bought a new bottle of laundry detergent last week, so I’m set for awhile, but I’m going to order them now, and start using the Soapnuts for other cleaning around the house!
I have heard of them (I get the LaundryTree.com ad on my YouData ad widget from time to time, which I’ve bookmarked for later when it popped up the other day). I was going to reply to your tweet, but I couldn’t remember the name of the site (LaundryTree) where I had seen them. They definitely intrigued me, but I need to do some calculating on cost to see if it’s worth making a switch. Yes, the one natural ingredient is a big plus, but cost is a big factor for my family too! I also need to know if they work as well as they claim. I wish they had a sample pack to try out! Although I see LaundryTree offers a 100% money back guarantee.
Hey Natalie– LaundryTree does have a sample kit– with the $1.99 package you can wash up to 8 loads! http://www.laundrytree.com/buy-soapnuts
I use a super efficient , new washing machine that only needs small amounts of detergent to do a good job. Does this work well in smaller proportions? If so, does the company provide an amount-needed for front loading and top loading machines?
Reena
Hey Reena– apparently they work great in HE washers: http://www.laundrytree.com/archives/category/why-use-soapnuts/he-washers
Just finished my 6th load (all on warm cycle) wit 3 nuts, Perfect! Fantastic! I have a HE all-in-one washer/dryer. Highly recommend. I have heard you can boil th used nuts for 20 minutes and turn it into shampoo. Can’t wait to try that!
Laura
yea, i’m curoius how these wonder nuts work in the new high efficiency machines too!
and what happens if you don’t pay attention to how many loads of laundry you’ve washed with them? Can they stretch to, say, 45 loads?
AND … what if your husband gets really dirty on the weekends … like, ride-through-the-mud-on-his-dirt-bike dirty?
so many questions …
Hey Christie– LaundryTree says that soapnuts work well in HE machines: http://www.laundrytree.com/archives/category/why-use-soapnuts/he-washers
And, only one way to find out if they’ll clean your husbands dirty clothes… give him a bag of soapnuts to test! :)
[…] consider soapnuts. Jenn at TinyChoices has tested soapnuts and, well, as she said, she’s nuts about soapnuts. Soapnuts are little berries grown in Asia that have high amounts of natural saponin in them. […]
Are you planning to try them for cleaning other than laundry? I read that it can be used for shampoo and would be interested to hear if anyone tries it as such.
Hmm, maybe I’ll order a sample bag! Thanks for sharing :)
Yes, this nut has been used for hundreds of years in India in the making of homemade shampoos, soaps etc. It is economical, environmental friendly and natural.
I am trilled to see so many interested in soap nuts. They really are amazing.
I think however some clarifications are needed. Saponin is released in cold water, although at a slightly slower rate. I wash ONLY in cold water and use the soap nuts in the wash bag. A simple soaking in even room temperature water will begin the saponin release, although if you are in a hurry then soaking them in the wash bag in a small bottle with warm water will speed things up.
I clean my entire house, person, and cars with soap nuts based homemade cleaning products. I have a 95 percent chemical free house because of soap nuts.
I do wash my hair with them, I wash my body in them, I grind them into a coarse powder and scrub my toilets, shower, and sinks with them.
The uses are endless, they are very affordable, they work, and most importantly they are TRULY natural and have a tiny carbon footprint.
I have tons of information on my blog for anyone who is interested in learning about other ways to use soap nuts, and for in depth personal experience about using soap nuts for almost a year.
Lastly, although I do not have an HE washer many people I know who use soap nuts do. Because soap nuts are low sudsing, anti-fungal, and leave NO residue on the clothes or in the washing machine. They are perfect for HE machines. I point out the anti-fungal because many HE owners know that over time residue from deterent builds up and you get a musty smell in the machine, NOT true with soap nuts.
Sorry for another comment, but one more point on the question of not paying attention to how many loads you’ve done with the wash bag.
Experience has taught me that most soap nuts sellers under-estimate the number of loads possible. What I do is put the wash bag under the stream of water as the water is filling. I then squish it a bit with my hand and if I see “suds” or feel the slightly slippery saponin I use it again, until I no longer see suds.
Honestly I take the used soap nuts and make soap nuts liquid with them for my cleaning products. A high quality soap nut has tons more saponin in it than we Westerners realize.
amazing! it makes you wonder why anyone bothered inventing all those myriad detergents if there is something that just grows that can do the job (i know… $$$£££ and ‘convenience’…, but still, isn’t it craziness?).
I have just bought some off UK amazon (soapods brand), as the only UK based stockist I could find at a quick glance. Am really hoping I will find them good too, as would be really nice to eliminate washing liquid from the chemicals list…
I’ve been using soap nuts for months. I don’t pre-soak mine for cold wash but I do use more soapnuts for a cold wash (about 4-5 in the bag as opposed to 2 for a warm wash). My clothes always are clean. And despite the fact that the soapnuts themselves have an unpleasant smell (I’m sensitive to smells) there is no smell or fragrance (good or bad) on my clothes. To tell if there are still washes left in the nuts I usually feel them before tossing them in the wash. Nuts that are still good will feel a little slick and/or sticky. Soapnuts that are used up will feel dry. I love that I can toss the used up ones into the compost heap as well!
Hi folks,
A friend of mine just sent me this link and thought it would be a good idea that I add a post. After reading the commentaries, issues and questions, I concurred.
My Name is Chris Sicurella, the founder of NaturOli. Before becoming deeply involved with soap nuts and saponin product development, we were purely a genuine natural skin care formulator, hence our perspective on household detergents and cleansers was somewhat unique. (We were seeing things through a different lens, so to speak.) Since day one we have had a bias toward olive derivatives, but soap nuts - saponin - is quickly becoming held in equal favor.
I first want to simply give you all kudos for starting this conversation. It is through such forums that soap nuts and their many wonderful benefits will become known.
Now, for some real science: Please do not put a great deal of faith in the claims that are based in ancient Ayurvedic treatments. We do “feel” there are benefits in hair care, dermatology, and even the insecticidal via use of saponin, but there is very little as far as modern clinical studies to support such claims. As a skin care formulator and signer of the “Safety in Cosmetics Compact”, we adhere to strict policies regarding all claims, plus are bound by covenant to utilize only safe ingredients with full disclosure of them. My main point here is for you not to run out and buy soap nuts to resolve hair loss, reduce your freckles or use as a contraceptive. Saponin has proved itself to be a phenomenally safe and natural cleaning agent. That we know for sure. I am not underestimating soap nuts in any way, and hope we continue to discover more and more benefits. I firmly believe saponin will lead the way to new healthier and greener lifestyles.
In fact, we recently received recognition for our work with soap nuts and saponin from the “2008 Green Dot Award” committee. I’ll simply quote you part of the press release:
“NaturOli was recently given ‘Honorable Mention’ in the coveted ‘Green Dot Awards - Celebrating Excellence in Green Products and Services’ for their work with Soap Nuts and Saponin. Some of the largest and most innovative companies in the world compete for this prize. The jury reads like a who’s-who of the green movement leaders.
In the jury’s own words, ‘NaturOli green detergents and cleansers. Use of saponin, which is derived naturally from soap nuts, is possibly the most significant green innovation in history for everyday household cleaning needs.’
And further proclaimed, ‘Although the Green Dot Awards are worthy unto themselves, they are also a consumer guide to excellence in environmentally sustainable practices. A business with a Green Dot Award is a business that can be trusted by consumers with stewardship of the environment.’ “
To repeat: “…the most significant green innovation in history for everyday household cleaning needs.” Wow! I think that tells the tale.
I’d like to provide you a couple links to sites where I have quite a few articles published that deal with strictly with your issues. You will find many very specific answers to many very specific questions within these articles, plus a lot of info that’s important to know. There are around 20 of them in all. You will find soap nut cost issues, cost comparisons with other detergent types, issues with high efficiency machines are deeply dealt with, important points about powders, liquids, stain removal and much, much more. Please browse them for yourself:
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Sicurella
http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/christopher-sicurella/89039.htm
I also welcome you to the main NaturOli web site section that provides you a lot of the fundamentals involving the botanical issues, natural variations, uses, directions, etc, etc. This is at:
http://www.NaturOli/SoapNuts
Geesh…this is longer than I wanted it to be already. My sincere apologies. The amount of info is just SO extensive and certainly far too much to cover in this post. However, every unanswered question (or questionable response) I could find in this thread is dealt with in detail within the content of the pages I’ve provided.
Jenn, Thanks for starting this. Thanks to all those commenting. Thanks for the invitation. Together we can truly make a difference. btw: Lori is 100% correct - soap nuts absolutely DO release saponin in cold water. :-) Have a wonderful day!
Chris
Ooops… Sorry. Someone just let me know that I have an incorrect url in my post. I typed in NaturOli’s site’s Soap Nuts Information Pages incorrectly above. It’s:
http://www.NaturOli.com/SoapNuts/
I really need to learn to cut and paste to ensure accuracy. I’ll try. :-)
Chris
Hey again,
Well somewhere in the last 48 hours NaturOli launched their soap nuts liquid detergent concentrate called EXTREME 18X. Here’s a link:
https://store.naturoli.com/product.php?productid=16279&cat=0&page=1&featured
This is TOTALLY cool! Whoa…! Surely I’m one of the first customers! TOO COOL!!!
Chris
Hi Chris–
Thanks for letting us know about the new product your company is now offering. We appreciate the head’s up!
Your very welcome, Jenn!
The stars must all be in alignment for everything has been going better than expected. How many times do things happen ahead of schedule these days? The first batch is nearly sold out already. It’s very interesting to me to see even a synergistic relationship between the soap nuts liquid and raw soap nuts. NaturOli orders seem to a real mix of both, plus even their natural skin care formulations. It’s amazing. This tells me that people have really embraced ALL the benefits of soap nuts. The convenience and “greenness” of EXTREME 18X has simply enlarged the entire marketplace for ALL forms of soap nuts. That is so cool!!!
btw: Think of me as more of an adviser and consultant - or better yet - their guide. NaturOli has taken on a life of its own with a superb management team. I dedicate myself to increasing consumer awareness and maintaining the mission and principles that have made NaturOli into what it has become - As the company tag line states: “Setting new and higher standards - today!”
I hope that my many articles (link mentioned a few posts back) have been helpful to some. There is a lot of information and insight within them that can only come from the inside and a lot of hands on work. And it is all me - not the same copy and pasted stuff that’s everywhere. I will be publishing many more very soon. There are about six VERY important new articles I’m working on that I hope will be very helpful to people (for both veteran soap nut users and newbies alike). Every single day we learn more.
Dear Lydia,
It’s not “craziness” at all. You hit the nail on the head. It’s always about the money. The reasons WHY soap nuts are new to us today can actually be traced back to the Great Roman Empire and the merchants of the era. The remains of a “soap” factory was found in the ruins of Pompeii. (Not soap as we know it today, but still MAN-MADE bar soaps were found in the ashes). Saponification (the basis for today’s soaps) was discovered during the middle-ages. And very interesting is that P&G began operations in 1837!!! They were doing over a million in revenues as early as the 1850s. (That was a TON of money in those days.) Ivory soap was introduced in 1880!!! Think about that… They had no motivation whatsoever to do anything but sell the chemical concoctions they developed. You can patent a chemical you develop. You can’t patent Mother Nature’s gifts.
Only recently (combining the power of the information age and the green movement) was there a catalyst to look for alternatives to synthetics. Frankly, don’t think for a second that soap nuts sellers aren’t doing it for the money either. NaturOli provides soap nuts to MANY re-sellers. I know many of them. There is one VERY interesting anomaly however with soap nut merchants. Soap nuts are primarily sold by an EXCEPTIONAL group of people that GENUINELY care. They are people that want to make this a better, healthier world. If you have a true and noble purpose, and can make a few bucks, too - that’s awesome!
I only hope that soap nuts remain in the hands and domain of the smaller businesses. “BIG” business will NEVER care about us - only our wallets. If P&G or Colgate starts selling anything with saponin in it, it will NOT be because they are thinking about you and me. It will be a survival tactic because of the competition - nothing more. I hope that people will recognize that for what it really is if that day comes - and remember ALL THOSE that brought us soap nuts and soap nut products with more on their mind than just the money.
Have a great weekend! :-)
[…] on the incredibly enthusiastic reader response to our soap nuts review, Lisa over at LaundryTree.com has donated 10 sample bags of soapnuts for 10 lucky readers! (the […]
It is so good to see so many positive comments for soapnuts. We started using them about a year ago and have never looked back. The amount of money we have saved and not having to put all those chemicals into the earth bonus….
A good tip if you want to add a smell to your wash is to add a few drops of essential oil into the fabric draw of your machine this will give the wash a lovely scent.
Keep up the good work
Just started trying soap nuts last week! So far they have worked great!! I am truly amazed at how well they have worked.
I purchased them from a gal in my state that has started her own company. She sells many other products in addition to soap nuts. I’m sold!!
Her site is http://www.jenuinelypure.com/
I just tried these today. I am now bummed that I only ordered the trial size. I am definitely a convert. I never use fabric softener or dryer sheets, so my clothes actually feel softer. I read somewhere that you don’t need to use the rinse cycle with soapnuts, so I stopped the washer before the rinse. My clothes came smelling clean and looking clean, even my ever grubby 5 year old son’s. I am now ordering the 200+ load bag!
Hi Jenn!
Long time! Hope all is wonderful!
After getting your newsletter today (as always - good job!) the idea just came to me to offer you the opportunity to do a giveaway of EXTREME 18X Soap Nut Liquid Laundry Soap Concentrate. People really need to know about it. As Angele Sionna from Examiner put it, “It’s soap nuts in a bottle.”
As all of us that know and understand soap nuts - they are a an incredible GIFT from Mother Nature. They are like a miracle. We just need to undo all of the advertising and marketing from the big boys who have been programming us for generations. We don’t need all their chemicals (and the resulting pollution) to wash our laundry and clean our homes!
People can relate to a liquid detergent a little easier. It helps. It’s not as conceptually difficult to understand and digest. (Even though it’s still hard to wrap your brain around 1/2 to 1 TEASPOON doing an ENTIRE load - but it does. We aimed to be as green as we possibly could be - and the lab nailed it.) 18X also resolves many of the little nuances and inconveniences that soap nuts can have in various washing scenarios, too. (No more soaking of the nuts before cold water washes - it even works better in both cold and hard water situations. Those are the toughest conditions, as I’m sure you know.)
THIS is where it gets serious: I took a photo recently and compared a small eight ounce bottle of 18X (96 HE loads) to the equivalent amount of popular conventional products needed to do 96 HE loads and then weighed them. They weighed 17lbs!!! Imagine the environmental impact when considering transportation ALONE. That’s mind boggling to me. Talk about low carbon footprint!
Since I last wrote, five US universities have contracted to put EXTREME soap nut liquid concentrate in their campus laundries and stores. They are beginning to see the vision. More universities are coming on-board next semester. Students will soon be teaching parents how to go green in their laundry rooms at home - and with better results, too. Now how cool is that?!
Anyway (I’m getting on a roll here), I am offering to you and your readers 25 free trial size bottles for you to giveaway however you may choose. Each bottle does 6 standard to 12 HE loads (or more as reported by many).
Only together can we all make a difference. Here’s a sincere effort from me. :-)
Just let me know! I’m ready when you are.
Chris
––––––––––––––––
Christopher Sicurella
Founder / NaturOli
I have been using Soap Nuts for about 2 years now and just love them. I have tried all the different brands (Maggies, Naturoli, Laundry Tree Etc) but the best ones I have found are from Green Virgin Products. They have the highest quality and the lowest price. Check it out at www.greenvirginproducts.com. They also have a lot of info on the toxic hazards of chemical detergents and fabric softeners like Tide & Downey etc. It seems that the chemicals in laundry detergents can cause all kinds of diseases. Try soap nuts and you will never put carcinogens in your kids clothes again.
Soap Nuts save money.
Soap Nuts don’t pollute our water.
Soap Nuts are non toxic to our families.
Soap Nuts Lover!!
Geesh… Give us a break. The raw dried fruits are all comparable between the noted suppliers. Each company mentioned imports only the mukorossi variety to the best of my knowledge. I really wish soap nut sellers (of which I am one since I founded NaturOli) would compete against the chemical companies - not each other. Do you honestly think that we don’t think you have something to do with Green Virgin. We are not stupid. I believe I crossed your path on another blog just recently with a VERY similar post. It was just as lame. Your soap nuts are no better than Lisa’s or mine. Maggies does package overseas - SAME AS YOU DO (admittedly on Ebay) to cut labor costs. Hence your quality control will certainly be less consistent than you’ll find with either Laundry Tree or NaturOli. We package in the US. So, get a grip - and don’t waste our time.
Chris
Dear Chris,
My, aren’t we full of ourselves. Is it so hard to believe that a customer could like a different brand than yours. I do not work for Green Virgin Products although I would like to. I’ll tell you exactly why I like Green Virgin Products, soap nuts better than yours besides your rude, bad attitude.
1. Green Virgin sells by kilo’s. Therefore a kilo bags weighs 2.2 lbs and your equivalent bag weighs 2 pounds. Green Virgin gives 10% more by weight.
2. The Green Virgin Kilo bag (2.2lbs) costs less than your 2 lb bag.
3. The Green Virgin Bag includes 3 wash bags, yours includes 1.
4. I got more wash loads from 5 of the Green Virgins than 5 of yours. (higher quality)
5. Your bigoted comment that a foreign worker will not do as good a job as an American worker. Do you hate all foreigners or just people from India. I would put my money on the Indian farmer who’s labor is dependent on feeding his family, over the pimply faced teenager working for you who is just trying to earn enough money for some beers on the weekend.
Soap Nuts Lover!!
We started using soap nuts about two and a half years ago. They worked great for cloth diapers, and cleared the eczema up that had stretched across my belly for years. We are sold on soap nuts!
Well, I have to say I am surprised by all the positive feedback on soapnuts. About a year ago I bought Maggie’s soapnuts. I tend to sweat under the arms and leave a B.O. smell under my arms unfortunately. Also unfortunately, the Maggies soapnuts did not remove the B.O. smell at all, and I did not feel that they cleaned my clothes. This is unfortunate as I would prefer a “greener” product. I bought a full size box of soapnuts and tried using larger amounts in the little sacks to hold them–still did not get the smell out of the underarm area of my clothes–which also led to me to feel that my clothes were not being cleaned. Now that soapnuts are coming in a liquid form, I am tempted to try it again…..On another note, as to Chris’s comment above, you really made yourself sound like a jerk. Of course people are going to have their favorite brands. I saw too that on Amazon.com there is mention in the reviews that your company may have put some fake reviews up–to which the seller got very defensive–sounds like you. Oh well, maybe your product is good, but you don’t have to put someone else down for their opinion while you yourself are clearly trying to push your product here.
I meant to say above that the soap nuts did not remove the B.O. smell that was on my clothes. I think the way I wrote it, it sounded like I was washing under my arms with it. I was trying to say that the B.O. smell left on my clothes did not come off with use of the soapnuts.
I am very surprised that the soap nuts did not remove the BO. Maybe you need to try another brand. All soap nuts are not created equal.
Soap nuts have always worked great for me:)
Well, I don’t know. According to Chris (the owner of one of the soapnuts companies), all the soapnuts are of the same quality/source. I just know they didn’t get the smell out from my clothes in the underarm area, despite repeatedly trying. I utimately had to resort back to my own dertergent. However, I may try the liquid form of the nuts and see if that works….I did find another blog on soap nuts where most of the people said they did not work very well for heavily soiled clothes. I guess it is an individual thing? Not sure.
Hey Andrea–
I’ve only used liquid made from soapnuts (4 c boiled water, steep 8 nuts overnight) and haven’t had any smell/dirt problems, only wonderfully clean clothes. I wonder if you quickly pretreat the armpits of your shirts with a touch of more powerful soap, if that would help?
Otherwise, there are lots of other great uses for soapnuts… my next trial is to use it as an all-purpose cleaner in the kitchen– will report back!
Hi Andrea,
I written a similar comments about your issue and similar ones a few times this week. Let me try and just help you with a few things.
(btw: I shouldn’t have made that statement about all alike - because there are variables in the raw resource. I was trying to make it clear that all properly stored, comparable aged, comparably sorted, de-seeded, sapindus mukorossi nuts are basically the same. Not “ALL” are the same or from “ALL” the same source. It’s much more complicated than that. I also shouldn’t have come on so strong in my one comment. My apologies. I’m human, too - and live and breath this business. It was purely reactive and therefore wrong. Much of such personal feelings stem from my point #3 below that I believe can be counterproductive in the long run. I see too much of it, and would like to see people stop.)
But THAT is not what THIS post is about. Let’s assume we are dealing with comparable soap nuts, and let me get to the meat of this. A few main points:
1) There are many, many variables, scenarios, methods, degrees of soiling, types of stains, types of odors, etc., etc, etc. Even hardware and the WAY people do their laundry varies dramatically. You will get all kinds of different reports and results from different people due to one, some, or all of the variables.
2) Saponin (derived from soap nuts, aka soap berries, is a true natural surfactant (detergent). The fact that it is an effective surfactant is what makes it so very special. Nothing 100% natural has ever been as effective. Independent lab efficacy tests (I wrote an article on SoapNuts.pro about it. Link: http://www.soapnuts.pro/2009/09/07/soap-nuts-liquid-detergent-efficacy-test/) Even up against Tide in cold water the lowest results were between 91-93% as effective - with no enzymes, or chemical enhancers. That’s amazing and a home run for Mother Nature.
3) Many soap nuts sellers and exporters way OVER-sell soap nuts. In their efforts to sell them they paint this picture of them being some kind of “do-all” absolute miracle product. That’s simply not realistic (and will ultimately cause some to be disappointed). Even P&G hasn’t come up with a “chemical” product that will do EVERYTHING for EVERYBODY. There are specific products designed to tackle specific problems, plus products to help people find solutions to what may be esoteric and personal preferences.
Try to think of it this way: Saponin is Mother Nature’s alternative to SLS. As SLS is the primary surfactant in mainstream chemical detergents/cleaners, saponin is such in a TRUE natural detergent/cleaner. Neither SLS nor saponin will do everything. There is a myriad of either full-blown products or ingredients (whiteners, solvents, chemical and optical brighteners, odor removers, water conditions, etc.) to handle what the core surfactant will not.
Soap nuts can get us - naturally - most of the way home. For some, ALL the way home. I couldn’t be a bigger fan of soap nuts and advocate for their positive environmental impact, but I haven’t thrown out ALL of the chemical products that I need for certain tasks. “Goof Off” is still the only thing that will break down some substances for me. Nothing all-natural will. Sometimes I want to brighten my whites up a bit. Do you think I won’t resort to bleach from time to time? If I am satisfied with chemical free results - that’s fabulous. 90% of the time I am. By any yardstick I think that is a HUGE step in the right direction. In time, well make it to 95%. And who knows from there?
Bottom line: Again, we need to be REALISTIC. It’s not an “all or nothing” scenario. It doesn’t need to be. If you need to tweak what you are using to get your desired results, do so - and feel good about yourself for doing your best. I’ll bet money that you can be 100% satisfied - and still eliminate the exposure to the majority of hazardous chemicals in your life and home. You just need to experiment. (And be sure to allow adequate water flow in your wash. I’ve found that around half of the time bad results are due to over-stuffing loads. Longer pre-soaking in conditioned water helps a lot, too.)
I keep posting away on soapnuts.pro - purely the academia in an effort to help people understand soap nuts better. It’s tough for people sometimes because it’s all so new, and so different. Until recently most of what we knew was what P&G and their like wanted us to know - and those teachings go back into the 1800s. This is a whole new ballgame. We need to help each other.
When you mention the trying liquid, if you are referring to 18X it is basically soap nuts in a bottle, just very, very concentrated. The vegetable glycerin may help in a couple ways. You can dilute it and spot treat problem areas. That can help, too.
Much is being done in the lab to bring you those natural alternatives to ALL the chemical enhancers. It takes time, but great and exciting progress has been made. I really wish I could tell you more specifics. I will say that the odor issue for those that have one has been resolved for the most part. Soon I’ll explain more. Promise.
I hope I’ve helped you a little.
Chris,
Well, if you could explain why soapnuts doesn’t get the B.O. smell out of my my clothes (underarm area of clothes) but regular detergent (Seventh Generation, ALL, etc), does, that would help more? But thanks for the apology re your other post…..I really wish this product would work for me, as because I am very health conscious and environmentally conscious, but I can’t go around smelling like B.O. in clothes that were just washed!
Hi Andrea,
No, that probably wouldn’t be a god idea. :-)
Actually it does fabulously for most folks, and interestingly odor removal is a very common praise in soap nut testimonials and reviews. That makes your scenario all the more interesting. The detergents mentioned and many others have synthetic agents to target odors, plus they mask the odors with fragrance or scents. I don’t know all the possible variables of your case, so that makes it impossible to do anything but speculate beyond providing some basic facts.
There may also be a deodorant issue. Many deodorants, due to their make up and form, are difficult to remove without additional additives as mentioned. Again, some additives will work as solvents to break down some deodorant residues. So it is not just the odor, but the deodorant or anything else you use is part of the equation, too. The specific fabrics are another. I view as a matter of what is needed (be it either an additive, your methodology, or both) to make it work for you as opposed to simply working or not.
I have LOTS of ideas, but I’m only guessing when I don’t have ALL the facts.
Chris
I have always found soap nuts to be great for removing odours. The way we found out about them was through researching what would work best for cleaning cloth diapers. We have never looked back after trying them.
Hi. Lots of useful information and discourse here. I have learned enough that I’d really like to give these a try. Does anyone know where I can obtain them in France?
An alternative is that I can order them off of Amazon.uk, but there I see none of the brands mentioned here. I’m a bit hesitant to try an unknown brand because I gather from what I’ve read that there can be quality issues. All soap nuts surely can’t be equal anymore then all walnuts.
Anyone with experience buying these in the UK or France? Thanks!
Hey Kim! Just found this, though I have no experience with them personally:http://www.senteursdefrance.com/soap-nuts.html
Hi Jenn, Thanks for the quick response. I wrote to them to ask if they ship to France. Bet they do as they seem to be from France themselves. I’ll report back here with my findings. I’ll be enjoying your blog in the months to come - glad I found it!
Hi folks!
I love this thread! A few things to note that have been occurring recently at an alarming pace and buyers (as consumers or resellers) should be cognizant of:
1) SEEDS: Soap nuts that have not been de-seeded are showing up all over. The seeds have no use (other than to grow new trees or play with) and can spot or stain laundry. In a recent conversation with a Napalese exporter about the market and this year’s harvest, his first first question was “…with or without seeds?” (That should tell you something.) Seeds will double the weight of the soap nuts. This is an easy way for exporters and sellers to appear to offer better pricing. Given that they are exported purely by weight, it is a pure extra profit play - and a lot of extra profit. (Appear cheap, and make a LOT more. There is not even labor cost to de-seed either.) Commonly the question of seeds is not even mentioned by retailers. Consumers often don’t know to ask. I know of two significant importers so far that already got burnt by brokers with “good deals” They didn’t think to ask. They assumed. Ouch! No, there’s no return policy. lol! The very sad thing is these end up up the streets by unknowing consumers.
2) SPECIES: There is a significant increase in the amount of trifoliatus and other species being sold. One Ebay seller of “certified organic” soap nuts actually sells them as sapindus trifoliatus and THEN states “Also known as Sapindus Mukorossi, saponaria, soapberry…” Geesh… I honestly don’t know if it is ignorance or deception behind these things happening. For the record, trifoliatus is often not de-seeded (they are very small berries and labor intensive per kilo to de-seed) and sells for half or less the price/kilo as mukorossi. As discussed a long time ago, both have their place, but they are ANYTHING but the same thing. I’ll say it again, “A soap nut is not just a soap nut.” I would just like to see consumers know what they are buying, and get what they are paying for. If not, in the long run, unhappy consumers will hurt the marketplace.
3) ORGANIC: “Organic” is now being tossed around so much it has become meaningless. This is not like produce at the local market. All soap berries are organic - by definition. Same as they are “natural”. I hope that folks don’t get sucked into the “organic is better” zone for it’s not applicable in this market. It’s simply marketing hype - not worth a penny more.
A caveat: I will not speak for European certifications because I frankly do not know the ropes. For the US and Canadian markets, here’s the deal: USDA certification must be obtained by the product originator (the exporter). No exporter that I know of is able or willing to attempt to pass the strict requirements (or pay the fees). Note: I talk with most exporters of any scale, and they all feel the same. There are far too many variables in the sourcing and harvesting to make true certification viable. OTCO (Oregon Tilth) is NOT affiliated with the USDA, but rather are an accredited certifier that claims adherence to USDA standards and practices. OTCO is a very common seal of certification and obviously an easier one to obtain. The process begins with an application and FEE. Think what you will, and draw your own conclusions. It’s interesting that once you have an OTCO cert, you can then use the USDA cert. Hmmm… Surely, OTCO plays a role in inspections of organic farms and such, but why do I just not see them flying half way around the world and then embarking on journeys into remote areas of the Himalayans for soil inspection and testing? What’s wrong with this picture? The fine is $10,000 USD for improper use of the USDA seal. How well do you think this is enforced? How long do you think it would take to get enforced? How many exporters (if any are playing any games) are going to be around exporting under the same name next year?
Interesting stuff to think about, huh????
These topics will be covered in-depth (as usual) on http://www.SoapNuts.pro very soon.
Be wise, be safe, happy holidays!
I have been using soapnuts since 2 years and m amazed by the results and they are so economic.
Please visit the following link
htto://soap-nuts-sell.blogspot.com
hi again
i m sorry for the typnig the wrong link. I myself is a wholesale provider of soapnuts as well as soapnut powder.
kindly visit my link at
http://soapnuts-online.blogspot.com
or you can directly email me at samruddhi.parmar@gmail.com
or can call me at +919764907663 IST (GMT+5.30)
Regards,
Samruddhi
Hey, I own a shampoo company called Ebelegy that uses soapnuts as it’s main surfacant. We also use decyl polyglucose as a co-surfacant. It’s a 100% natural way of soothing hair loss, eczema and psoriasis. Check it out at
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Hi Andrea,
I also had your problem with BO smells. When I purchased my soap nuts from www.greenvirginproducts.com I also purchased a mineral salts deodorant stone.
They work amazingly good and the odor problem was gone for good. They are non toxic and they last forever, so they also save money. Switch deodorants and solve a problem. It worked for me.
And Cris, again I do not work for Green Virgin Products. I am just a very good shopper and recognize a good quality product at the best prices. I am going to send a link to Green Virgin Products so maybe they will join in the blog.
Soap Nuts Lover
Hey, Soap Nuts Lover,
Happy New Year to you!
Deodorant stones interest me. I hear mixed reports. There are a lot of different ones available for importing, but I don’t know the difference between one and another. There is a roll on, too, but it’s in a plastic dispenser. I like the idea of just the stone - period. If they work that would be awesome. It wouldn’t get much greener than that, huh?
There is a good new post on buying soap nuts:
http://www.soapnuts.pro/2010/01/04/how-to-buy-soap-nuts/
LOTS of good points. The seed issue seems like a serious problem because they will leave spots and people don’t know any better. One importer I have spoken with refers to them as “whole” soap nuts. That’s not good and they were 40% cheaper!!! Which makes total sense due to the extra weight of the seeds and the absence of labor costs to remove them. Consumers are going to unknowingly get burnt.
NaturOli, Green Virgin, and Laundry Tree surely won’t ever sell soap nuts with seeds, but what about other sellers. Been hearing terrible things about Maggies’ quality lately, so I don’t know what to think about them.
Please help spread the word. It would be a shame to see anybody be disappointed because of bad, cheap product and blame the soap nuts not knowing the difference. Thanks!
Just wanted to add www.MukoNuts.com to the suppliers of soapnuts. I’ve been getting my soap nuts from them for awhile and have been really pleased. There have never been any seeds and they are certified organic through EcoCert, which is recognized by the USDA. This was a big deal to me as I’m a new mom and didn’t want to switch to soap nuts only to find out that I was washing my kid’s clothes in something that had been grown with pesticides. Before ordering I actually contacted their customer service and they were very kind and provided all sorts of details on EcoCert.
I’m so glad to see other people using soap nuts! I love the way they wash my family’s clothes and they are sooooooo much better for the environment!!
Dear Buyers from all over the world.
We are pleased to introduce ourselves as one of the largest wholesale exporter of Soap Nut (SAPINDUS MUKOROSSI) which is also known as Ritha in Nepal). We harvest our own soap nuts from the lower forests of the Himalayas where they are 100% organic.
The shell contains a high level of saponins which is an excellent hair tonic and is also known for its ability to cleanse and wash and used in cleansing lotion, protein shampoo, and protein shampoo with conditioner.
Soap nut, highly effective mild and natural, preserves the colors and the structure of your valuable clothing longer than chemical detergents
We also offer packaging per your requirements. We also offer custom packaging (at an extra charge per unit) with your own artwork, logo, text, a product completely ready for your customer.
If you need soap Nuts from Nepal, we are there for a long term supply leading to mutual benefits.
Pankaj Raj Sharma
Majestic International (P) Ltd.
Dear Maria,
I’d like to share something with you. Some people like to make an issue of “organic” (I use that term very loosely for who knows what is meant by it anymore) and EcoCert and USDA certified. The VAST majority of soap berries are wild-crafted (harvested from the wild). Your fear of “something that had been grown with pesticides” is actually not pertinent to something wild-crafted. Do you really think locals are going out into the wild and spraying pesticides at their expense? That’s highly unlikely. Pests are not fond of soap berries in the first place. Saponin actually makes for an effective all-natural pesticide. It is via EcoCert that companies can acquire USDA organic certification in India. That’s the process. Albeit important with many products that are farm grown, that’s not the case with soap berries. It becomes somewhat irrelevant. It remains mainly a marketing ploy. In time, most soap berries will be rubber-stamped with EcoCert and USDA organic. It’s the trend. Other than having the stamp (that a fee is paid for to have) the soap nuts are absolutely no different in any way whatsoever.
Hope that puts your mind to ease.
Chris
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