Doing the laundry is something everybody does. It is part of our weekly routine. We can’t get around it. No big news here. As a mother AND cloth diaper user, it is almost part of our DAILY routine. Again, this is not a big scoop. However, I’ve just discovered the best thing ever, and I am here right now to share it with you. It is called Soapnuts. Some of you may have heard about it but have you tried? My daughter’s diapers, which were starting to leak, smell funny and feel scratchy now look, feel and perform like new, and all that at the lowest cost.
I’ve been rinsing, rinsing, rinsing, and rinsing the diapers, there was always soap coming out. So I thought I would use less soap, but then the diapers would have a pee smell. That is when I read about SOAPNUTS!
Soapnuts are organically certified products straight from the mountains of Nepal. They are the dried fruits (cones) from the Ritha (sapindus mukorossi) tree, which contains very high amounts of saponin. Saponin is the substance which gives the soapnuts their cleaning power.
I was a little sceptical at first but after using them only twice, I am totally sold. I mean REALLY. I will probably start doing all my laundry with them, and even try a few other things (visit http://www.superiorsoapnuts.com/recipesusingsoapnuts.html for more ideas).
Honestly, this is a true revelation. Just drop 4-5 nuts in a cotton bag or even a sock tighten at the top and throw it in the washer. And the small bag can be reused 4 to 8 times, depending on the water temperature. It even eliminates the need for fabric softener (not on diapers, you all knew that right?) since your clothes are left naturally soft. Towels, wash cloths and diapers are more absorbent because of the absence of soap residue. And everything smells fresh. Ok, it is not a strong stain remover. Heavy stains will still need to be pretreated with a stain remover. But I already do that anyway…
Oh! and one more thing: you have to find your little bag through the wet clothes before throwing them in the dryer. Small inconvenience as compared to the great benefits. I am so amazed that I am almost looking forward to doing more laundry ...