EXTREME 18X
Soap Nuts Liquid Laundry Detergent & Green Cleaner Concentrate.

Now produced from USDA Certified Organic Soap Nuts / Soap Berries!

With no-mess, no-waste, micro-dose pump!
One pump included.
Ultra-concentrated 18X potency.
As little as one tiny 2ml squirt per load (no kidding).

8 ounces will yield 96 high efficiency (HE) loads or 48 standard loads.

The folks over at NaturOli are making room for the redesigned labels by offering this SUPER SALE on bottles with the old labels. You know waste not want not. It’s the same amazing formula you’ve come to know and love, and the same concept that won a Green Dot Award.

Quoting directly from the email I received.

50% off regular retail prices on Extreme 18X – UNTIL GONE

You’ll need a promo code. Use promo code: extreme50

PLEASE NOTE: You’ll find the field to enter your code at the very bottom of your “Shopping Cart” page. Scroll all the way down. Enter the code, and click “Submit”. Your discount will then be clearly displayed.

Sale applies to full size singles & multi-packs only.

Oh and they even sweetened the deal.

FREE BONUS:

For each $50 in merchandise (after discounts), we’ll include a bonus 2-oz. Mini bottle of Extreme hair Soap Berry Shampoo. (A $5.90 value each.) You don’t need to do anything at all. It will be shipped with your order.

Note: If you have a formula preference, indicate “Dry” or “Oily” in the customer comments at check-out.

Oh and don’t forget that NaturOli ALWAYS offers Free Shipping on orders over $100. So you can really CLEAN UP with this EXTREME SALE.

Don’t forget Extreme 18X Soap Nuts Liquid (laundry detergent and green cleaner) has a 2 year shelf life so you won’t have to worry about how long it will take to use up the supply if you stock up now.

Extreme 18X Single Bottle

Extreme 18X 2-pack

Extreme 18X 3-pack

NaturOli's Extreme 18x -Same Award Winning Formula - Brand New Look

I’ve already mentioned NaturOli’s Extreme Hair Soap Nuts Shampoo and my experience with it. Before that I shared my excellent experience with Naturoli’s Soap Nuts Shampoo bars. I also shared with you how I use raw soap nuts and soap nuts liquid to make my own shampoo.

Today I want to share my experience with a product I’ve seen before but not tried until yesterday.

Soap Nuts Conditioning Shampoo, Amla & Shikaki with Reetha For Normal Hair

The manufacturers of this shampoo are based in India so I’d expect them to be very familiar with the ingredients and proper proportions. Sadly there is no detailed list of ingredients but I feel confident that I made a good choice in trying this shampoo.

I’ve tried many of the soap nuts shampoo bars, liquid soap nuts shampoo and making my own at home. I was hesitant to try this one because it doesn’t have the full ingredient list, but I am so glad I did.

My hair was very dirty and often when I shampoo my hair ends up so dry because it gets over stripped. My hair is very wavy and course and long. After washing my hair with this excellent shampoo my hair had beautiful waves, was soft but had great body, and was nearly tangle free. I am THRILLED. I know it sounds strange but the mass of my hair felt lighter after washing it with this product.

Where I live we have extremely hard water and this shampoo lathered nicely and smells like fresh herbs not flowery synthetic scents.

The shampoo is VERY thick and only a little bit of it did a great job on my extremely long thick hair. My scalp feels great and the next day my hair is still soft and looks great.

The instructions suggest using it once or twice a week. Since my hair leans towards dry I am going to try that to start and then see if any increase is needed. I did not use any kind of conditioner and don’t feel like I will need to for my particular hair, but if you choose to try this one you may want to check into some of the natural oils and work a tiny bit of it through while the hair is still wet.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.
  
  

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

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

This new soap nuts product is simply amazing and so perfectly named Extreme 18X. Extreme soap nuts is exactly what it is, but I would expect nothing less from a company like NaturOli. They are after all a company that gets the entire value of soap nuts and makes sure that everything they formulate is as green as possible. True of Extreme 18X in a way unimagined by other sellers of soap nuts liquid laundry soaps.

What’s so special about Extreme 18X soap nuts liquid laundry soap concentrate?

Well, first and foremost it is the most concentrated liquid laundry soap on the market. That’s true of even when compared with the regular packaged liquid detergent concentrates from those big chemical companies.

The next thing that is so amazing about it is that NaturOli has created a product that has the tiniest carbon footprint they can manage. It’s formulated right here in the United States and packaged here as well, so no shipping from overseas. They’re packaging it in 8 oz PETE (recyclable) bottles to start and that little easy to handle 8 oz bottle will do at least 96 HE loads or 48 standard loads of laundry. Amazing is an understatement.

Although the instructions on the bottle recommend 1/2 tsp for a standard HE load and 1 tsp for a standard machine load you actually can use half that amount. Now the brain is a tricky thing so imagining that such a tiny amount will work is hard to wrap your brain around, especially after all the years of programming with those monsterous bottles of regular liquid detergent and their giant caps with the measure marks inside.

Truth is even I had a hard time believing so little could work that well, but I got to test it before it hit the market and I swear I used 1/2 tsp in my standard top-loading machine and got perfect clean, soft, unscented laundry. Of course everyone has different laundry needs, which is why the folks at NaturOli recommend you try half the suggested amount first and then up it if you feel you need to for your own washing needs. Now what company would encourage you to use less, exept a company that really wants you to get the most from every dollar you spend.

NaturOli is also ALL about 100 percent full disclosure on their labels so they list every single ingredient in their new soap nuts liquid concentrate.

Here are the ingredients:

– Pure Saponin Aqueous Extract from 100% Sapindus Mukorossi Soap Nuts
– Vegetable Glycerin
– Olive Leaf Extract (olea europea leaf extract)
– Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate

That’s it folks! They purposely don’t add essential oils (even though some other companies do) because they know that oils of any kind can cause problems with clogging up the fibers on things like cloth diapers. They found a better way to stabilize and “preserve” their soap nuts liquid laundry soap which gives it about a two year shelf life. These people put so much thought into their products and it shows in the response and the brand loyalty.

They also want to be sure that everyone who considers purchasing their new soap nuts liquid concentrate knows everything that is NOT in it. So they cover that on the label too.

What’s NOT in Extreme 18X:

• Dye and fragrance free
• SLS, NPE and phosphate free
• Formaldehyde free
• Petro-chemical free
• Chlorine free 
•Unscented – no essential oils added

Extreme 18X utilizes a safe, proprietary, water-based soap nut saponin extraction process. No chemical solvents used. Made in the USA, so you can feel safe about how well the formulation and packaging is supervised, not to mention keeping jobs in our country, while helping emerging nations by purchasing the soap nuts from which the saponin is extracted. Definitely a win for everyone.

Here are some other great things to know about Extreme 18X:

• Green eco-friendly proprietary formulation
• Hypoallergenic
• Biodegradable
• Antifungal
• Anti-microbial
• Enhanced with pure Olive Leaf Extract for additional protective properties (among the oldest known therapies for skin ailments)
• Odor removing
• Preserves integrity of fabric fibers - excellent for fine, delicate fabrics and wools
• Preserves fabric colors
• PH neutral (6)
• Vegan
• No animal testing
• Absolute minimum carbon footprint
• Minimizes shipping costs
• Lightweight and easy to handle bottle
• Free toggle cap provided for ease of pouring
• No optical brighteners or scents – excellent for military use and all scenarios where scents are to be avoided
• Recyclable PETE bottling
• Produced and bottled in the USA

So if you’ve found every excuse not to switch to a green laundry soap (detergent) because it’s too complicated, it doesn’t work, it’s confusing or anything else you may have come up with; you no longer have an excuse.

Extreme 18X - Soap Nuts Liquid Laundry Soap Concentrate

Soap nuts liquid recipe:

Place 12 to 15 soap nuts (about 1.5 ounces) in about 6 cups of water. For best results, bring to a boil and simmer for approximately an hour. You will know that you have fully extracted from the soap nuts when they turn very light tan or gray and are mushy. Allow to cool and strain. Store the soap nuts liquid concentrate in an airtight glass jar. Like all botanicals, the infused soap nut liquid is best stored in a cool place away from direct sunlight. This 100% pure soap nut liquid solution has absolutely no preservatives of any kind; hence it has a limited shelf life of a few days, unless stabilized. Refrigeration will extend its shelf life. This is typical of virtually all water-based botanical solutions.

The following is only a very short list of some homemade green cleaning products using soap nuts liquid.

Green Multi-purpose Household Cleaner
Pour soap nuts liquid into a spray bottle. Use full strength or dilute as desired. Use for sinks, counters, floors, and to wash your dishes by hand.

Chemical Free Window and Glass Cleaner:
Fill a spray bottle with about 8 oz of water. Add a half-ounce of soap nuts liquid and a half-ounce of vinegar. Spray and then wipe clean with dry cloth.

Chemical Free Dishwashing Detergent:
Fill the dishwasher soap dispenser with soap nuts liquid. Wash as usual. Tip: For extra sparkle, add a half-ounce of vinegar to the rinse dispenser or during the rinse cycle.

Chemical Free Carpet Cleaning Liquid:
Soap nuts liquid works exceptionally well in carpet cleaners because it is so low sudsing and odor reducing. Add about a quarter cup of soap nuts liquid to hot water in the portable cleaner. Great for urine stains.

Chemical Free Jewelry Cleaner:
Soak jewelry in soap nuts liquid for a few minutes. Use an old soft toothbrush to remove debris. Rinse with clean water and polish with a soft cloth. Soap nuts have been used as a fantastic jewelry cleaner for centuries.

Chemical Free Pet Shampoo:
Soap nuts also have a natural insect repellent property so not only will your pets be naturally cleaned they’ll be less likely to attract various pests such as fleas, ticks, and lice. The natural antifungal properties of soap nuts are perfect for pets with skin irritations, rashes, and hot spots. Soap nuts liquid is also perfect for washing pet bedding.

Chemical Free Shampoo:
Use soap nuts liquid to shampoo hair. Leave in for about 5 minutes.
Rinse as usual with luke warm water, or diluted vinegar. If you prefer more suds, add a little your favorite shampoo.

Next post all the wonderful ways to use soap nuts powder for green cleaning and chemical free scrubbing.

I’ve been perfectly happy with how white my white clothes are using only soap nuts with no whitening additive. We live in Central Florida which means that we have lots of white clothing and under garments. In addition if you’ve read any of my other posts you also know that my mate uses white cotton handkerchiefs. He has no complaints about our white clothes either.

However, after doing some research on chemical free stain removers I read that if one soaks the stained garment in salt water overnight that stains, even tough ones, come out more easily. Through a bit of inductive reasoning I started to think that maybe adding salt to my laundry along with the soap nuts might be a bit of a help for both tough stains and whites without bleach in the laundry.

Many people who live in areas with hard water have water softeners installed which use either rock salt or salt pellets. These water softeners are very common in Central Florida.

Yesterday I decided to give it a go and tried adding sea salt to my laundry to see if it made any difference in either stain release or whitening of my whites. In truth the only issues I really had were some synthetic handkechiefs that had a bit of a dingie appearance.

Well I am happy to report that ALL of my whites were even whiter by simply adding course ground sea salt to the water. I used between 1 tablespoon and 1/4 of a cup depending on load size. All of my clothes came out as soft as with soap nuts alone, but those dingie handkerchiefs and some grubby socks were white as could be with the addition of some salt. No need for bleach to whiten anything. I waited for the washer to fill and then sprinkled the salt around the wash tub to allow the salt to dissolve rather than clump up on the clothes. This technique should work well no matter whether you use soap nuts in the wash bag, soap nuts liquid, or soap nuts powder as your green laundry detergent.

I should also add that I did the laundry in cold water, and since it was pretty darn cold here the water was VERY cold. So don’t think you’ll need to use warm water to make this work. I didn’t.

Also for those of you who have hard water and don’t have a home water softener try the salt trick to soften the water and enhance the natural cleaning of soap nuts for all of your laundry.

If you are like me and refuse to use packaged stain removers or bleach (even eco-friendly bleach) then try adding some salt to the laundry.

I’m also thinking that I will mix some soap nuts powder and sea salt together and see if it makes cleaning the toilets, bathtubs, showers, and sinks easier.

My next few posts will be about other eco-friendly ways to remove stains if you use soap nuts.

Be sure to stay up to date with my posts because very soon we’ll be sharing some amazing news from NaturOli about a new soap nuts product they are about to launch.

If you have heard about soap nuts but still haven’t tried them, get a Soap Nuts sampler  and experience the benefits of this all natural laundry detergent.

However, I ground some soap nuts powder after receiving a sticky batch of soap nuts from a seller on Ebay. I didn’t want them to go to waste so I made soap nuts powder and some soap nuts liquid.

I put the soap nuts powder in my bath tub sometimes, and I use it as an exfoliating scrub on feet and hands.

A few days ago I was looking at a greasy bath tub ring caused by a gift of bath oil and just could not bring myself to use a chemical cleaning product on the tub, I soak in the bath tub for hours and the last thing I want is toxic chemicals being absorbed by my skin or to inhale the fumes from the residue.
It struck me that since soap nuts are a great multi-purpose chemical free cleaner for my house and my laundry, maybe I could use the soap nuts powder sitting on the side of my tub as a scouring powder (cleanser). I really had nothing to lose except the ingredients for the test.

I scooped a bit of soap nuts powder onto a moist sponge and began to scrub. As it turned out all I really had to do is wipe in a circular motion without any real scouring. Of course, soap nuts have never failed or disappointed me, and that day was no exception.

Sure enough soap nuts powder was a perfect solution to scouring the oily residue off my bath tub. No scratches, enough foaming to let me know the saponin was being released and the outcome was a sparkling clean, chemical free, residue free bathtub. Wow!

Filled with excitement I thought hey why not try in on that nasty black ring at the top edge of the toilet bowls. Now this took a bit of elbow grease since the ring has been a battle for months.

I scrubbed under the rim and saw the ring begin to disappear. Well, as I scrubbed I realized from the smell that it was actually fungus, mildew in fact like you get in the corners of the shower. The constant moisture in the toilet bowl ring feeds the mildew colony.

Since soap nuts are a natural antifungal it worked like a charm. It had been building (and growing) for quite some time so I did need to employ an additional technique I learned on a natural non-toxic cleaning site. This was simple though. I took a cheap pumice stone like you use on callouses and scoured up under the edge of the toilet bowl to get the last imbedded bits of mildew to come loose.

I flushed the toilet and then did one last scrub with the soap nuts powder. Sparkling results without chemicals, what’s not to love?

You will notice, as I have, that the ring has not begun to grow back even after a week since I scrubbed with soap nuts powder. I plan to do this at least once a week to keep the mildew from coming back in the toliets.

So if you have soap nuts powder sitting around, or you want to find another way to use soap nuts and replace yet another chemical cleaning product in the house, try substituting soap nuts powder on all the things you now use cleanser or scouring powder. You will be thrilled I am sure.

Soap nuts create no fumes so unlike most toilet bowl cleaners you won’t have to wear a mask or ventilate the bathroom when you scrub with soap nuts powder. I didn’t even wear gloves, you might want to use gloves.

Another note, sorry to talk dishwashing and toilets in the same post, but since many use steel wool pads or other scrubbing pads, or cleanser for pots and pans, try this same technique on those stuck on messes. The soap nuts will definitely suds in this use, and the powder is non-abrasive so you don’t have to worry about scratching your pots and pans or dishes.

Be sure you buy only the best quality soap nuts powder now available from NaturOli.

I plan to try as many soap nut sources as possible to give you the most in-depth reviews and soap nut comparisons I can.

One of the main reasons I am doing this is that as the word of soap nuts spreads I find the mis-information is also spreading.

For example many unknowing individuals are beginning to infer that all soap nuts are created equal and that one soap nut is no better than another. This is false. I don’t think it is with intent to mislead. I believe they are only sharing what they personally believe to be true.

Why does it matter who I buy soap nuts from, you may ask. Like any living thing there is variation. If we are talking about fruit or vegetables it is common sense that there are superior varieties and inferior (or lesser) varieties. Eat a homegrown tomatoe that’s been vine ripened after you eat a hot house tomato that’s been picked green and allowed to ripen in transit or by being heated and you’ll taste the difference. Both are tomatoes and both will do the “job” of putting color into a dish. The flavor is drastically different however.

The same is only logical when talking about soap nuts. So why is it so easy for buyers of soap nuts to believe that one soap nut is just like another?

Well, we’ve become a society of reading is believing in many ways. We read an email about a terrible computer virus and we send it to everyone we know, but then someone who knows where to look discovers it’s a hoax, but thousands continue to believe it is true.

Okay, let me step down off my soap box (pun intended) and get back to the subject of soap nuts and quality.

If you read the Wikipedia article on Sapindus trees which is the Genus and you will count at least ten listed species. They all produce a fruit that has saponins.

I had read before that one species grows here in Florida where I live, but after a visit to Efloras.org I found that there is even a species that is native to Missouri where I was born and raised. They have one at Missouri Botanical Garden (go figure). Here’s a picture of the Sapindus drummondii growing at MOBOT and it even has fruit on it in the picture. I’m getting my brother to take pictures and send them to me. The tree is the State Champion and is 52 feet tall.

But again I digress. The point is that not all soap nuts will produce the same results and just because the seller thinks they are buying the top quality soap nut from an overseas supplier doesn’t mean that’s what they are getting or selling you.

Why do you care about all this?

If you get lesser quality species of soap nuts then you will get lesser results. You will need to use more soap nuts to do the same quality of cleaning and although you will be protecting the environment and your family from toxic chemicals in laundry detergent and cleaning products you will need to use more soap nuts and the cost benefits will be lost.

This is all common sense I know, but I feel compelled to help you become an informed buyer. Soap nuts are truly amazing. I want people and the environment to benefit by replacing toxic chemical laundry detergents and dishwashing detergent with soap nuts. Please be an informed buyer and don’t assume less expensive is the right way to go. If the total amount spent is less for a bag but you have to use more you’ve diluted the savings. It’s like buying on sale but using your credit card and paying interest.

I have been looking for side by side comparison pictures to help you identify what you are buying versus what you may think you are buying. This article has some pretty good pictures that may help.

http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/kinds-of-soapnuts-483428.html.

You will notice a drastic difference between the lesser Sapindus Trifoliatus and the superior quality Sapindus Mukorossi. On that site you will even find pictures of the difference in the “suds” produced by the two species.

In closing, please educate yourself about soap nuts uses, quality, and performance.

My friend is a working mom with two teenage kids. Her son is 15 and a competitive swimmer and her daughter is 12. You can probably imagine her laundry challenges, everything from wet towels to chlorine saturated swimming trunks in addition to the multiple outift changes these teens make every day. Since she works full time in addition to her kids extra-curricular activities you might guess that her time is precious and she may not get to the laundry every day. So for her, soap nuts sounded like a gift from heaven.

I gave her a small plastic bag with about 40 soap nuts in it, figuring this would cover her for a few weeks. I explained that she should put 3-4 soap nuts in the small muslin bag and drop it into the washing machine with her laundry. I also told her that those same 3-4 soap nuts could be used for at least 5 loads of laundry in the same day, and to just drop them in the garbage disposal when they were used. She was so excited to get home and try them. But while we sat on the patio after dinner enjoying coffee I decided to do an informal bit of market reasearch on our other guests. Only one person besides my mate had heard about soap nuts from me, so there wasn’t any predisposed assumption of what they would notice during the touch test.

I took two white towels from my linen closet and brought them out to the patio. One had been washed weeks ago using standard laundry detergent and dried with dyer sheets, the other had been washed with soap nuts and no additional laundry products or dryer sheets to increase softness.

I started with my friend and handed her each towel, asking her only to “feel” them. As I put the second one in her hand she looked up at me and said “Wow this one is really soft!”. I then handed each towel to her teenage son, mixing them up as I handed them to him so he would not be prejudiced. He too noticed the difference in softness.

Since we had music on the outdoor speakers the other guests on the opposite side of the patio had no idea what I was doing or why. Each noticed a difference and immediately asked why I was handing these towels around.

Once everyone had felt the two towels I explained what the “test” was about. They were all thrilled to hear that a natural and affordable chemical free laundry detergent alternative existed, and all wanted to know where to buy them. Each one offered a thought on why soa pnuts would be a great addition to their homes.

Here’s the list of thoughts they offered on the benefits of using soap nuts:

• There is no packaging to recycle.
• Reduced cost because you only need one product to clean, soften, and sanitize your laundry.
• Environmentally friendly because no chemicals are going out the drain into the sewage system or water table.
• Laundry has a fresh scent after washing without having to add anything.
• Clothes and towels looking new longer because there are no harsh chemicals to break down the fabric fibers or colors.
• No added scent to irritate sensitive noses or skin, especially great for babies.
• Soap nuts are hypo-allergenic so they won’t bother people with allergies or skin irritations.
• No energy is used in the harvesting or manufacturing so there is little negative environmental impact from soap nuts

I have read on some sites that one may want to add an oxygen bleach to whiten whites, but I have not found that I need to do that. My partner is an “old-fashioned” sort who still carries and uses white cotton handkerchiefs. Since we live in the south he often wears white so he has many pairs of white underwear. All the whites I’ve washed with soap nuts exclusively have come out as white or whiter than they did when I used regular laundry soap and bleach. Big difference though for me was the stench of bleach in the house and the amount of spray starch I needed to use on the handkerchiefs when I iron them. Much less starch is necessary because the handkerchiefs are soft to start and almost wrinkle free right out the dryer.

I showed our dinner guests the Lullwater Soapnuts packaging, which is a muslin bag with the instructions printed on the bag itself. Inside is a thin plastic bag to keep the soap nuts fresher longer and to keep the saponin from drying out in shipping and also in storage. Everyone was also really impressed with the minimal packaging.

Another company I got a sample from sent a printed color tri-fold brochure which kind of bothered me because one of the reasons I switched to using soapnut berries was to cut down on recycling and on waste. If they’d at least printed their brochure on recycled paper with single color ink I would have been less displeased.

Lullwater has the best retail price I have found so far.

I did get a great deal on bulk soap nuts from a company in Canada that I found on Ebay. I am waiting on those to arrive so I can tell you how they compare in freshness to the Lullwater Soapnuts. I will also give you a  packaging comparison on those.

I made up another batch of soapnut tea on Friday in preparation for the tons of dishes, silverware, and stemware I have to wash after one of these dinner parties. I haven’t calculated cost on using soapnuts in the dishwasher yet, but one thing I did notice is that even my old dishes which have begun to look dull from the surface scratches look brighter and less worn. My flatware looks brighter, and so do my stainless steel sinks because I use soapnut liquid to wash the glasses and fragile pieces I don’t want to put in the dishwasher.  Of course those scratches on my older dishes are also places for bacteria to grow so using the soapnuts with vinegar in the rinse agent cup puts my mind at ease that my dishes are sanitized without using harsh chemicals.

Once my shipment from the Canadien company arrives I’ll be doing more experiments with homemade chemical free cleaners using soap nuts liquid as a base.

My family is coming to visit at the end of July to celebrate my sister’s 50th birthday and I can’t wait to share the soap nuts with them. I’ve told them both about how great they are, but even though they know how meticulous and critical I can be and trust my judgment this weekend I was convinced that feeling is truly believing even if the soap nuts market research I did was informal.

My next post will be about growing your own soapnut trees and the things to consider before you decide this is a good idea.

If you already know what soap nuts are and have purchased some but have only used them as a chemical free laundry detergent alternative then please keep reading.

Soap Nut Uses:

• Chemical free laundry detergent
• Chemical free dishwasher detergent
• Chemical free window and glass cleaner
• Chemical free stove top cleaner
• Chemical free gold and silver jewelry cleaner
• Chemical free plant cleaner
• Chemical free stainless steel polish and stainless steel pot cleaner

Some of the uses listed above require you to create what is commonly called “soap nut tea”. There are two recommended ways to do this.

1. Soak one cup of soap nuts in 4 cups of water overnight, pour the soaked soap nuts and water into your food processor and liquify the nuts, then strain the liquid into a bottle. Be sure to squeeze every bit of juice out of the chopped soap nut mixture. Store in cool dark place.
2. Bring one cup of soap nuts in 4 cups of water to boil. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Allow soap nuts to cool. Bundle the soapnuts into cheesecloth or a muslin bag and squeeze all the liquid out of them into the pot of soap nuts water. Now allow to cool and pour into a bottle. Store in cool dark place.

After receiving my shipment of soap nuts from Lullwater Soapnuts I used the stove top method to make soap nut tea. I pour it undiluted into my dishwasher soap cups and filled the rinse agent cup with distilled white vinegar.

WOW … sparkling clean plates, glasses, and silverware. What I love about that is that it reduces my cost of dishwashing drastically, there are no harmful or toxic chemicals being baked onto my dishes, and the soapnuts tea that goes down my drain is not polluting the environment.

The vinegar as the rinse agent ensured that my glasses were spotfree and saved me the expense of a packaged rinse agent. Since vinegar is anti-bacterial I can be sure my dishes are sanitized as well as clean.

Many dishwasher powders, gels, and liquids now contain chlorine based bleach. When I used those and ran the dishwasher my whole house stunk of bleach, which meant that every member of my household was breathing toxic chlorine vapors.

I can only imagine how much bleach residue was being baked onto my dishes, glasses, and silverware in the drying cycle; and then passed into my family’s bodies when we ate off the plates.

An added bonus is that the pot I boiled them in sparkled after I rinsed it with water. No need to wash it, it was already soap nut cleaned.

I also made a small difference in my carbon footprint because there was no packaging to recycle. I actually put the boiled soap nuts into a muslin bag and tossed that into my silverware container in the dishwasher to add a bit of extra cleaning to my dishes.

After I’d run the dishwasher I just dropped the used soap nuts into the garbage disposal, although you can also toss them on a compost heap because soap nuts are naturally biodegradeable. I don’t have a compost heap, but from my reading I know that soap nuts, which are naturally anti-mibrobial converts my wastewater from the dishwasher from blackwater to greywater because no toxic chemicals are being drained f. If you wonder about those terms check out the Wikipedia article on greywater 

Next post will be recipes for mixing soap nuts liquid with other non-toxic household items to create a chemical free window and glass cleaner, and how to make an antibacterial hand soap that is chemical free, and enviromentally friendly.

Our goal is to be a central resource for all the available information about soap nuts online. If you find a resource we overlook please post a comment and share it with others.

What we’ll be providing is information about soap nuts, where to buy them, reviews of soap nuts suppliers, and creative ways to incorporate soap nuts into your life, for all purpose a chemical free cleaning.

Rarely are we impressed with something as much as we have been impressed by the excellent cleaning results of soap nuts. Often we find claims of online merchants for some products can be overblown marketing hype. Not true in respect to soap nuts. They are everything they are cracked up to be (pardon the pun).

What is most impressive to us about soap nuts is that they are sustainable, environmentally friendly, and completely natural. In fact soap nuts actually add the opportunity for economic growth to the indigenous people who harvest them, and better yet there is no machinery is used in the harvesting. The soap nuts fall to the ground and are gathered, deseeded, and generally packaged in the most minimal way.

A win for all involved in the use of soapnuts as an alternative to manufactured detergents, soaps, dishwasher powder or liquid, shampoos, and window cleaners.

Please visit http://soap-nuts.info often to discover all the ways you can use soap nuts in your everyday life.

If you enjoy our blog, or find the information of value to someone you know please be sure to share the link with others.