Soap Nuts are the dried outer shell of the Chinese Soap Berry. I like to think of them as "nature's little wonders" because they have incredible soaping and cleansing abilities.
I am going to show you how to use these bad boys to wash your clothes, clean your house, wash your dishes and your hair.
You will have fantastic results while also saving money and protecting the planet!
Typically you get at least one wash bag inside the bag of soap nuts you purchase. Take 5 Soap Nuts and place them inside the provided wash bag. Toss in to washer machine with clothes and wash as usual with warm water. Remove wash bag from washer machine after the load is finished and set aside to dry. Remove clothes from washer and notice there is no smell and clothes look cleaner and brighter.Place clothes in the dryer and come back when finished drying. Remove clothes and notice your clothes feel extremely soft and smell very fresh and clean. Repeat 4-7 loads before replacing the soap nuts in the bag with new ones. You can also use 1/4 cup of the liquid we will be making in the next step to do a load of laundry at any temperature.
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Make Soap Nuts Liquid! Take about a dozen Soap Nuts 12-15 and place them in 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for approximately an hour cool and strain. The Saponin or soap is fully extracted from the soap nuts when they turn a light tan or gray color or become mush and lack a slippery feel. You can compost or throw out the used shells as they are fully biodegradable. Your liquid will last 3-4 days at room temperature and a little longer if refrigerated as it is a plant based substance. You can also freeze to prolong life but I suggest just not making more than you will need at one time.
Use the soap nuts liquid as a green natural all purpose cleaner! Just place in a spray bottle and use in full concentration or dilute if desired. Use to clean tubs, sinks, tile, floors and more! Just as effective as chemical cleaners with no chemical smell!
Use the liquid from step 2 as an effective green, natural dish soap! Just add 2 Tbl to your dish water and wash as usual. You may also use on a sponge in full concentration. Add to your automatic dishwasher with vinegar as a rinse aid very effective and low sud-sing.
Use the liquid you made in step 2 to create a highly effective green, natural glass cleaner. Combine 8oz of water, 1/2 ounce of vinegar and 1/2 ounce of soap nuts laundry liquid in a spray bottle and shake. Spray and then wipe clean with a dry cloth.
Use your soap nuts liquid as an all natural shampoo! Apply to hair leave in for 5 minutes and then rinse as usual with warm water. You can also combine with your favorite shampoo to boost it's cleansing power.