Soapnuts Work, Really!

I was recently in line at the local grocery store when a big burlap bag marked “Waschnuss” caught my eye in the distance. It was a long line so I couldn’t investigate right away but kept it in mind.

Then while out doing a little holiday shopping, I saw them again and couldn’t resist. “Waschnuss” in German means wash nuts or soapnuts which turns out are a great alternative to chemical detergents.

I bought a small supply, about $3 worth, of soapnuts which included a small cotton drawstring bag and directions. The store in which I found this batch has a great set up for people who want to make all their own cleaning and washing supplies. Everything is available in bulk from all-natural scents, to mediums for lotions and shampoos to the reusable containers to hold everything.

For the soapnut project, I also bought a citrus oil which apparently helps maintain the washing machine components if you’ve got hard water. For the test run I used just a handful of soapnuts in the drawstring bag with a little of the citrus oil. I’m pleased to share that not only did the soapnuts work great but my clothes, which are air dried, are soft! No more scratchy towels! Hurray!

I’m very excited about this discovery. I have sensitive skin and find that when I wash my clothes with chemical detergents it irritates my skin. So how does it work? Well soapnuts shells contain a natural substance called saponin. Saponin dissolves in water to form suds and can dissolve fats and oils and help to lift grime.

And I can now say from experience that it does work, just a few nuts in a little cotton bag. I’m sold! And they are super inexpensive. One pound of soapnuts runs about $15 and can be used for several hundred washes!

The other good news is that in addition to washing clothes without chemicals, soapnuts have many other uses around the house and garden. Green Living Tips has a great article about all of the things you can do with Soapnuts - Nature’s Detergent.

In the U.S. soap nuts are available online here.