Wednesday 1 September 2010

Nuts about soapnuts...

Fab little nuts that you can use to wash your clothes.

The shell of soap nuts contains a natural detergent called ‘saponin’ which is released when it comes in contact with water and creates mild suds. The hard inner nuts can neither be eaten or used for washing and soap nuts are sometimes sold as halved shells with the seed removed. Our soap nuts are sold whole as the friction they produce helps clean the clothes better.

How to use:
Just put 5-6 soap nuts in a small net bag (or knotted sock, I use an old stocking foot!), place in the washing machine drum along with the load, and wash as usual (40 degrees ideally).

My washing comes out smelling fresh, clean and soft so there is no need to add a conditioner. If you want fragrance, add a few drops of essential oil in the softener drawer. They work well with colours and delicate fabrics such as wool and silk but not recommended for whites. As they contain no bleach, the whites tend to become grey after a few washes. They aren't quite strong enough for my son's rugby clothes but then nothing is :-)
I have been using them for normal washes without any problems.

One lot of soap nuts will do 4-6 consecutive loads. Stop using them when they become dark and soft and lose their shine.

Available to buy from LoveHennaHair

Helen
xxx