Imagine a detergent that is completely natural, with no animal ingredients, capable of washing your clothes, washing your dishes and cleaning the house. Your dream will come true with soap nuts which were used as a detergent for centuries.
Soap nuts are actually berries (also known as a soap berry) that grow on the Sapindus tree, an evergreen tree belonging to the Sapindaceae family. Sapindus are common in India and Nepal mostly but also in Southern Asia and in the USA. Nuts contain saponins which produce a foam when shaken in liquid, just like regular soap.
Soap nuts are a great alternative to ordinary detergent, I use them to wash my laundry and the dishes. They can be used also as a soap nuts shampoo, but I've not tried it yet.
In order to wash your colthes with soap nuts take about 8-10 of half shells, put them in a cotton bag or in a sock and insert with clothes into the wahing machine. Nuts leave clothes completely odorless, so if you prefer that your clothes smelll nicely you can add about 5-10 drops of essential oil.
Well, I usually wear dark clothes, so I have no problem with stains. Maybe soap nuts are not going to remove oil stains but they don't have any probems with makeup stains.
Washing-up liquid nº1
Ok, as I said we can also use soap nuts to wash the dishes. Take a handful of nuts, remove the seed and boil them in a 0,75 liter of water. Bring to boil and leave it for about 10 minutes until the saponins are extracted. Then filter the liquid through a cotton cloth and pour into a bottle. That´s it! Remember that it´s an organic product and must be used within 10 days. You can also add tea tree oil to prolong its durability.Washing-up liquid nº2
Washing-up liquid from nuts is quite good but not very efficient, so I began experimenting with other ingredients. I found another recipe that uses soap as a basic ingredient. Well, I need to confess that´s not an ideal recipe becuase it doesn´t clean the glass well and it leaves trails.
Anyway I think that natural washing-up liquid is a better option than a chemical becuase some of these toxins penetrate our bodies. This liquid with soap is thicker and lasts longer, and I mix it with soap nuts liquid to have more foam.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup soap flakes
2 cups boiling water
1 cup soap nuts liquid (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable glycerin (optional)
2 teaspoons essential oils (optional)
about 5 drops of tea tree oil (optional)
As for the soap, you should know that almost all solid soaps contain animal fat. Its main ingredient Sodium tallowate which a product of saponification of animal fat. Because animal fatts are cheaper than vegetable oils, most soaps contains them.
I buy soaps that containds palm oil, or sometimes I make my own soap at home. The basic recipe I will post soon. It's a great fun to experiment with various ingredients. It is also a pleasure to wash with your own natural soap and give it as a gift to your family and friends. Be careful it´s addictive!
Ok, returning to the subject, dissolve soap flakes in a hot water, stirring for a few minutes so that they are completely dissolved. Add glycerin and wait until the mixture is cool. The liquid will become dense - depending on the amount of soap that you put. Then add soap nuts liquid and essential oils. Stir until get consistency of gel and pour into the bottle.
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