I recently received an email from someone asking if she could send a free sample of a product for me to use and then review on my blog. She sent me a link to her website and when I went to it I found soap nuts. Seriously. I had never heard of soap nuts, although they have apparently been around for a while.
According to the website, soap nuts are a “100% natural, completely renewable, environmentally friendly, biodegradable material”. And they really do grow on trees. I was intrigued and quite flattered that she asked me to write a review for her, so I agreed. And a few days later a box with a few soap nuts in a small muslin bag, a little soap nut powder, and some literature arrived in my mailbox.
I have to tell you, I was a little skeptical when I opened the box. Those little soap nuts didn’t look like they’d be able to handle washing a load of laundry very well. I mean, don’t these things look a little odd to you?
But I promised I would try out her product and write a review, so on laundry day I gave them a shot. Let me first tell you that in order to make an honest assessment of their abilities, I did everything I usually do with the only exception being that I replace my regular laundry detergent with the soap nuts. What this means is that I pre-treated stains, added a scoop of Oxy-Clean, and filled the rinse cup with white vinegar. I used 5 soap nuts, split each in half, and then I placed them in the muslin bag and tossed them in with the clothes. I washed a load of whites and a load of colors – both in cold water. And you know what? The clothes came out just as they do when I use my regular laundry detergent. I was rather surprised and really pleased. I’ve tried all sort of “green” laundry products before, and I would rate this at the top of the list. According to the literature, soap nuts may be reused several times. I’ve used them twice so far, and they worked just fine for both loads.
I also received a vial of soap nut powder to review. The instructions say to boil it with water and then put the resulting liquid in a spray bottle for use as a multipurpose cleaner. Here’s a picture of the soap nut powder, as featured on the Soap in a Nut Shell website:
So I boiled up a batch of this stuff and put it to the test. And trust me, when I say “test” I am talking about quite a rigorous one. I attacked my stove and microwave oven with it. I seriously considered taking pictures, but I just can not allow you to see how dirty my kitchen appliances were. And I have no desire to see the Health Department on my front door steps tomorrow morning, so I’m not posting pictures. But I will tell you that this cleaner did a wonderful job. I think it worked every bit as well as other multipurpose cleaners with one added bonus – after cleaning the stove top and microwave with it, they dried streak free! I am really quite happy with the results and I’ll be ordering some of this powder for sure.
The literature lists many different uses for soap nuts including as a hair wash, insect repellent, and jewelry cleaner. It also says that soap nuts are phosphate free, economical, hypoallergenic and anti-microbial (which means it’s safe for septic systems). They also do not produce many suds, which works out quite well in the front loading washing machine that I have.
In the interest of complete disclosure, I will mention that the one thing I’m not too crazy about is the way soap nuts smell. Although it’s certainly not over powering at all, I just do not find the smell very pleasant. Even so, this was very easy to overcome by simply adding a few drops of essential oil (I used Sweet Orange) to the laundry as it washed and to the liquid I made with it.
I wouldn’t say I’m “green” by any stretch of the imagination, but I do understand the negative impact harsh cleaners can have on the environment, and more specifically on our over-priced-required-by-county-law-backyard-consuming alternative septic system. I find soap nuts to be a great alternative.
So now you know. Soap really does grow on trees. Check out the Soap in a Nut Shell website and see what you think.
Penny
