Soap Nuts

I haven’t had anything really new to share about ways to use soap nuts. But today I have BIG news and it’s about soap nuts shampoo. Has is really been almost seven months since I last updated you all on soap nuts?

If you’ve read any of my other posts on ways to use soap nuts as a shampoo and why it makes a great hair care product then you’ll get what great news this is.

NaturOli has released their new soap nuts shampoos. EXTREME Hair as they’ve named the soap nuts shampoo formulas is available for dry to normal hair, and oily hair. I’ve gotten the chance to try both formulas actually.

I let my hair go unwashed for about 6 days. I have dry to normal hair but in order to test the oily formula of the soap nuts shampoo I needed my hair OILY. It was after six days of not being washed. One thing you’ll want to be sure of if you decide to try this is that if you do have oily hair you’ll want to take a bit of the shampoo and lather it right at the scalp area with your fingertips before you wash your whole head. This will begin to break the oil down and you’ll get lovely lather.

YES lather, but not sulfate  produced suds. EXTREME Hair is sodium lauryl and sodium laureth sulfate FREE … no skin irritating ingredients to be found here.

The outcome of my shampooing with the soap nuts shampoo for Oily hair was great. My hair combed out easily without using any conditioner at all. It was soft, really soft which is something special since I have very wavy coarse hair. It was shiny and it was calm. All good things when it comes to my usually unruly hair.

I then tried the dry hair formula of the soap nuts shampoo the next day. Like I said under normal conditions my hair tends toward dry. I was equally thrilled with the dry formula.

NaturOli took great care in selecting the ingredients being sure that everything in both formulas of EXTREME Hair met their high standards. Of course like all NaturOli products the label is FULL DISCLOSURE of every single ingredient. That means you can be sure that you know everything that’s in it and that you aren’t exposing your family to harmful chemicals by using these great new soap nuts shampoo formulas.

Contains no parabens, propylene, butylene glycols, petroleum, sulfates, alcohol, PEGs, TEA, DEA, NPE, phthalates, GMO, silicones, pesticides, artificial dyes or fragrances. Gluten free.

So here they are without further adieu:

Soap Nuts Shampoos in liquid form are finally here! Large 16-ounce recyclable bottle with convenient toggle cap dispensing. Sulfate free!

EXTREME Hair Soap Nuts Shampoo was formulated with the utmost of care. Selecting only the highest quality of ultra-rich, effective botanical extracts and oils specifically targeting hair and scalp issues. Enjoy powerful, yet gentle action, in unique Ayurvedic formulas.

Features for Dry to Normal hair formula:

- Hydrates and revitalizes dry, damaged or stressed hair.

- Cleanses without irritating scalp, weakening hair follicles or depleting natural nutrients and moisture.

- Rinses clean leaving hair tangle-free and manageable with healthy body, texture, volume and shine.

- Safe for color treated hair and reduces color fading.

- Gentle enough for daily use, yet highly effective used every other day.

- Removes chemical build up from styling products.

- Relieves scalp itch.

- No other conditioners or treatments are required.

- Contains no animal products. Not tested on animals.

- Produced and bottled in the USA.

These are available in 16 oz for Dry and Oily, two-packs, and even combo-packs.

Now let me share some of the best reasons to use soap nuts shampoo.

If you color treat your hair your color with take much longer to fade. This is not a wild claim it’s feedback I’ve heard from many people including hair stylists and friends who color their hair.

Soap nuts will help strengthen your hair and scalp. All those products people put on their heads and hairs take their toll. So a good scalp detox is certainly a bonus.

Soap nuts are naturally anti-fungal so if you suffer from dandruff  soap nuts used as a shampoo will help kill the fungus that causes dandruff.

Soap nuts have been used for centuries to treat skin conditions like eczema because they not only condition the skin but they also calm and sooth the skin so if you have sore, itchy, or crusty scalp issues using soap nuts shampoo is going to help with that.

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Soap nuts have many uses. People have suggested using them as a chemical free dish washing detergent. However, some people who’ve tried soap nuts in the dishwasher are getting inconsistent results and I often see searches for “chemical free dish washing detergent” in my blog stats because of the crack down on phosphates in many states.

I thought today, since I just had an email exchange with someone on the subject of using soap nuts in the dishwasher, I’d share my own experiences and techniques for using soap nuts in the dishwasher and for hand washing of dishes.

I live in an area with very hard water and we cook with olive oil every day so I have some very tough dishwashing conditions. I also don’t always get the dishwasher loaded or the dishes rinsed immediately which doesn’t make things easier.

However, I have used soap nuts in several ways for washing dishes both by hand and in the dishwasher and had mostly good results.

When hand washing with soap nuts I strongly suggest, if your dishes are greasy or have caked on food, that you keep a shaker can of soap nuts powder near the sink. I sprinkle some finely ground soap nuts onto greasy plates or caked/cooked on food to help it to release more easily. The soap nuts powder also helps to not only release the grease from dishes but also gives the grease something to stick to so that it stays off the dish as you rinse. I’ve also mentioned previously that soap nuts powder is the best natural scouring powder I have ever used so there’s almost no scrubbing if you sprinkle soap nuts powder on a damp plate or pot even if the mess is stuck on thick.

Recently I also took some NaturOli Extreme 18X diluted it 5 to 1 with water and put it in a spray bottle. I spray the dishes now, give it a second to work it’s surfactant magic and then swipe the sponge across the dish or pot and load it into the dishwasher.

Since I also often wash dishes by hand to save the electric and water. I add either 1 teaspoon of undiluted Extreme 18x or homemade soap nuts liquid. Then fill the sink with warm water and set the dishes in it to soak for about 2 minutes. I then scrub them with the sponge and dip them in the rinse sink which I have filled with water water and 1/4 cup of white vinegar.

Some people put the soap nuts into the silverware cup and I have tried this with fairly poor results so I do not suggest this as a perfect solution.

One of the reasons that soap nuts do work on dishes so well is their ability to change the surface tension of both the water and the food or grease. However because of the nature of dishwashers you get more of a splashing of water than you get a submerging and agitation like you would in the washing machine with your laundry. That’s one the reasons I strongly suggest you either pre-soak them in the sink in warm water with soap nuts liquid as described above or your pre-scrub them using soap nuts powder.

Truth is most of the time I just use the soap nuts liquid and powder to hand wash my dishes instead of using the dishwasher. It saves me money by reducing my energy and it saves water since I can take the used water from the sinks when I’m done and use it on my plants.

If you are determined to try soap nuts in the dishwasher just be sure to rinse the dishes as well as possible and if they are greasy use some soap nuts powder on them to break up the grease and rinse most of it off the dishes before loading them in the dishwasher.

Soap nuts are an amazing way to reduce toxic chemicals and packaged cleaners from your home and reduce recycling waste and save money. But to make the most of them you must understand how they work and work with them the way nature intended.

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Soap nuts clean clothes without harsh petro-chemicals chemicals. Okay we know that. Soap nuts clean hair without irritating foaming agents and endocrine disrupting chemicals. We know that too. Soap Nuts clean pets, floors, toilets, and sinks without harmful chemicals. Yes we know that too.

Although in the “laundry list” of things soap nuts can be used to clean many people mention you can use them in the dishwasher or use soap nuts to wash dishes by hand. But let me share some proof of just what washing dishes with soap nuts can do for your budget, the planet, and your dislike for washing dishes.

Okay not everyone hates to wash dishes. Some people find it therapeutic. But others battle constant skin irritation from washing dishes with traditional dishwashing liquid and their foaming agents. Others are battling the new phosphate free dish washing rules that are begin to appear. The greatest part of that battle is to find something to use in your dishwasher that works and is affordable.

Soap nuts … yes soap nuts are the chemical free natural cleaning answer for that too!

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NaturOli has one heck of a special on soap nuts, soaps, and Extreme 18X soap nuts liquid detergent from now til the end of September so if you’ve been waiting to buy soap nuts now is the time to do it.

TWO Free Shipping Offers

• This week (ending Friday the 18th at midnight) you will get free shipping on orders over $29
• For the remainder of the month you will get free shipping on orders over $49

Free shipping is standard ground shipping – normally only on orders over $100 If you choose another option you will be given credit for standard shipping.)

This includes items on sale, too.
Don’t worry that the storefront states “over $100″ -you’ll see it adjusted for you when you check out!

So here’s your chance to stock up on soap nuts, natural handmade soaps, the new soap nuts shampoo bar, and even try some of NaturOli’s amazing truly natural skin care. With free shipping on orders over $29 until September 18, 2009 every penny you spend goes directly to products and who wouldn’t love that.

Be sure to register during the checkout process so you can earn bonus points which will entitle you to discounts in the future.

Go… buy soap nuts NOW and take advantage of this great free shipping offer.

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Soap nuts shampoo when made from homemade soap nuts liquid, or soap nuts powder can be a real challenge to use.

A few months ago I wrote a post about how to shampoo your hair with soap nuts using these various methods. In that post I shared that NaturOli had created a soap nuts shampoo bar that was amazing and solved all those challenges. At that time the shampoo bars were not available for sale, but they are NOW!

NaturOli’s original ultra-rich anti-itch super shine Soap Nuts Shampoo Bar.

Sulfate free and no synthetic foaming agents in these babies, only the best natural moisturizers and healthy scalp ingredients. But we wouldn’t expect anything less from NaturOli, now would we.

Here’s the direct scoop from NaturOli on the soap nuts shampoo bar ingredients and why they chose what they did to make this one of a kind shampoo bar

Soap Nuts Shampoo Bar is an unprecedented, cold-pressed, hand made shampoo bar – rich in jojoba oil to moisturize and protect your hair. Soap nuts have long been known for their benefits for both healthy hair and scalp. This soap nuts shampoo bar offers all the antifungal benefits of soap nuts ensuring the healthiest hair and scalp you’ve ever experienced.

The jojoba oil, one of the most easily absorbed vegetable oils provides superb shine, softness, moisture for your hair. We’ve added Aloe Vera Gel  because it is rich in vitamins, and known for restorative properties for hair and skin. Aloe Vera Gel’s anti-inflammatory properties soothe even the most irritated scalp and help seal in moisture making hair softer and easier to style. We add  Rosemary & Lavender Essential Oil to our soap nuts shampoo bar for additional antifungal and antibacterial properties to increase scalp health, as well. Fennel essential oil stimulates blood flow to the scalp to further increase healthy scalp and hair growth. Clary Essential Oil provides antibacterial and deodorizing properties to this luxurious soap nuts shampoo bar.

Expect rich lather without the addition of skin irritating synthetic foaming agents like sodium laurel/laureth sulfate.

Experience the original Soap Nut Shampoo Bar ever available – anywhere – EVER!

Remember NaturOli makes all their own handmade cold pressed natural soaps right here in the US. They are all hand wrapped and are shipped in NaturOli’s all green packaging. So not only will be saving yourself the exposure to dangerous synthetic chemicals found in most shampoos, but you’ll also be saving the planet from the waste of plastic bottles.

I’ve been using the soap nuts shampoo bar for a few months now and my hair has never been so happy or healthy. I’ve had house guests I shared it with and they raved about how great their hair looked and felt, and that for one in particular the scalp itch she ALWAYS suffers from no matter how expensive a shampoo she buys literally disappeared within minutes of shampooing her hair.

Soap Nuts Shampoo

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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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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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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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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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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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