Soapnuts here, soapnuts there, soapnuts everywhere!

A few years ago, whilst browsing the shelves of my local health food store, I came across something called Soapnuts.  Intrigued, I peered at the bag of empty shells and wondered how what looked like the aftermath of a squirrel party could possibly be of use to me. Little did I know I had stumbled upon a treasure.

For those who haven't come across soapnuts before, they are the shells of berries that grow on trees of the lychee family.  The shells naturally contain high levels of saponin, a natural soap which has been used for thousands of years in Asia and Africa.  

For anyone who wants to be greener, soapnuts are a godsend. When I started out trying to green my home, one of the things I wanted to do was reduce the number of household cleaning products I had to a minimum and make the ones I kept as clean and green as possible. Since I found out about soapnuts, I have been able to replace literally every household cleaning product from laundry powder to washing up liquid and household cleaners.

What I love about soapnuts ....

¤ They are completely natural, unprocessed and organic.

¤ They don't contain anything that will be harmful to our water system.

¤ They are hypoallergenic so great for babies and those with skin allergies and sensitivities. Although they are called nuts, they are actually the shells of berries so they are perfectly safe for those with nut allergies.

¤ They have natural anti-fungal, anti=bacerial and anti-microbial properties so are perfect for cleaning and removing odours.

¤ They are completely biodegradable; when you're finished just throw them on the compost heap or in your food recycling bin.

¤ They are fantastically economical - a kilo of soapnuts will cost around £10 - £12, can replace pretty much all your household cleaning products and last for months!

So what do you do with soapnuts?

In your laundry:  Soapnuts are usually sold with a small muslin bag for use in laundry (or you can easily make your own). Just pop 5 - 8 whole shells in the bag, put in the drum with the laundry and wash on your usual programme.  Soapnuts work well at low or high wash temperatures and also soften the clothes so you don't need fabric softener. They are unscented but you can always add a few drops of your favourite essential oil if you wish. The same batch of soapnuts can usually be re-used about 3 times.

Multi-purpose household cleaner: This is where the beauty of soapnuts really comes in, I think.  Just simmer about 50g of soapnut shells in a litre of water for about 10 minutes, allow to cool and you have a litre of very versatile cleaner. Strain it into a trigger spray or lidded bottle and you can use it for pretty much any kind of household cleaning. The natural anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties make it perfect for kitchens and bathrooms and you can add a few drops of essential oil if you wish for your own customised fragrance. I like to add some peppermint oil to my kitchen spray in the summer as it helps keep flies away.

Washing up liquid/concentrated cleaner:  For washing up or heavy duty cleaning like carpets, follow the same method as above but allow the liquid to steep overnight before decanting. As well as being great for washing up, use to treat heavy laundry stains before washing, or carpet stains (I can attest to how well it works on suspicious stains near our cats' litter trays)!  

Handwash:  Once you've made your household cleaner, throw the soapnuts into a blender with about half a pint of water and whizz until smooth. Strain into a bottle, add some essential oils and you have a gentle hand wash.

Veggie wash:  A mild soapnut liquid is great for washing veggies, removing dirt and pesticide residue then rinsing off cleanly without leaving any taste.

I have got quite evangelical about soapnuts over the years - they're cheap, clean, green and importantly, they actually work. What's not to love?

Soapnuts can be found in many health food stores or from online stores such as Living Naturally 

Have you tried soapnuts yet?  

Annie x