Commonly used laundry detergents use harmful chemicals that impact on our environment. By using soap nuts for laundry, you can ditch these nasty chemicals for good.
I have been doing a lot of research into creating a sustainable laundry routine. One thing that struck me the most was how many nasty chemicals are used in conventional laundry detergents.
So I started to look into eco-friendly ways to wash our clothes that would allow me to ditch these nasty chemicals.
I was delighted to find that there are many small UK-based companies offering laundry detergents without the toxic chemicals. But I also came across a very intriguing eco-friendly laundry detergent: soap nuts.
They are a really interesting proposition when it comes to using eco-friendly laundry detergent.
So in this guide, I will show you all about using soap nuts for laundry and everything else you need to know about it.
What Are Soap Nuts?
Let’s start with the basics. After all, before you start using soap nuts for laundry, you will want to know what they are, right?
First, soap nuts aren’t nuts at all, despite the name. They are the dried berries of the Sapindus Mukorossi tree. It has several names around the world, including Indian Soapberry, Chinese Soapberry, Washnut and Ritha.
This deciduous tree can be found in the Himalayas, as well as the coastal areas of India, Nepal and other East Asian countries.
The reason it is called soap nut is that the fruits contain a substance called saponin. This is a natural surfactant that can be used to remove stains.
You might know that surfactants are the main ingredients in many cleaning products, including laundry detergents. The problem with conventional laundry detergents is that they are bad for the environment.
Soap nuts can be used as an eco-friendly alternative to laundry detergents. They are 100% natural, compostable and are therefore a zero-waste laundry detergent.
Once you are done with them, you just throw them on the compost heap or in the garden waste bin. Or if you are a vegetable gardener, you can put them in your veggie beds to repel slugs. They don’t like the smell of soap nuts.
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How Do Soap Nuts Work?
Now that we know what these soap nut are, let’s look at how they work. We already know that they contain a natural surfactant: saponin.
When the berries come in contact with water, they start to release this substance, which creates a soaping effect. The saponin will then act like synthetic surfactants by lifting off stains and removing odours.
This means you can also use them to handwash any delicate clothes. Because saponin is a completely natural substance, it’s great for anyone who has sensitive skin.
Using Soap Nuts For Laundry In 5 Easy Steps
Now let’s have a look at using soap nuts for laundry in 5 easy steps to follow.
1. Put Soap Nuts In Bag
Most soap nuts you buy online come with muslin or cotton bags, but if they don’t, you can also use a sock. Maybe you lost one of a pair and are wondering what to do with it, well now you know.
Generally, you use 3-7 soap nuts per wash. How many exactly will depend on how hard your water is. The harder the water, the more you want.
You can also use more if you have a particular dirty load, such as gardening clothes.
Make sure the bag is closed tightly to prevent the nuts from escaping from it. If you use a sock, simply put a knot in to close it.
2. Soak The Bag And Nuts In Warm Water
If you have a sustainable laundry routine, you are likely washing in cold water or at low temperatures.
For the saponin to be released, the dried berries need to be soaked in hot water. Anything between 40°C and 90°C (104°F and 194°F) will work.
So if you wash in lower temperatures than this, put some hot water in a bowl and soak the bag with the soap nuts for a few minutes.
This will make them release the saponin, ready to wash your clothes.
3. Place Bag In Washing Machine Drum
Put your laundry in your washing machine and place the bag with the soap nuts on top of it.
If you haven’t soaked your soap nuts beforehand, make sure the bag gets easily wet when the machine starts pumping water into the drum.
Otherwise, it will take very long for the natural surfactant, the saponin, to be released. This means there is less time to clean your clothes.
4. Wash On Usual Cycle
Put on your usual wash cycle for the laundry you are washing.
I use wash cycles that are short, because that way I use less energy, which is more sustainable.
The good news is, this won’t mean the soap nuts won’t work as well. So go for it and wash on a short cycle.
5. Remove Bag And Let Dry
Once the washing machine is done, remove the bag and let it dry. Don’t be tempted to throw it in a dryer, because it will destroy the washnuts.
I would recommend taking the nuts out of the bag and drying them separately from the bag. This will ensure that the berries dry quickly and stop them from rotting.
You can use the soap nuts for several washes. You will know if they have had it if they start to look grey rather than brown.
How Effective Are Soap Nuts?
Now that you know how to use soap nuts for laundry, let’s look at their effectiveness. It’s great that they are 100% natural and don’t contain any nasty chemicals, but if they don’t work, what’s the point?
Even though the surfactant they contain, saponin, is natural, it still works lifting out stains and washing them away.
Soap nuts have been used for centuries to clean and wash clothes and hair. So there is definitely evidence that they work.
However, saponin is much milder, which is great if you have sensitive skin or are allergic to ingredients in conventional detergents.
But it also means that it’s not a harsh chemical, so it won’t work as well as some of the nasties you have in the supermarket bought laundry detergents.
So what does that mean? Only that you have to pre-treat tougher stains. Which is not a big deal if in return you get an eco-friendly detergent without any toxic chemicals.
Another thing you won’t get from using soap nuts for laundry is clothes that smell lovely. That’s because they don’t contain any fragrances.
Is that a problem? No, I wouldn’t say so. After all, clean doesn’t smell of anything. And the fragrances in the most commonly bought laundry detergent are toxic for you and the environment.
If you want your clothes smelling nice anyway, you can add a few drops of essential oil to your soap nuts bag. This will infuse your laundry with a lovely smell without doing any harm.
Soap nuts also won’t make your laundry soft, like fabric softener. I personally don’t use fabric softener, so I don’t see this as a problem either.
But even this isn’t a problem that can’t be solved. Just add some white vinegar to your washing machine drawer. It will act as a fabric softener without harming the environment.
So there you go, soap nuts are easy to use, they work, and they aren’t expensive either. However, there is one problem with them.
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The Problem With Saop Nuts
While using soap nuts for laundry is a great way to ditch toxic chemicals and switch to a 100% natural and zero-waste way to clean your clothes, they are not as eco-friendly as they seem.
This is because the plant on which soap nuts grow only grows in certain areas, mostly in East Asia. So these dried berries have to travel around the world.
We know that this is not sustainable. Here at EcoHomeLife we believe that we shouldn’t buy anything that has come from the other side of the globe, if we can get it from closer at home.
Of course, these soap nuts can’t be grown here in the UK, so if we want to use them we have to import them from India, Nepal or other countries.
However, we do have plants that contain saponin in our own country, like the humble conker (also known as horse chestnut).
Wouldn’t it be great to just go for a walk and pick up your ingredients to make your own eco-friendly laundry detergent? Well, I have tried it, and it works.
Homemade laundry detergent made from conkers will give you a 100% natural detergent that will clean your laundry without nasty chemicals or plastic waste.
Find out how to make this zero-waste laundry detergent by reading our guide about making laundry detergent with conkers.
Conclusion
Let’s conclude this guide about using soap nuts for laundry. These dried berries of the Indian Soapberry tree contain a mild, natural surfactant called saponin.
This works like synthetic surfactants and will clean your laundry when used as a detergent. Soap nuts are easy to use, and you can buy them online without breaking the bank.
Even though there are no harsh chemicals involved, soap nuts work to clean your laundry. However, being a milder surfactant, it might not manage to get rid of tough stains. So they need pre-treating.
Soap nuts also don’t contain any fragrances, so while your laundry will be clean it won’t smell of anything, unless you add essential oil to your bag.
One problem with soap nut is that they are shipped all the way from East Asia, where they are grown. This is not the most sustainable due to the transport energy used.
But even so, soap nuts are a 100% natural alternative to conventional detergents. So why not try using soap nuts for laundry in your home?
