Scoring system:
❤ = Will keep, I love it / 👀 = Not sure, will try some more / 😐 = Oh dear, it's not for me
Review Nine - Eco Laundry Soap Nuts
I am always on the look out for natural products and how lovely it is to find an alternative for large plastic bottles of washing detergent for your clothes. I will be honest, this product does have a plastic looking bag inside (although it's described as a biodegradeable liner) to keep the soap nuts fresh and dry. The outer bag is made from unbleached cotton with vegetable ink dyes and comes with a mini fabric bag to put your nuts into!
So what are Soap Nuts?
According to Green Frog Botanic 'Soapberries, also called soapnuts, are actually a small fruit. They are the fruit of the Sapindus Mukorossi tree which is found naturally growing in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains.'
The soap nuts are organic, antibacterial and antifungal and can be used several times. Used up nuts can be disposed of in the compost heap which is an added bonus too.
How to Use Your Soap Nuts?
Place about 5 shells into the small pouch provided and tie the drawstring at the top (don't tie it too loose as sometimes the nuts fall out!!)
Place the bag in with your washing and wash in a warm wash cycle. If using cold water the soap nuts will need soaking first, as they activate using warm water.
Once used take out and leave to dry and then re-use up to 3 times. You can discard any used up shells in with your compost.
The end result is washing that smells of clean linen. There are no scents to it but you can add essential oils if wanted. Green frog says adding lemon juice can help to whiten whites.
I have been experimenting with using orange scented vinegar (watered down, not straight vinegar) as a fabric conditioner. It helps clean the machine and adds some softness to the clothes. If you add the vinegar in the conditioner drawer it runs in cold water during the rinse cycle, so hopefully won't compete with the soap nuts as they work best when warm.
My Verdict?
Great idea and it's really fab that 5 soap nuts can be used 3 times. It's estimated that your pack of 500g of soap nuts should last over 150 washes. I love the froggy logo on the front and the natural cotton bag. Some new things take a while to adjust to but I didn't find the change too scary, as long as my washing looks and smells clean then job done! (See bottom of post for product links).
For woollen washes I do sometimes use liquid detergent with regular fabric conditioner. I buy Ecover for this which is a natural product you can try. I will be covering natural products with recycled or plant based plastic contents in a new blog post soon.
I will also show you how I make scented orange vinegar solution, which is great as a kitchen and bathroom cleaner as well as a fabric conditioner and dish washer rinse aid.
Organic Soap Nuts I ❤ love and will continue using them in the future!
