(above: Soapnut solutions of various concentrations)
What are soapnuts?
I discovered soapnuts as an alternative to laundry detergent. Soapnuts are the fruit of a shrub from Lychee family and are native to warm and tropical climates in China and India . The genus is Sapindus. The dried fruit, when immersed in water will release the saponin. When the soapnut is simmered in a pot of water, a solution can be obtained for use in washing fabric. The soapnut solution is a mild but effective detergent. It does produce bubbles and the soapnuts feel soapy to the touch when wet.
Cooking the Soapnuts
Soapnuts can be used as is (the dried fruit can be placed in a little cotton bag and thrown in the washer), or cooked to make a solution or concentrate. The saponin will release more easily if the water is hot. I prefer to wash most of my laundry in cold water, so I make concentrated solutions. Another option is to soak the bag of soapnuts in a cup of hot water and add it to your wash. Cooking soapnuts is simply putting them in a pot of water on the stove and simmering them until the nuts turn gray. The more concentrated the solution, the less you need per load of laundry. Since the solution contains no preservatives, I add a little salt and use it within a week or two. I prefer to cook mine in large batches and freeze them in recycled plastic bottles. The syrup bottles that we get for our soda maker are the perfect size to fit in my freezer door and the tops are made to measure the syrup and the drips run back into the bottle (like commercial laundry detergent/softener bottles). Oh yes, and the nuts do smell when you cook them, I would describe it as a vinegary, but you don't smell this in your laundry.
(above: Dried soapnuts, reused soda syrups bottles and reused #10 tin can to store bulk soapnuts)
Washing with Soapnuts
It took me a while to get use not seeing all those soap suds in my wash machine. It was very tempting to use more solution than needed. My husband was skeptical, I couldn't blame him as I was having my own doubts. But I read about textile restorers using this mild detergent and I figured they wouldn't use it if it didn't work. Today, two years later, I am extremely happy with the performance of the soapnuts. I add some oxygen bleach and baking soda for a little extra cleaning power on those loads that need it. I like to hang my laundry as much as possible and find the laundry is softer when I used soapnuts than when I washed with detergent and fabric softener. Soapnuts do not leave residue in the washer and dryer like the products I previously used.
Other uses
Suppliers of soapnuts offer other uses for soapnuts some of which I didn't have much success with and others I wasn't inclined to try. I tried soapnuts as a shampoo, didn't work for me. My hair still felt unwashed. I may have not used a strong enough solution. Some say you can use it in the dishwasher or as an all purpose cleaner. I didn't try that either as I have a very nice all purpose cleaner that is excellent. I have tried it in the carpet cleaner and I am pleased with the results. The carpet cleaner solution that came with the machine had such a strong fragrance we couldn't be in the same room for days. I use my all purpose cleaner to pre-treat spots and soapnut concentrate (in place of the manufacturer supplied cleaner) and fill the reservoir with water.
Other reasons I like soapnuts
I have all kinds of requirements when I shop. I only want to buy what I really need. I want the best buy for my buck. I don't want to drag a calculator to the store and figure out what today's best buy is because frankly, I'd rather spend those extra minutes on something else. In fact, I want to buy in bulk once a year or less! I'm tired of filling my recycling bin up with plastic containers. Rinsing out soapy bottles takes time and a lot of water--what a waste! I need products that the sensitive/allergic members of my family won't react to. Soapnuts fill these requirements. I split a bulk purchase with a friend and it has been two years and I still have more than half of them left. (If you want to do this, to keep them fresh, divide them into batches and store in airtight containers with a little desiccant which you can find at the hardware store).
Where I have found soapnut products
Local wholesale businesses that offer herbs, teas and other natural dry goods (dried soapnuts)
Local retailers of natural grocery and organic products (liquid concentrate)
Amazon.com (both dried and concentrates)
