Author Topic: Soap Nuts??? (Read 7178 times)

mommyof3 · « **on:** August 24, 2007, 09:59:36 AM »

Has anyone tried or heard of the soap nuts for washing laundry??

ShabbyChic · « **Reply #1 on:** August 24, 2007, 10:23:37 AM »

huh huh huh huh huh.

Soap nuts.

ShabbyChic · « **Reply #2 on:** August 24, 2007, 04:53:33 PM »

I'm sorry. This is STILL cracking me up. With all the obsessing that we do over the cheapest, healthiest, user-friendliest ways to use soap, I think WE'RE the soap nuts.

SC · « **Reply #3 on:** August 24, 2007, 05:06:46 PM »

No, no, no! You're getting things confused. We're CHEAP nuts. NOT Soap nuts.

Quote from: ShabbyChic on August 24, 2007, 04:53:33 PM

I'm sorry. This is STILL cracking me up. With all the obsessing that we do over the cheapest, healthiest, user-friendliest ways to use soap, I think WE'RE the soap nuts.

ShabbyChic · « **Reply #4 on:** August 24, 2007, 05:12:34 PM »

True, true.

It just sounds like what happens when you pour a bowl of Grape Nuts cereal into a bowl that wasn't quite rinsed well enough and your cereal has a faint taste of lemon... or country apple... or anti-bacterial mountain fresh...

Bleck! Soap nuts...

I don't think I want any cheap nuts...

SC · « **Reply #5 on:** August 24, 2007, 05:20:30 PM »

So funny!

Are you talking about these?
http://www.maggiespureland.com/product.html

mommyof3 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 24, 2007, 06:36:15 PM »

Quote from: SC on August 24, 2007, 05:20:30 PM

So funny!

Are you talking about these?
http://www.maggiespureland.com/product.html

LOL! You guys are funny! YEs I'm talking about those

I've heard you can even use them a couple/ few times over. They sounded pretty neat. You can read more about them on the www.newstarget.com, too. I like that site. Lottsa good info about a lot of things

newcreature · « **Reply #7 on:** August 24, 2007, 08:12:24 PM »

Those sound really interesting...it's a wonder all the things we just take for granted that that's the way we're supposed to do them (laundry being just one of a multitude), just because that's the way mom and grandma and everyone else does. That's why I love WTM. I learn so much from you all that I'd never learn anywhere else.

RB · « **Reply #8 on:** August 25, 2007, 03:19:00 AM »

I've read about soap nuts too and would like to try them some time. I read about them here: http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/soap_nuts.htm

I'm just curious enough to see if they actually get your laundry clean.

Blessing's,
RB

katiesmom · « **Reply #9 on:** August 25, 2007, 06:07:24 AM »

I got some of Maggie's Soap Nuts at the local health food store a few months ago. They work good. My clothes have never been softer and Katie

hasn't had the itchies like she would get from the other soaps. My great granny remembers washing with "soap plant" in Georgia when she was a kid. Looks like soap nuts is just something that got lost in the rush to make the world safe for chemical factories. The box says it all -- "soap that grows on trees". Way cool.

momof6boys · « **Reply #10 on:** August 25, 2007, 07:38:55 AM »

I used to live in Pakistan in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains. My sister-in-law, who is Pakistani, used to collect these soap nuts from under the trees around our home. She told me they made soap out of them. I think she told me they used it for their hair. She would collect as many as she could. She was really excited to be able to share them with the rest of my sisters-in-law as they were a real treat to find. I never knew how to use them until now. I guess I should have asked

blondiegreen · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2008, 08:53:49 AM »

Soap Nuts are Great! They are the best detergent I've found for cloth diapers.

LoveSunflowers · « **Reply #12 on:** May 11, 2008, 07:07:30 AM »

So, I'm interested in trying soap nuts but they cost more than my laundry soap per load. I do believe that it might be worth it though. How accurate are the amount of loads per nuts (does that make any sense??) are the websites? I'm trying to find the best price including shipping. My laundry soap cost 3 cents per load using organic soap. Can't beat it but I'm thinking the soap nuts will be better for cloth diapers. Any input would be great!
Jess

herbalmom · « **Reply #13 on:** May 11, 2008, 07:26:09 AM »

Quote from: sunshine4th on May 11, 2008, 07:07:30 AM

So, I'm interested in trying soap nuts but they cost more than my laundry soap per load. I do believe that it might be worth it though. How accurate are the amount of loads per nuts (does that make any sense??) are the websites? I'm trying to find the best price including shipping. My laundry soap cost 3 cents per load using organic soap. Can't beat it but I'm thinking the soap nuts will be better for cloth diapers. Any input would be great!
Jess

It works out to less per load if you make a liquid out of the soap nuts. Also, it costs less per load if you buy a larger quantity once you know that you like them. Here's a quote from an article about soap nuts on Blondiegreen's website:

"For Laundry Detergent, you can use them one of two ways:
1. Toss 2 or 3 Soap berries in a small muslin bag (provided with most Soap Nuts orders) and throw it in with your laundry. (Make sure that you take the soap nuts out before putting your clothes in the dryer). The nuts will do 3 or 4 loads.
2. Boil 100 g Soap Nuts in 12 cups (3L) of water for 30 minutes. The liquid you have is now a concentrated, chemical free detergent. The leftover shells can be placed in your compost. Use 3 Tbsp or 45 ml of this detergent with each load of laundry. This allows you to do approximately 60 loads of laundry. Not bad for under $10!"

HTH Blessings ~herbalmom

LoveSunflowers · « **Reply #14 on:** May 11, 2008, 07:40:32 AM »

Thanks Herbalmom, I didn't see that. It is going to cost me me 11 cents more per load. Sigh, I see if hubby is still up for it.

herbalmom · « **Reply #15 on:** May 11, 2008, 07:52:32 AM »

It may not work out to that much. Blondiegreen's soap nuts are $5 for 100 grams. Depending on shipping, it could work out to quite a bit less than $10 for 100 grams. That would lower the price. Also, shipping cost per 100 grams will drop if you order more than 1 package.

The site does warn to make the liquid in smaller batches so it doesn't spoil before you use it all. Just thought I would mention it. My .02 on it is that you could add a little GSE & it would help preserve it. HTH Blessings ~herbalmom

RB · « **Reply #16 on:** May 24, 2008, 04:59:44 AM »

Anyone try using soap nuts yet? I have used them for my diapers as my baby was having rash problems, which is why I tried the soap nuts. It took quite a few washes with the soap nuts to get my diapers to the point where baby was not getting rashes anymore. Now I'm out of the soap nuts for a month or more and my baby is having minor rash issues again and my diapers are stinking as soon as baby wets in them. I didn't have that problem when I was using the soap nuts, so I'm thinking the soap nuts get the diaper cleaner somehow or maybe its because there isn't detergent buildup??

I'm also having a problem with my four year old having rash issues. He will sometimes pee himself a little in his shorts and he has a constant rash between his legs now, where his shorts rub him. Since the weather has turned warmer and with sweating, he now has a rash on his lower back where his shorts rub him as well?? I'm hoping it's just a problem with my laundry soap and not some other issue. Anyways, I'm planning on buying more soap nuts and using them for all my laundry and I'm wondering if anyone can share how well they work for getting men's dirty work clothes clean, grass stains etc. Thanks!

marksgirl · « **Reply #17 on:** June 06, 2008, 07:10:00 AM »

I, too, am interested in trying these. I just read about them last night, so of course this morning I had to come here to see what the WTM ladies have to say about them!

I hate shopping over the internet; we don't use credit or debit cards, so it's not always possible to use money orders. But I suppose I'll look around locally just so I can try them first. I, too, was thinking they'd be good for baby's diapers and clothes, as well as the rest of us.

superfam6 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 19, 2008, 06:19:32 PM »

I made soap nut liquid to make them go farther but after a week it didn't seem to work as well, I kept it in the fridge becuase it is very hot here right now. Anyone know how long the liquid should last?

blondiegreen · « **Reply #19 on:** July 20, 2008, 08:46:41 AM »

In the fridge, the liquid should last a few weeks. I've never had that much around to figure it out for sure...

You can also preserve the liquid in a water bath canner if you wanted to make a whole batch at once. The canned stuff should last indefinitely if it's not open. Here are the instructions on how to can it:

www.buysoapnuts.com/howtouse.html

Hope this helps.

corriebeth · « **Reply #20 on:** August 16, 2008, 06:09:02 PM »

Are soap nuts supposed to have a smell to them? I ordered some and they smelled - maybe like a plant, but maybe a little like fermenting fruit. I made a batch of liquid and it does not smell good to me. Is this normal??

I tried them as shampoo, but my hair still looked/felt greasy afterwards, just as it has with other ideas on the no poo thread. Anyway to improve soap nuts as shampoo?

Thanks in advance for any ideas.
Corrie

Isaacsmama · « **Reply #21 on:** May 19, 2010, 09:27:42 PM »

anyone who uses these for diaper laundry:
I just got some, and when I nomrlaly wash my cloth diapers (motherease brand) I have to rinse from 2-5 times to remove soap residue. Do I need to do extra rinsing with soap nuts or just one cycle, what is your experience? Thanks

RB · « **Reply #22 on:** May 21, 2010, 03:53:00 AM »

Quote from: Isaacsmama on May 19, 2010, 09:27:42 PM

anyone who uses these for diaper laundry:
I just got some, and when I nomrlaly wash my cloth diapers (motherease brand) I have to rinse from 2-5 times to remove soap residue. Do I need to do extra rinsing with soap nuts or just one cycle, what is your experience? Thanks

I use soap nuts as it's about the only thing that won't give my little one diaper rash. I do two wash cycles with the soap nuts. The reason I do two wash cycles is because I have a front loader and it seems they aren't the best to wash diapers, but have had good success using two wash cycles. I would just experiment and see what works best for you.

daisey · « **Reply #23 on:** June 08, 2010, 01:47:01 PM »

Has anyone done a price comparison on Soap Nuts? Thanks

Simply Kristen · « **Reply #24 on:** June 09, 2010, 05:04:12 PM »

The Passionate Homemaking Blogger has done a lot of research and tried many different types of soapnuts. Here is one post about it:

http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2009/09/using-soap-nuts-for-household-cleaning.html

LoveGreen · « **Reply #25 on:** February 07, 2011, 02:32:00 PM »

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com

Mountain Rose Herbs has soap nuts for only $6 per pound!!

I haven't personally tried them myself, but I will soon! I've offered to the other interested women I know, to order with me to try them out.

I'm resurrecting this post to see if there are people who've been using them, and would tell me what they think of how well they work. (the previous discussion only told of how they worked for diapers)

After I've had a chance to test them myself, I'll be sharing what I think.

jamiet · « **Reply #26 on:** February 16, 2011, 11:00:13 AM »

I have used them in the past. I now make my own laundry soap. I like the nuts because they were natural but were not so great at actually cleaning if the clothes were dirty. I live in a dusty dirty area. So I started making my own and it works much better and is natural and cheaper.

elif · « **Reply #27 on:** March 21, 2011, 06:29:53 PM »

I don't often post, never have more info than what's already been given. Here though I think I can help a bit. Hopefully.
I've been using soapnuts a while now, got a huge bag as a gift. I was of course immediately impressed with how natural they are but skeptical about them actually working.
The first thing I noticed was that tee-tee smell comes out amazingly! Even sheets that set for a day and a half! I had two sheets that sat that long and I decided to do a test. Washed one with soap nuts and hot water. Washed other with detergent I always use. Detergent sheet had to get washed a second time (with soapnuts!) but soapnut sheet was completely clean and had no odor.
Someone asked if they were supposed to smell. The soapnuts and lq soap do have a stench but laundry comes from washer completely odorless! I love that!
Clothes are very soft, like when I use glycerin in homemade laundry soap.
Ok, only problem so far: whites go a bit yellow after a while so I put everything through a regular wash with detergent to brighten them up. It's just like the homemade laundry soap with soap in it. The soap begins to collect and gunk up the fabric after a while (making them very soft but a bit dingy).
HTH

jdlady51 · « **Reply #28 on:** April 14, 2011, 05:59:03 PM »

Just joined today after reading about Soap Nuts. I use them on all my laundry.

If you are having problems with whites, try putting some white vinegar in the rinse cycle. I have 2 bottles of vinegar that I use in the laundry, and each have essential oils added to it. About 10 drops per litre is enough just to give it a nice smell at the end. I use lavender for the kids bedding, and their sleeping has improved so much! Love it

The vinegar helps keep them white, they then get hung on the line for as long as possible so the sun can do its job. I'm lucky, and live in a place where it is sunny most of the year, but all of my whites are white!

I also used to wash whites and lights together, I have now separated those which helps keep whites white.

hakeber · « **Reply #29 on:** May 29, 2011, 12:12:20 AM »

Shalom all! I use soap nuts for my hair. It has antifungal properties and is really wonderful to use! I enjoy using it very much. I wrote an article about it will post it here to share soon.

News:

Author Topic: Soap Nuts??? (Read 7178 times)