Where To Buy Eco Nuts
The soap nut, which is actually a berry, forms a hard shell when dry that resembles a nut. Sapindus mukorossi shells contain saponin, a natural detergent. The soap nut shells absorb water and release the saponins which circulate as a natural surfactant in the wash water, freeing dirt, grime, and oils from clothing. We sell organic soap nuts deseeded that can be used as an environmentally friendly detergent or even as an all-purpose household cleaner.
where to buy eco nuts
Native to India and Nepal, soap nuts are now found in both the eastern and western hemispheres. The soap nut, which is actually a berry, forms a hard shell when dry that resembles a nut, hence the name. The berry shells contain saponin, a natural surfactant that is released when the shell absorbs water. Considered a natural detergent, soap nuts have become a popular environmentally friendly alternative to chemical detergent. Sapindus mukorossi is a gentle option for those with allergies to chemicals in regular detergents. It is generally considered safe for use on septic and greywater systems, however, we recommend you consult a professional.
There is considerable discussion as to what variety of soap nuts is preferable for use as a laundry soap alternative. Any soap nut from the genus Sapindus will work just fine as they all have saponin producing properties. We suggest running a test batch and washing a few articles of clothing before committing to an entire load as natural variation in saponin levels may occur.
Soap nuts can be used for anything you would normally use detergent for, such as washing the car or clothing. They can also be used as a base for shampoos and hand lotions or as an all-purpose cleaner around the home. Jewelers in India and Indonesia have used the shells to remove tarnish from jewelry for many centuries.
The tree itself is actually called 'Sapindus Mukorossi' and whilst we called them soap nuts and they are referred to as soap nuts we have to remember that they don't actually contain any soap because, as we learnt when looking at castile soap here, for soap to be soap is has to contain lye.
It takes 9 years for the soap nut tree to begin yielding fruit after germination but once it starts producing, it can be harvested for a whopping 90 years, and with 6 months per year of harvest time, well that's a lot of soap nuts.
They sound magical right? I thought so too, so I kept digging. And the response from women all over the world seems to be completely in the middle, it would seem none of us can agree on the matter of soap nuts, we either love them or we hate them.
This is where the divide begins, while the idea that you just throw them in and they work their magic is true there is one little point that planet friendly women have pointed out and that is that they only work in hot water.
Most of us self-proclaimed eco-warriors have never washed a load of clothing in hot water in our life, or for at least a very long time. The amount of energy that is takes to heat up a load of washing seems pretty wasteful and pointless, but for without hot water soap nuts don't turn soapy.
Some have figured out that by adding the soap nuts to a cup of boiling water and then pouring the water into the wash eliminated the need to waste around .762 tonnes of energy a year on washing your clothes in warm water, however a few have expressed that this step was inconsistent and made switching to soap nuts from their current home made planet friendly laundry detergent not worth while.
While the warm water and make-your-soap-nuts-into-tea step may be a deterrent for some others have made another valid point, soap nuts are better for your skin. They're all natural and non-toxic, which makes them especially good for sensitive skin and those prone to allergies. Also, due to the very gentle, mild detergent they produce they're safe for your delicates. (Excluding dry-clean only items)
One major consideration to keep in mind when trying soap nuts for the first time is don't give yourself overly high expectations of results. Soap nuts will not be able to do manufactured washing detergents do (and in some cases this is a very good thing) but when it comes to having the brightest whites in the world, you can't expect a natural product to compete with bleach.
Soap nuts also don't contain any synthetic chemicals which means there are no fabric softening agents or whiteners. That's not to say you need to stick to chemicals in order to achieve the results, there are plenty of natural alternatives you can add to your wash with the soap nuts for example vinegar for tough stains, lemon juice, sodium percarbonate just to mention a few, the internet is full of natural alternatives that can work in conjunction with soap nuts but we do need to remember that whilst they are a cleaning agent, they only do what they say they do- clean.
Honestly soap nuts are a personal preference but there is no harm in trying them (for you or for the planet) and if they don't work for you, you can always still make a conscious planet strong alternative to harsh synthetic chemicals, you could even try this DIY laundry detergent recipe! And if you would like to put soap nuts to the test for yourself, check your local bulk store or you can purchase them online.
While you can find saponin in other shells, such as chestnuts, soap nuts are full of the stuff. The trees themselves begin to bear fruit after nine years and can carry on producing soap berries for 90 years or more.
The brand of soap nuts I choose is Eco Nuts (available at Life Without Plastic and Amazon) because they come in a cardboard box without any plastic inside. Other brands do contain plastic.
Eco Nuts come with a cotton pouch you can use to wash clothes in warm or hot water. Just put the soap nuts in the pouch and toss the pouch in the washer with your clothes. You can reuse those soap nuts up to ten times before they need to be composted.
Soapnuts have been used to wash laundry or to make body wash in India for generations. However, soapnuts have become more and more popular in Europe and the USA. The growing demand has led to the extensive export of soapnuts, which in turn has led to soapnuts becoming too expensive for many natives to afford. Instead, they use chemical detergents that contribute to the water pollution, which is already an issue of concern in India. To top it off, those nuts need to be shipped across the globe, leaving quite the carbon footprint.
What eline said is absolutely true. I am an Indian, and soap nuts have become extremely expensive for us. We have been using soapnuts traditionally for a lot of uses (Most commonly to wash hair), and the poorer people of India are no longer able to afford it.
To produce 1 pound of almonds, 7302 litres of water is used, making them the nut with the biggest water footprint. It actually takes 5 litres of water to produce just 1 almond! They also have the largest CO2e footprint of all the nuts listed.
The water footprint of Brazil nuts is quite high (according to healabel), taking around 4937 litres of water to produce 1 pound. However waterfootprint.org says the water footprint of Brazil nuts is very low, and in fact the lowest of all the nuts listed they had figures for. There is no known harm to air, land, soil or water as long as pesticides are not used. Ethically, the work is often low paid and very hard, potentially with long hours in the sun.
To produce 1 pound of walnuts it takes 4209 litres of water. Walnut production does seem to be quite sustainable. It causes no damage to air, soil, water, animals etc unless pesticides have been used. If you buy non-GMO and organic walnuts you can help to prevent any environmental harm.
With one of the lowest water footprints, peanuts are one of the most eco-friendly nuts, using just 1513 litres per pound. They also have a low CO2e footprint; in fact the lowest CO2e footprint of all the nuts listed.
Note: if you are using an HE (front loading) machine, we recommend our Liquid Detergent. Eco Nuts soap nuts will get the job done, but the liquid works better and is specially formulated for HE machines.
Soap Nuts are very easy to do your laundry with.And they are very economical to use.You can do a load of laundry for about 10 - 13 cents, or about 1/3 of the cost of using a brand name commercial detergent.Soap Nuts can be used in top loaders, front loaders and High Efficiency (HE) washing machines.You can use either the Soap Nut "shells" (which are really the skin of the Soap Berry fruit) or you can use a liquid made from Soap Nuts.TIP! We recommend that you use the Soap Nuts shells because they are so easy to use and you can reuse them over and over again.To do a load of laundry with Soap Nuts, simply put 6 soap nuts in the supplied washer bag and then toss it into your washing machine and leave it in for all cycles including rinse and spin dry.Do NOT use fabric softeners or dyer sheets. Soap Nuts are natural fabric softeners and have anti-static properties.So you'll save even more money on dryer sheets and fabric softeners!TRICK! If your clothing is heavily soiled add about a 1/4 - 1/2 cup of baking soda to the wash.When the wash is done, separate the Soap Nuts bag from the wash and put your clothes in the dryer, or hang them on the line, and hang up the bag of Soap Nuts up to dry for the next use.You can reuse the same 6 Soap Nuts to do up to 6 loads of laundry!TIP! You can easily tell when your Soap Nuts have been used up by gently squeezing the still wet Soap Nuts bag after doing a load of laundry: if you see and feel some suds, you can do another load with them.TRICK! If you have hard water, soak the bag containing the Soap Nuts in a cup of hot water from your tap while your washing machine fills, then put the hot water and Soap Nuts into your machine.TIP! Once you've done about 6 loads of laundry with your Soap Nuts, take the Soap Nuts out of the washer bag and boil them to make a household cleaner.Buy Soap Nuts online Here 041b061a72