The last time I was in a health food store in Palo Alto (California) I saw a box of Maggie’s Soap Nuts. They were $10 for 4.5 oz box. I would try it if it was a bit cheaper. But better if they had free samples for customers to try first. At the moment I’ve been using commercial Arm & Hammer Essentials for my laundry and just add some borax for extra cleaning power.

Photo of dried soap nuts from ECO-CAN news.

I’ve never even heard much about soap nuts and decided find out more about them. A few nuts can be placed in a cotton drawstring bag, then add to your wash. It can even be reused several times. Soap nuts are safe for washing silk, woolens and other delicate fabrics. Anything soap related is fun to me , especially ones that grow naturally on trees.

The trees are mostly grown in Nepal and India. Soap nuts contain saponin, which is a natural detergent used to clean clothes. Soap nuts are antimicrobial and are beneficial for septic systems. Soap nuts can be use in the remediation of contaminated soil. They are also used by jewelers, especially in India and Indonesia, to remove the tarnish from silver and other precious metals. Read the rest of this entry »