June 29, 2009
Soap nuts as you have read, if you’ve followed my blog posts, are one of the most environmentally friendly all purpose green cleaners available, not to mention all of the other great ways to use soap nuts to replace chemical based packaged products in the home.
I know I planned to go into more detail about NaturOli’s new soap nuts shampoo bar in my next post, but I’ve been temporarily derailed by thoughts about the natural laundry detergent benefits of soap nuts. What derailed me? Summer laundry challenges, that’s what!
Last week I spent an inordinate number of hours in the summer sun and heat playing at DisneyWorld with out-of-town guests. As you can imagine I was soaked in perspiration after only a few minutes, let alone more than eight hours each day.
I have used soap nuts for just over a year now and although you would expect I would no longer be amazed by what a phenomenal natural laundry detergent they are. I just can’t help but smile every time I remove another load of laundry from the washing machine.
Summer clothing and laundry demands present greater challenges than most seasonal clothing. Most people spend more time outdoors, perspire more heavily, and for those with oil skin their bodies produce even more oil. All of that means major laundry challenges, especially related to odors in your clothing.
Let’s talk about the wonders of soap nuts as a natural laundry detergent in bit more depth. With heat and perspiration the pores of the skin dilate which means that those who are sensitive to synthetic chemicals and fragrances are even more prone to skin irritation. That means an additive free natural detergent has even more value and benefit to them during the summer months.
So what else is important to know about the natural laundry detergent benefits of soap nuts? Well their ability to cause the release of soil, perspiration, and odors in particular. If you have a sensitive nose you may have noticed that your linen closet or dresser drawers have a faint smell of rancid oil to them over time. That is caused by the oils from your skin coupled with the natural skin bacteria becoming embedded in your linens and shirts in particular. Regular synthetic laundry detergent does not significantly change the surface tension of either the water or the fabric enough to cause a full release of those oils and bacteria. Soap nuts do though, which is why soap nuts leave your clothes clean, soft (no built up residue embedded in the fabric) and also cause natural fibers to become more absorbent. Soap nuts actually unclog the fibers and the longer you use them as a natural laundry detergent the more you will notice that your clothes get softer with each wash.
Hard to believe I know, but it’s true. I know this not only from personal experience but from other long terms soap nuts users. One man in particular has mentioned to me how with each wash in soap nuts his under garments become more soft.
Now let’s discuss what soap nuts, when used as a natural laundry detergent, do for absorbency of fabrics.
Summer means more natural fibers clothing and there is nothing worse than having your shirt drenched in perspiration and stuck to your body. However because soap nuts do not leave a residue and in fact cause built up detergent and fabric softener residue to release clothes, towels, and undergarments become more absorbent. So fabrics washed in soap nuts will absorb the perspiration and then allow the fabric to dry easily and quickly.
Now the last thing I want to point out about the benefits of soap nuts as a natural laundry detergent is that many people spend more time at the swimming pool and beach during the summer. Whether is is play time or exercise that means wet towels that do not always get washed and dried right away.
We have all forgotten laundry over night in the washing machine or had someone in our house dump their wet towels in the laundry hamper. What happens when damp clothes are left in a closed environment especially in the heat is that bacteria grows in that lovely damp warm environment. And then what? Stinking sour smelling clothes. But here’s a really interesting thing I know about the difference when you use soap nuts as your natural laundry detergent. Not only do they remove that nasty sour smell from wet towels and laundry, but even if someone does leave damp laundry in the washing machine overnight most people find that their is no sour smell. Now how great is that, no more having to rewash a perfectly clean load of laundry just because you forgot it in the washing machine overnight, or your kids pulled damp clothes out of the dryer and dumped them in a basket and forgot to mention it.
In the year that I have used soap nuts as a natural laundry detergent I have noticed many things. One thing in particular is that I have a great deal less dryer lint. So what’s the big deal there you may wonder. Well many of us who tout the benefits of soap nuts point out that because the surfactant (saponin) is natural and not chemically derived your clothes will not only keep their color longer, stay white without bleach but also last longer because there are no harsh chemicals to break down or abrade the fibers. How do I know this is true … my lint filter tells me so. Less dryer lint means that less fiber filaments are being worn away on my clothing. Soap nuts are responsible for that.
All in all you cannot ask for a better natural laundry detergent than soap nuts. They are anti-fungal, antimicrobial, additive free, hypoallergenic, biodegradable, and sustainable. Sounds like a home run to me.
Summer’s here … go get some soap nuts and find out for yourself the natural laundry detergent benefits they have to offer.
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Posted in green detergents, green laundry detergent, natural laundry detergent, natural laundry soap, soap nut uses, soap nuts, soap nuts laundry detergent, soap nuts shampoo, soap nuts shampoo bar, soap nuts washing machine 
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June 16, 2009
Today I want to share with you how to make and use soap nuts shampoo. Yes you can replace many toxic, unsafe, skin irritating skin care and personal care products with soap nuts too, even shampoo.
Many people share that soap nuts can be used as a shampoo, but if I were to hazard a guess few if any of them actually use soap nuts shampoo because their descriptions are so identical and obviously from one central source. I have also concluded that people want more detailed instructions about using soap nuts shampoo because I see a lot of searches for it in my analytics reports.
Before I share with you my recipe for soap nuts shampoo I want to tell you upfront that there is a learning curve to using soap nuts as a shampoo, and that some trial and error is to be expected. Why? Well the most common reason for people having inconsistent results from soap nuts shampoo is our modern programming that encourages us to gauge clean against suds (lather) and also because everyone’s hair texture and water quality is different.
Now that soap nuts shampoo recipes and usage instructions I mentioned before.
I prefer to make my homemade soap nuts liquid the same way some people make sun tea. You’ll find that process in this previous post about making soap nuts liquid greener. (or you can use the soap nuts liquid stove top method)
Once you have your soap nuts liquid prepared according to the recipe of your choice pour approximately 1 cup into either a spray bottle or a foaming pump dispenser, or an old shampoo bottle with a pump top (or pour top). The point here is to put the soap nuts liquid in the type of container that’s most comfortable for you. I personally add approximately 3 tsp of vegetable glycerin because my hair tends towards dry (it’s really more coarse than dry but it likes extra moisturizing). If you choose to add the vegetable glycerin shake the bottle well.
You may add a few drops of your favorite essential oil if you wanted scented shampoo.
So now applying the soap nuts liquid for shampooing. Obviously you need to wet your hair. Start with a very small amount of the liquid if you are pumping or pouring it into your hand. A very small amount of it goes a very long way because it is highly concentrated. There is virtually zero suds so you will feel like you want to put more on your hair looking for suds. I strongly suggest you don’t because you will end up with your hair plastered to your head unless you rinse for a LONG time. You are better off to get your hair a bit wetter and use the extra water for better hair “agitation”.
Now just as a hair stylist would, massage the liquid into your scalp since that’s where healthy hair starts and work it through the rest of your hair. Do you best not to get it in your eyes. Now wet your hair a bit more and rub the liquid through your hair again and then allow it to sit in/on your hair for about 3 minutes.
Rinse WELL preferably with cool water until you see no bubbles in your hair or the water that is running off your head. If your hair feels a bit sticky you need to keep rinsing.
Alternatively if you have one of those foaming pump bottles you will need to dilute the soap nuts liquid approximately 3 to 1 with water and be sure the liquid is very well strained before you put it in the pump because those foamers clog easily. The process of applying the foamy soap nuts liquid shampoo for this is the same as if you use the straight liquid.
If you choose to try the soap nuts liquid shampoo method using the spray bottle you will want to dilute the soap nuts liquid 2 to 1 to keep your spray nozzle from getting clogged. Mist your wet hair lightly from scalp to hair tips and massage the liquid through your hair.
Some people who wash their hair with soap nuts rinse with white vinegar. I don’t but I do squeeze a small amount of vegetable glycerin into my palm and work it through my damp hair before I comb it.
I wrote above that using soap nuts shampoo has a learning curve to it in part because we are so ill equipped to think of washing hair without that luxuriant suds you get from traditional shampoos. I cannot emphasize this enough. The suds, as most of you should know, come from chemical foaming agents like sodium laureth sulfate and have no cleansing but potentially very irritating effects.
If you are a real trouper you can try shampooing your hair with soap nuts powder. You’ll need it to be VERY finely ground like you would use it for soap nuts laundry detergent. When I have used soap nuts powder for a shampoo I put it in a shaker with very tiny holes (adding dry rice to the container to keep it from clumping). With the soap nuts powder you will get suds because the saponin is more freely available from the powder. Shake a small dusting of the powder into your damp palms and rub your hands together until you get some suds and then massage it into your hair. Work your way up to more with future washes because again if you use too much you will get plastered hair unless you rinse WELL.
The benefits of using soap nuts shampoo are not limited to just protecting yourself and the planet from irritating and harmful chemical exposure. Let’s not forget that given the antifungal properties of soap nuts this is a perfect anti-fungal shampoo that is also ALL natural.
So if all of this is a bit too much effort for you and you really want to use soap nuts for shampoo you have two other great choices. One you can get right away and one you will need to wait about 4-6 weeks to get your hands on.
This is your first alternative to trying to make your own soap nuts shampoo. Because I love everything NaturOli makes so much, I tried their fabulous soap nuts soap bar to wash my hair several times. I was very happy with the results, you get great lather and all the benefits of soap nuts. There is much less effort and you have more control over how much you use and can clearly see and feel when you’ve rinsed enough.
But here’s the best of all … earlier this week I got the privilege of trying out a new soap nuts shampoo bar that NaturOli created. It was part of a trial batch and word has it a full batch will be available in approximately 4-6 weeks. So come back and check in with me to see when it’s ready to hit the market. Of course like everything NaturOli formulates their soap bars are natural and have 100 percent full ingredient disclosure.
My next post will have before and after pictures of my hair using both the soap nuts soap bar and the soap nuts shampoo bar along with more details about why I am raving about this new soap nuts shampoo bar, and I’ll also be sharing soap nuts uses for gentle natural skin care and personal care in place of packaged chemical based products.
So go hit the showers (or tubs) and protect yourself and the planet from chemicals by using soap nuts as a chemical free shampoo!
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Posted in natural laundry detergent, soap nut uses, soap nut uses, soap nuts, soap nuts laundry detergent, soap nuts liquid, soap nuts powder, soap nuts shampoo, soap nuts shampoo bar No Comments »
June 11, 2009
Soap nuts work to clean so many things around the house, as well as being a natural laundry detergent that is completely chemical free.
Two of the many great benefits of soap nuts are their anti-fungal and antibacterial properties. The fact that soap nuts are free of synthetic and petro-chemicals just makes them all the better for cleaning anything that comes in contact with your skin.
I don’t often wear makeup, but even so my makeup brushes need cleaning from time to time because bacteria and oil builds up in them making them not only clumpy but also more likely to cause my skin to breakout.
A few weeks ago it struck me that a perfect way to kill any bacteria that might be living on my makeup brushes was to soak them in the sink with some soap nuts liquid. Since the saponins in soap nuts are natural surfactants and change the water tension allowing water to penetrate more deeply into fabrics and cause them to realease dirt and oil, it made sense to me that the same would be true for releasing oil, makeup, facial oil, and dirt from my makeup brushes.
Soap nuts are so mild and have no harsh chemical to break down the hairs in my natural makeup brushes so I don’t have to worry about my brushes beginning to get stiff and reduce the fluidity of the bristles when I apply powder or blush. They also don’t leave any residue so that is another bonus especially for people with sensitive skin who are prone to rashes from synthetic chemicals or fragrances.
I half filled my bathroom sink with warm water and a 1/2 teaspoon of soap nuts liquid and held the bristles in the water for a minute or so and then swished them around. Then I took my hand and worked the warm water and soap nuts liquid through the brush being sure it flowed through the bristles all the way up to the handle. I leaned the handle against the edge of the sink and let the brush part soak in the soap nuts for about five minutes, then drained the sink and rinsed the brush with cool water, and laid the brushes out to dry on the edge of the sink. Wow, I was amazed at how much makeup and residue was in those brushes. Last thing I did was squeeze the moisture out of them and flick them a couple of times to get the last of the water out and then let them dry.
I had perfectly soft clean makeup brushes, no chemical residue and all without chemicals or solvents thanks to soap nuts.
The same is true for hair brushes and combs, just put warm water and a 1/2 tsp or so of soap nuts liquid in your sink and let them soak, then swish them around and be sure to pull any hair and lint out of the teeth and bristles.
People who use products like gel, mousse, or leave-in conditioner know that over time the residue ends up on their hair brushes and combs. Then you get these globs of hair stuck on the bristles glued to your hair brush by the natural oils from the scalp and the hair care product residue.
Even though warm weather is upon us and hair care and styling product usage changes with the weather, oil and perspiration coating your hair brush is an invitation for bacterial growth. Soap nuts will not only clean your hair brushes without damaging them, but also make it less likely that you’ll end up with scalp irritations or dandruff because of course soap nuts are both anti-fungal and anti microbial.
Of course now that I have written this post I have to get back to the subject of soap nuts shampoo and using soap nuts for general personal care and skin care. So come back in a few days to read my post on that.
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Posted in chemical free cleaners, chemical free cleanser, environmentally friendly cleaners, green cleaning, green cleaning products, soap nut uses, soap nuts, soap nuts liquid, soap nuts powder, soap nuts products, soap nuts shampoo, soap nuts skin care Comments Off
June 7, 2009
Soap nuts as a chemical free insectide or natural insect repellent is the subject of todays post on soap nuts uses.
I know in the past I have covered using soap nuts liquid as a natural chemical free mosquito repellent on humans and pets and also using soap nuts liquid as a fly repellent on horses, cattle, and dogs. However, the more I use soap nuts the more ways I find to use soap nuts in place of chemicals.
Even though the hot months are upon us here in Central Florida in my effort to live a greener lower impact life I try to keep my windows and patio doors open at least 16 hours each day instead of using the central air conditioning. Well that means an open door for flying and crawling pests like cockroaches, ants, and spiders. When it is hot and dry outdoors pests come in for the cooler air and the moisture that can be found, as well as sources of fat to help them keep their bodies hydrated.
Last week we had a small invasion of cockroaches in the kitchen (it opens out onto the screened pool enclosure). So each evening if I saw a cockroach out and about I would chase it with the bottle of soap nuts liquid I use to clean my counters. Then I decided that if I used what I know about soap nuts as both a chemical free insecticide and an insect repellent that I could not only get rid of the roaches that had moved in, but also keep more from inviting themselves into the house.
I cleared all of my counters of appliances and sprayed every nook and cranny of the drawers, cabinets, and under the stove as well as the base boards. I wiped the excess off the counters but left a slight puddlel of it at the edges of the backsplash, base boards, and under the stove and diswasher. I allowed that to dry so there was a residue of the soap nuts liquid and the “smell” of the saponins as a deterrent for the cockroaches that were hiding out in daylight hours. Within a day I had several dead roaches, who’d either been sprayed or tramped through the soap nuts liquid, lying dead close to the base boards.
Today I had the need to use soap nuts liquid to do in some ants in both my laundry room and on some windowsills. The ants invaded the laundry room because it’s next to the garage (a door that is often left open when I am unloading the car) and of course there’s plenty of water and cool air in the laundry room. I made a critical mistake of leaving a pair of slacks, that had gotten grease all over them while cooking, at the bottom of the laundry basket and the ants smiffed it out and took over. After finding the source of that invasion I took the laundry basket outside and sprayed it all over with soap nuts liquid, and then sprayed the stray ants that were all over the floor. After they were all immobile I swept them up and then sprayed the floor lightly with more soap nuts liquid being sure I got under the washer and dryer and along the baseboards.
To keep the ants from entering the house through open windows (even ones with screens) I spray soap nuts liguid in the space between the window and the screen or I sprinkle some soap nuts powder as a barrier. Both methods have worked for me to keep the ants from using the open windows as entry points.
Now I can keep my doors and windows open and reduce my fossil fuel consumption and not have to worry about an insect invasion. Soap nuts are a perfect chemical free cockroach spray, natural ant repellent, and general chemical free non-toxic insecticide. You can even sprinkle the used soap nuts into your garden or potted plants to help repel insects in the soil.
Soap nuts once again came to my rescue and saved me money and allowed me to keep toxic chemicals out of my house and out of the environment as a whole.
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Posted in chemical free insect repellent, chemical free insecticide, chemical free mosquito repellent, soap nut uses, soap nuts, soap nuts liquid, soap nuts powder Comments Off
May 31, 2009
Soap nuts are a gardener’s dream come true for more reasons than just using them ground into coarse soap nuts powder for a chemical free hand scrub.
With the beautiful weather months at hand more and more people are out digging in the dirt planting for beautification or planting vegetable gardens. With all of that outdoor work comes the need to deal with dirty hands, dirty clothes, lots of perspiration odor in your clothes, grimy faces, and more than a few preditory insects trying to have a snack at your expense.
Soap nuts in their various common use forms answer every one of those challenges, and do so chemically free and without exposing your body or clothes to harmful irritating detergents or cleansers.
Before heading out to the garden mist yourself with some soap nuts liquid as a green chemical free insect repellent. The saponin is a natural insect repellent but will not harm you or your skin like many of the traditional insect or mosquito repellents.
After using soap nuts powder as a chemical free hand scrub for my mobile mechanics it seemed sensible that if soap nuts worked that well on oily greasy hands they’d work equally well on dirt on the hands and under the finger nails after gardening. So a few weeks ago after clearing an area for a ginger garden I had filthy gardener’s hands. Okay some people wear gloves but I’m am very hands on in everything I do and gardening is no exception. My nails are fairly short but even so I had plenty of sandy black grit under them and anyone who has ever gardened with their bare hands knows getting the dirt out from under your nails is a challenge and requires serious scrubbing.
I was amazed at how great my nails looked after a short scrub with soap nuts powder. I was equally pleased that scrubbing my hands with soap nuts did not dry them out.
Once I finished the gardening for that day my next challenge was the dirt that was all over me and my clothes, not to mention the eau de armpit I’d acquired from working in the afternoon sun.
I dropped the clothes into the laundry and popped my soap nuts in their wash bag into the washer and headed for the bath tub for a soak and a some serious scrubbing (or so I thought).
A few months ago I started sprinkling soap nuts powder into my bath water and the tub filled knowing that there would be a lot less scrubbing required because the same way soap nuts change the water tension in the washing machine they do the same in water used for any kind of washing.
Once the tub was filled I slid in, and took a spoon of the soap nuts powder I keep on the side of the tub for and started on my feet. I should mention at this point I also usually garden bare foot so there was serious dirt caked on my feet after watering in the new garden. I make it a habit to scrub my toe nails with soap nuts powder at least once a week to deter fungal growth and keep my nails white naturally. I have some scientific documentation on how well the saponin from soap nuts works as an antifungal treatment so if you need a good anti-fungal detergent try soap nuts. I’ll share that data in one of my next posts.
Back to soap nuts and gardening.
I sprinkled a bit of soap nuts powder onto my damp skin and lathered it up all the way from toes to top and then took the bottle of soap nuts liquid I keep on the side of the tub and washed my hair with it. Yes soap nuts shampoo too. Hey if I’m going to keep my house and body free of chemicals then my hair deserves the same treatment.
Keep in mind I have very coarse full hair below my waste so there is a lot of it to wash. I have had to learn to adjust to using soap nuts shampoo because since there is not real lather guaging how much can be challenging. Once in awhile I get brave and use the soap nuts powder mixed with some vegetable glycerin for shampooing also. I have found that you really need to have your hair very wet to shampoo with soap nuts and you need to use as little as possible and rinse really well. I always squirt a dab of vegetable glycerin into my damp hands after I shampoo with soap nuts because my hair tends to be coarse and when I do that the comb glides through my hair with no resistance. I can’t even say that was true when I used to use regular sulfate sudsy shampoo and hair conditioner. I’ll dedicate an entire post to soap nuts shampoo in the coming weeks because I know many people want to try it but don’t know where to start of who to use soap nuts for a shampoo.
On a side note since I started washing my hair with soap nuts shampoo I have notice a great deal less breakage and my hair seems to be growing faster. I suspect this is due in part to how healthy my scalp is because of using soap nuts.
But back to soap nuts being a dream come true for a gardener.
The last item that needed scrubbing was my face (and then of course the bath tub). I sprinkle a little soap nuts powder (finely ground) onto my hands work up a nice lather and clean and exfoliate my face all in one action.
The bath tub took a sprinkling of soap nuts powder on the grimy bath tub ring and some swooshing with my bare hand and my bath tub was spotless again.
Now think about this if I had used one product for each of the things I described above I would have purchased at least 7 products to do what I did with soap nuts; one item which I get packaged in muslin bags from NaturOli.
Seven products packaged in plastic:
Laundry detergent
Hand soap
Body Wash
Shampoo (and Conditioner)
Face Wash
Face Scrub (for exfoliating)
Bath Tub cleanser or soft scrub (read my post on soap nuts as a scouring powder)
Not only did I get my body, hair, hands and feet, face, clothes, and bath tub clean I did so with no negative impact on my person or the environment.
Oh and after I make soap nuts liquid (soap nuts tea) I take the spent soap berries and sprinkle them around in my flower beds to deter insects, especially ants. They break down over time right into the soil and while they are breaking down the soap nuts act as a natural insectide and insect repellent but with no harm to either my plants or the ground water.
Wahooo … now who could not like soap nuts. Whether you are looking for ways to cut household expenses, have sensitivity to chemicals or fragrances, or want to reduce the waste you produce soap nuts offers a solution. Oh and they are so much less expensive to use than all those packaged chemical cleaners and personal care products.
I can make a 3 liter bottle of soap nuts liquid at home for approximately $2.23 cents using 1 1/2 ounces of soap nuts. That’s if you buy the NaturOli soap nuts in a one pound bag. I buy the 4 pound bag of NaturOli Nuts Soap Nuts so in point of fact my cost for the 3 liter bottle of soap nuts liquid is actually $1.35. Since I harness solar power to make my soap nuts liquid I have zero energy cost for it too.
Read the post on making soap nuts liquid greener http://www.soap-nuts.info/2009/04/01/making-soap-nuts-liquid-greener
I use that 3 liter bottle for laundry, counter tops, insect repellent, dishwasher detergent, dishwashing liquid, liquid hand soap, for mopping the floors, washing the cars, and shampoo.
Costing out the soap nuts powder is a bit different since I do both a fine grind and a coarse grind depending on what I am using it for. If I use the fine grind to wash my face or as a hand or foot scrub I use about 1/8 of a tsp yes only that tiny bit does the job.
The coarsely ground soap nuts powder I use for scouring sinks, bath tubs, toilets I use about 1 tsp for each sink, bath tub, and toilet.
In my next post I’ll give you the numbers on how much using soap nuts powder for personal care and as a chemical free scouring powder costs.
The next time you head out for time in the garden be sure you have your soap nuts ready!
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Posted in chemical free car wash, chemical free cleaners, chemical free cleanser, chemical free dishwasher liquid, chemical free laundry detergent, environmentally friendly cleaners, environmentally friendly detergent, green cleaning products, green detergents, green laundry detergent, natural laundry detergent, natural laundry soap, soap nut uses, soap nuts, soap nuts liquid, soap nuts powder, soap nuts shampoo, soap nuts skin care, soap nuts washing machine Comments Off
April 15, 2009
Soap nuts powder, as I’ve written before, is a tremendous chemical free cleanser and natural scouring powder. The last few weeks I’ve found some other great ways to use soap nuts powder for scrubbing and had excellent results.
A few weeks ago I had mobile mechanics at my house to do some maintenance on one of the cars. When the mechanics finished they needed to scrub the grime and engine grease from their hands. Since I knew how great soap nuts powder was for scrubbing the grime out of my toilets, bath tubs, and sinks I invited them into the house to wash up. I figured worse case I’d just scrub the bathroom sink with soap nuts powder when they were done. However, they quickly realized their industrial size container of Goop was empty.
Never one to be afraid to experiment I offered a sprinkling of soap nuts powder as an alternative. Wow, what great results from a tiny sprinkling on their very greasy hands.
One of the greatest things is that not only were they happy and impressed but I got a chance to explain what soap nuts were to them as they stood there scrubbing their hands in amazement at how well this stuff worked and how gentle it was on their skin.
Once they were both done I sprinkled a bit more soap nuts powder into the damp sink and swooshed it around with my hands and had a sparkling sink once again.
Anyone who has done any work on cars or any kind of fuel burning engine knows how hard it can be to get the grease and carbon off your hands. So many of the hand cleaners have pumice as the scouring agent and although it is a natural substance it is not soluble (it is a ground lava) so you end up with a bunch of it clogging up your sink drains along with all that grease and the various toxic fluids like antifreeze you may come in contact with. Additionally if you have the misfortune to scrape some skin or your knuckles while working on the engine those pumice based hand scrubs burn like crazy. After all they have solvents in them to dissolve the oily fluids. Skin irritating and often dangerous solvents are the last thing you want to put on roughed up skin.
Because soap nuts powder has that great natural surfactant (saponin) in it, the grime is released from the skin instead of dissolved and soap nuts (especially in powder form) is a natural exfoliant that does the scrubbing part. Whatever powder isn’t dissolved is biodegradable and also helps to remediate the chemicals in the grey water as it goes down the drain and into the waste water system.
Now in my next post I’ll share with you how I’ve used soap nuts powder as a natural hand scrub after doing some very “hands on” gardening as well as some other really great things I’ve done with the powder related to personal hygeine, skin care, and even garden pest control.
Every time I try one of these little experiments I am impressed with not only how well and safely soap nuts clean but how easy it is to use them and to replace chemicals while saving money and the environment. The benefits and uses of soap nuts truly are limitless, and when you use soap nuts in place of chemicals you help the environment and you save money.
More on soap nuts powders many uses coming your way soon. 
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Posted in chemical free cleaners, chemical free cleanser, environmentally friendly cleaners, green cleaning, green cleaning products, soap nut uses, soap nuts, soap nuts powder, soap nuts skin care Comments Off
April 1, 2009
Making soap nuts liquid at home is very easy. It’s simply a matter of putting some approximate 15 soap nuts in 6 cups of water in a pot of water and boiling the water, then reducing it to a simmer for about 30 minutes.
But yesterday I started to think about ways that I could make soap nuts liquid just as concentrated without using the electric to boil the water. In essence making soap nuts liquid greener by not using any fossil fuels to create it if possible. After all one of the main reasons I use soap nuts is to reduce my carbon footprint and remove chemicals from my cleaning and personal care environment.
Here are some ideas about ways to make soap nuts liquid at home but to make the whole process greener and more efficient.
Soap Nuts Tea - Solar Power - Sun Tea Versions
Take the equivalent of 20 whole soap nuts and drop them into an empty clear plastic (or glass) container like a 2 liter soda bottle. I used an empty limeade bottle that holds 50 ounces of liquid, which is about 1 1/2 liters. Fill the bottle to just below the neck and place it outside in the sun for approximately 8 hours. Remember to shake the bottle around every couple of hours so that as the soap nuts soften from being in the water the saponin will release in greater concentration. Another helpful note is if you have pieces your soap nuts liquid will be ready faster because the broken pieces have more ready access to the saponin in the soap berry pulp. Alternatively you can crunch the soap nuts up in your hand or mash them up into pieces by any other means you devise.
I decided to be a bit scientific about this to see if there would be an advantage to using soap nuts powder to make the liquid. I have read that many people do this, and I thought as long as I was at it why not give that a try.
Here’s what I did to make soap nuts liquid using soap nuts powder and the power of the sun to get the saponin to release. For this version I used an empty water bottle that holds 3 liters of water.
Take a container similar to the above instructions and pour approximately 5 tablespoons of soap nuts powder into the empty container. Now add the water to just below the neck of the bottle, cap and shake. You will see the color change immediately to a kind of golden to carmel color. I left mine outside overnight right next to the bottle of soap nuts tea I was making using the whole soap berries.
My theory was that since they were side by side and started at approximately the same time I’d be able to see which green soap nuts liquid method was most efficient and concentrated. The 5 tablespoons of soap nuts powder is basically equivalent to 25 soap nuts. So my portions were pretty close especially since I used a slightly larger empty water bottle for the soap nuts powder version.
Now let’s discuss affordability of this method. If you use soap nuts in the laundry 20 soap berries will produce about 20 medium size loads of laundry in a standard washing machine. That’s if you use the generally accepted 4-5 soap nuts in a wash bag for each load and approximately 3-5 loads of laundry from each fresh wash bag.
I just did my first load of laundry using the soap nuts powder based soap nuts liquid. I used 1/8 of a cup of the liquid in a medium load using cold water. That’s approximately 1 fluid ounce. So in theory the 3 liter bottle of soap nuts liquid I made using this greener soap nuts powder method should yield me 101 loads of laundry.
So the same amount of soap nuts powder would only do about 5 loads of laundry because basically you use 2-3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of soap nuts powder for a standard load, but by putting the powder into a bottle and setting it in the sun I extracted more saponin from the powder and will get 20 times as many loads.
I’ll let you do the cost analysis on the whole soap berry method of making soap nuts sun tea yourself.
Play with the concentration yourself to if this is a viable green alternative to making soap nuts liquid for yourself without using any electricity. Yes I realize that electric is used to grind the soap nuts powder, but compare less than 2 minutes of grinding soap nuts in a coffee grinder with heating a pot of water to boiling and then simmering it for 30 minutes. Soap nuts are about as green as you can get when it comes to both laundry and cleaning, but if we can find ways to make them even greener, why the heck not.
If you want a great bargain on soap nuts pieces you won’t find a better price than this
NaturOli Soap Nuts PIECES! - 5 lb. bag! (Appox. 800 Loads!) - All Sapindus Mukorossi. 100% Natural Laundry Detergent! (Less than 8 cents PER LOAD!!) - New, Fresh 2009 Harvest NOW SHIPPING!
Once you’ve got your soap nuts sun tea to the concentrate you want, be adventurous and use it as a soap nuts shampoo, chemical free glass cleaner, natural dishwashing soap, chemical free hand soap, or chemical free jewelry cleaner. You’ll be amazed how affordable and naturally you can clean your home and all the green cleaning products you can make using soap nuts tea as the basis.
Also reusing a bottle you already have further reduces recycling making this an even greener way to use soap nuts.
The first load of laundry I did with the soap nuts powder based soap nuts liquid just finished. When I removed the clothes from the washer everything smelled good and clean, even the laundry bag of socks. So this method passed the sniff test.
Since it took me awhile to finish this post the first load is now dry and the results seem great. Lots of soft clean laundry just like I get from soap nuts in a wash bag or stove top soap nuts liquid.
Go ahead … experiment … worst case the soap nuts liquid is less concentrated than you want and you either add more powder or soap berries to it and put it back out in the sun.
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Posted in chemical free cleaners, chemical free cleanser, chemical free dishwasher liquid, chemical free glass cleaner, chemical free jewelry cleaner, chemical free laundry detergent, environmentally friendly cleaners, environmentally friendly detergent, green cleaning, green cleaning products, green detergents, green laundry detergent, natural laundry detergent, natural laundry soap, soap nut uses, soap nuts, soap nuts liquid, soap nuts powder, soap nuts products, soap nuts shampoo, soap nuts washing machine, soapberry Comments Off
March 24, 2009
Well, just when you think there’s nothing else new in soap nuts NaturOli finds yet another way to add soap nuts to your life while replacing harmful chemicals with natural alternatives.
The lastest is a handmade soap nuts soap bar. Now how cool a thing is that?
I have already ordered a few for myself, because I know how amazing soap nuts are in regular form, as soap nuts liquid, soap nuts powder, and of course the new soap nuts liquid laundry soap Extreme 18X from Naturoli. I’m sure I will love this soap nuts soap bar just as much.
What NaturOli has done is incorporate their proprietary soap nuts liquid concentrate and finely ground soap nuts powder into a natural hand made soap bar.
Now of course a company that started with all things olive as the foundation for their natural skin care has to combine their roots with their newest mission of telling the world about the benefits of soap nuts.
As they say on their site “This limited edition, handmade, cold-pressed bar is for those who wish to explore both the wonderful worlds of soap nuts and olive oil soaps in one very unique blend. Pure Sapindus Mukorossi soap nuts powder allows for mild exfoliation. Enhanced with rich, healthy oils and natural ingredients to cleanse and nourish your skin.”
Their soap nut soap bar is both rich in antioxidants and anti-bacterial. There are no synthetic fragrances or dyes. They’ve added rich natural oils for the skin, and rosemary oil for enhanced natural anti-bacterial protection.
Pretty cool looking too, don’t you think? Those little flecks you see are the soap nuts powder.
Go get some handmade natural soap nuts soap bars for yourself, these are limited edition and I expect they will go fast.
If you want to try a sample of several different soap nuts products from NaturOli, be sure to check out their new soap nuts special trial size package which includes all of these different soap nuts products:
- Traditional usage raw soap nuts sampler
- a state-of the-art Soap Nuts liquid laundry soap concentrate trial bottle,
plus
- A new, luxurious, limited-edition Soap Nuts and Olive Natural Soap Bar.
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Posted in environmentally friendly cleaners, green cleaning, green cleaning products, soap nut uses, soap nuts, soap nuts liquid, soap nuts powder, soap nuts products, soap nuts skin care Comments Off
March 8, 2009
Soap nuts are a perfect solution for almost every laundry challenge. One of the reasons soap nuts are so perfect for washing stuffed animals is that they leave no residue on the fabric, while still removing dirt, bacteria, and odors.
I have a personal stuffed animal collection that dates to my childhood some 40 plus years ago. Many of these critters have extreme sentimental attachments because of the people I received them from over the years. Despite my attachment to them whenever friends visit with small children I drag out a few of the stuffed animals and introduce the kids to them.
Now as anyone who has been around a few children knows, little people like to not only touch but often taste, smooch, and snuggle with furry things. More than a few times a little person has shared some bodily fluids with my stuffed animals. No harm done because the stuffed critters just get popped into the washing machine with some soap nuts, and exit the machine soft and fresh smelling.
There are many benefits to washing your kids (or your own) stuffed animals in soap nuts.
One benefit is the lack of residue left behind on the fabrics, so no worries about the kids sucking on the paws and ears and getting anything dangerous into their little systems.
Another benefit especially for older stuffed animals is that when they get washed in soap nuts there are no concerns about the fabrics breaking down because soap nuts have no harsh chemical surfactants in them which erode fabrics causing the fabric to thin or become threadbare. That means less chance of the filling coming out through a weak place in the fabric.
Another benefit to washing stuffed animals in soap nuts is that soap nuts are naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal so even germs and viruses won’t linger in the fabrics.
Additionally if the stuffed animals get left out on a shelf while not in use they can get dust mites growing inside in the stuffing. Again soap nuts will take care of those nasty little critters making the stuffing less likely to irritate allergies in your children.
On a side note I make it a habit to wash our bed pillows in soap nuts about once every two weeks to kill off dust mites and remove body oil and odors. Keep that in mind if you have allergies and hate to sleep on a pillow encased in plastic to reduce the allergens. Soap nuts are also a natural hypoallergenic detergent so no concern about contact dermatitis for kids with sensitive skin snuggling with their stuffed pals.
Back to the stuffed animals though. Odors from bodily fluids, food, and dirt can build up in the furriest of stuffed animals. Soap nuts are also great for that because in the same way that they remove odors from clothing and cloth diapers they also will remove odors that can build up on the fabric and in the stuffing.
A word of caution, before washing your stuffed animals be sure to check seams and stitch any that have come open from wear and tear. Your kids will not forgive you quickly if their favorite bear ends up missing his guts because he was bounced around in the washer or dryer.
Soap nuts are also an additive free laundry detergent so you don’t need to be concerned about chemical exposure like you would with regular laundry detergent. Since soap nuts are perfect for handwashing and safe for even the most delicate fabrics like silk, you can be sure your kids treasured stuffed animals will
Every time I toss my 22 year old Rodney The Reindeer and his pals Rhonda and Little Rodney into the washing machine I am thrilled with how soft, fluffy, and gently cleaned they come out.
Soap Nuts - Green Laundry has never been so soft, fluffy, easy, or affordable
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Posted in chemical free cleaners, chemical free laundry detergent, environmentally friendly detergent, green cleaning, green cleaning products, green detergents, green laundry detergent, natural laundry detergent, natural laundry soap, soap nut uses, soap nuts, soap nuts products Comments Off
March 7, 2009
Soap nuts liquid is convenient for people who prefer a liquid detergent. It’s also a great liquid hand soap, although adjusting to low sudsing can take some time.
One of the things most people who boil soap nuts liquid at home often wonder about is the shelf life.
Anyone who has experience with water based botanicals knows that fermentation and bacterial growth can occur. However, there are ways to extend the shelf-life of your homemade soap nuts liquid.
- Increase the concentration - use more soap nuts and less water or boil soap nuts powder to extract the maximum amount of saponin from the soap nuts
- Strain your soap nuts liquid through a super fine strainer so you have almost no sediment
- Refrigerate your soap nuts liquid as soon as it is cool.
- Freeze the liquid in old ice cube trays - measure the amount of liquid first so you know how much you are using when you drop the cubes into the washer (or you can thaw them prior to using them)
- Can the soap nuts liquid like you would homemade preserves.
- Add sea salt to the liquid. It will help with fermentation (bread bakers know this trick) it will also help to whiten your whites when you use the liquid. It works by absorbing moisture from the cells of bacteria and mold through osmosis, which kills them or leaves them unable to reproduce.
- Use a vacuum sealing system for packaging soap nuts liquid.
Another alternative if you simply don’t have time to make soap nuts lqiuid frequently or are concerned about the shelf-life of your homemade liquid is to purchase Extreme 18X NaturOli’s new soap nuts liquid laundry concentrate.
NaturOli has already taken the guess work out of soap nuts liquid shelf-life. Their new Extreme 18X soap nuts liquid concentrate has a two year shelf-life. Even though it is packaged as a liquid laundry detergent concentrate you can use it in all the ways you’d use homemade soap nuts liquid, by diluting as needed.
I used it in my carpet cleaner and mopped my laminate floors with it. I put 1 tsp in carpet cleaner, and 1/2 tsp in the mop bucket with warm water and was very pleased with the results from both experiments.
Soap Nuts Liquid Laundry Soap Concentrate
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Posted in environmentally friendly cleaners, environmentally friendly detergent, green cleaning, green cleaning products, green detergents, green laundry detergent, soap nuts, soap nuts liquid, soap nuts products Comments Off
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