World of Washers

I had heard about soap nuts some time ago while bouncing around on the GardenWeb Laundry Forum. I looked into them a little bit, but didn't really think too much more about them. Until this morning.

I pulled a clean shirt from my closet, put it on, and was overcome with the scent of laundry detergent. Now, I do not use a lot of detergent in my wash. I actually use less than the recommended amount for a small/light load, even when I am doing a full load in the large 3.76 cf Dexter 400 washer. Despite the miserly amount of detergent I use, my clothes are still saturated with the perfumes added to the detergent.

That got me thinking about soap nuts. After doing some research into soap nuts, I found that they are 100% natural. The grow on the tree, fall on the ground, are gathered and dried for distribution. That's it. Nothing is added.

Ever wonder what is in commercial laundry detergent? So did I, and I did not have much luck finding an answer. You can look here for more information on what is in laundry detergent, and why manufacturers are not putting that information on the labels.

Another benefit of soap nuts? They are truly "green". Little to no plastic packaging to fill out landfills. No toxic by-products in manufacturing or wastewater. Spent nuts can be tossed in the trash (completely biodegradable) or added to your compost.

Soap nuts are simple. You place four or five of the nuts into a muslin bag, tie the bag shut, and toss the bag in with your laundry. Just like any other detergent (commercial or natural), the surfacants will not activate or release properly in cold water, so you should make a soap nuts liquid for use in cold water washes. Instructions to do so are found here.

A brief crash course in soap nuts from the information I have been to find on the 'net:

* Product of the shrub or small tree Sapindus
* Contain saponins, a natural surfacant and also naturally antimicrobial
* Hard outer shell with fruit inside
* Soaking in water releases the saponins

More information about soap nuts can be found at the following sites:

Tiny Choices
Exeterra
Green Home

If you are ready to take the plunge and truly try something different, then head on over to Amazon pick up some soap nuts. If you decide to try them, let me know what you think. Likewise, if you currently use soap nuts, leave a comment below and let me know your experience!