I’ve been futzing around with soapnuts for a few weeks now. They’ve gone straight into the wash, they’ve become liquid, they’ve washed my hair and my face.
Somehow, in all this nut jostling, Fiance (whose name is Skip and sounds better in the story than Fiance, so his cover is blown) must’ve started paying attention.
So we’re going to learn how to use soapnuts, in their beautiful nutty form, to do laundry today. All courtesy Skip’s surprising curiosity.
In fact, this entire week is dedicated to soap nuts and all the crunchy things they do.
The very best part? THE VERY BEST PART, PEOPLE?
Mountain Rose Herbs has agreed to give TWO crunchtastic readers 1-pound bags of soap nuts to try in your very own home. Say it with me: We love you, Mountain Rose Herbs!
(PS – the link is an affiliate link, so order away if you can’t wait for the drawing!)
Entering is a little trickier – and more fun – than usual, though, so be sure to read through the bottom explanation of how to do it.
Now. Here’s how Skip came to learn about how easy it is to do laundry with soap nuts.
Skip Learns How To Do Laundry With Soapnuts
“Betty?” a small voice piped up from the bedroom. “I have some questions for you.”
Not to be distracted from my kitty snuggling, I yelled back, “It’s not mine. I don’t know anything about it. You can’t blame me!”
“No!” Skip bellowed. “I’m doing laundry! I have laundry questions.”
Never has a cat done so many flips while flying from the force of my throw. SKIP IS DOING LAUNDRY!
I mean, we share some household chores. Mainly, he cooks – because that’s what he does for a living and anything I make is too salty and tastes like feet not gourmet. I clean. Including all the laundry. SO THIS … this was momentous.
It must be documented.
He came out with a basket of laundry, set it down, and looked at me pointedly.
“What are those things? The brown things you put in the laundry? I need some.”
They’re called soapnuts. They’re over there in the bag. Move slowly, so you don’t blur so much. This is going in the blog. Congratulations. You’re going to be a star.
“Does my hair look okay? Should I do some push-ups first?”
…
“This bag?”
“So what? Like, they’re really nuts? Look at ’em, all brown and hard and stuff. Do they come from a tree?”
Yeah. The sapindus tree. From India and Nepal and places like that. Those people have been using soapnuts to clean things for thousands of years.
“So we’re just slow. What do I do with them? Just throw a handful in with the laundry, or what?”
No. I have a little spice bag to put them in. Just toss four nuts in the bag.
“But I just want to throw them in. Feels more manly.”
Do it my way first, mkay? And we can try it your way the next time. Either way, honey, you’re a man. I promise.
“Now what?”
Close the bag with the pull strings and tie it tight.
“Seriously? This works? I mean, I know you’ve been doing laundry with these things, and our clothes are clean, but this seems kinda weird.”
The clothes are clean, right? That’s proof. When the nuts start soaking in the water, the saponins come out and fill the washing machine with their clean, natural goodness. Dirt and grease are swooshed away by their almighty scrubby powers. It’s like … it’s like Link in that one game where he stabs the bad guys and they just disappear in a cloud of poof.
“Stop trying to relate to me on my level, Betty. What do I do next?”
But wait … Link … Call of Duty in the gamer lolz with the RPG Mario Kart. Right?
“Seriously. Stop.” He says as he heads to the washing machine.
“Guess what I just realized? I’m holding a nutbag! HAHAHAHA!”
ha
Okay. Just toss the bag into the washing machine as the water’s running. Swirl it around a little, iff’n you like. You don’t have to. But it’s fun. Makes me feel like I’m more in tune with the earth and the water.
“I’m just going to drop it in. If you don’t mind.”
Fine.
“Now just put the laundry in, right? Right there on top of the nutbag HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Yep. Just put the laundry in the washing machine, on top of the bag of soap nuts floating in the water.
And run the machine like normal.
That’s it. Just like laundry soap, only it’s natural, toxin-free, and leaves the clothes super soft. Without even needing to use our vinegar dryer sheets.
“Wait. Seriously? Just soap nuts. That’s all we’re using for our laundry now?”
Yep. Just soapnuts. And love.
When the wash is done, just toss the clothes in the dryer, mkay? And then, when they’re dry, you’ll see what I’m talking about. You’ll understand the softness, and the immense inner gratification that happens from doing the laundry.
“I can’t wait.”
And so the young lad learned how to do laundry with soapnuts. And he was changed.
Below are the steps again, for you, in easy-to-follow bullet point.
And don’t be surprised if your husband decides he loves doing laundry, once you have soapnuts in your household. (It’s an added bonus. I won’t lie.)
The best part? He even folded all the clothes. While I want to believe it’s because he loved the soapnuts, I think it’s more because one time a lady on a forum linked to one of my posts and said he was “hot.”
Just to be sure, I kept snapping his picture while he folded and hung every last piece of clothing. Even the stuff I left sitting in the basket the night before. Vanity – it’s a powerful motivator for a man.
.
How to Do Laundry With Soap Nuts
- Place four soapnuts in a small spice bag or other fabric container.
- Toss the nuts in the washing machine as the water’s running.
- Swirl the nuts around, if you want to feel “connected” (feel free to skip this step).
- Put the laundry in the washing machine, and allow it to wash as normal.
- Pull the soap nuts bag out of the washing machine before transferring your clothes to the dryer.
- You don’t need to use fabric softener of any sort – the soap nuts soften the fabric (and quell the static electricity) all by themselves.
- A bag of 4 nuts will last 4 to 5 separate loads of laundry.
You can also make a liquid out of the soap nuts and use that instead of the nuts themselves, but that’s a story for another post.
Win Soap Nuts from Mountain Rose Herbs!
Laundry isn’t all you can do with soap nuts. You can also make:
- household cleaner
- face wash
- shampoo
- dishwasher detergent
- insect repellent
- glass cleaner
- pet shampoo
And that, my pretties, is why they’re so gosh-darned handy.
So let’s talk about how TWO of you can win a 1-pound bag straight from Mountain Rose Herbs.
Post a comment to this thread in the Crunchy Community.
That’s all you have to do.
If you want to do more, you can refer people. I’ve outlined the deets over in the Community post.
See you there!
Your Own Crunchy Shopping List – Free PDF
Ahh So jealous. How do you get your cook/chef husband to cook after work?! Mine’s like “awww but I spend all day cooking”…. Once he burnt eggs on purpose just so I would stop asking. LOL. He tries to mess up doing the dishes too, but it’s not going to work!!!
Soapnuts were totally his idea too. I was like WTF, you want me to wash the laundry with that?!
He’s kind of annoyed since I found your blog though because I keep boiling them and want to make all cleaners out of soapnuts LOL. Hey, he got me started! Not my fault!
My six months old son is suffering from eczema…………..really want to try soapnuts for his clothes………….want to get rid of harmful chemicals from his laundry.
This is really good. I am doing soap nuts lisquid right now. And I want to find out how to use them against congestion and migraine? Anybody knows, Anything about it?
Very interesting. Would love to try these. Thanks for the chance to win..
Awesome! I currently make my own laundry soap, but this would be even better!
Gonna go see if the health food store has Soap Nuts today, when the boys wake up from their naps. It’s stupid how excited I am to try these. And yeah, my husband thought it was hilarious that you own a nut bag for laundry, now I think he wants his own. hahaha
Yay! They’re good for HE machines.
Just found your blog today and I’m glad I did. I think it’s a keeper :o)
this is totally awesome..i just returned from missions..and i love to use natural products.not only saving the earth but good for our bodies..and helps saave money..i was promoting use of vinegar in the village in mexico..too for natural cleaners..and i use it to clean with..sharing this with mymarried son..who hahhaha wondered what mom was doing with vinegar cleaning her apartment..and watching vinegar and baking soda fizzz..these soapnuts aound awesome,,im really saving at the time im out of work…andlike to use natural products..chemicals are destroying our earth..natural things from the earths resources have been used before Christ was born..they are listed all through the Bible…awesome
I’m not Betty, but I’m pretty sure that most allergies/irritations from commercial laundry detergents are from the chemicals and especially fragrances in them. So, unless you’re allergic to saponin, you should be good.
After googling saponin allergy (you got me curious!) it sounds like saponin isn’t the most uncommon thing in the world to be allergic to, so maybe have your allergist test you or wash a small something like an armband in them first to test it out. Use your judgement.
What an interesting blog! I’ve never heard of soapnuts but they seem like a nice alternative to commercial laundry detergent. I was wondering though, how are they allergy wise? I have sensitive skin and can’t use many commercial laundry detergents and am not sure if these would cause any problems.
want, want, want these soapnuts!
I live in australia would I be able to get them through customs or better still can I get them here in Australia
If you haven’t found them yet, try http://www.wildsoapnuts.com.au/index.php?p=1_9 I picked up a small package of them at a sustainable living expo. Some cleaning recipes on their website, too.
Hi Betty, these sound fabulous and I would love to win some . I got your link from the lovely lady from http://woodwifesjournal.blogspot.com/ and I will be entering over at the crunchy community now ……wish me luck .
Thanks for the tips on soapnuts. I can’t wait to give them a try!
Please pass this note onto Skip.
Don’t let this feminist agenda control your life. If you want to throw your nuts in the laundry, you throw your nuts in the laundry. Don’t put them in a little sissy bag. Man up. And don’t let her post pictures of you snuggling the clean laundry. I mean, we all do it man, but have some dignity. If you’re going to do the laundry, own it. Play sports with it. Run it over with your car. (by the way, do you guys have a car?) Lindsay’s driving Anderson’s matchbox cars over the toaster oven and up the refrigerator (they’re magnetic). Talk about a feminist agenda… You should come to our house to play with the new toys – 4 year old toys are awesome.
Hey! Neat! A friend just told me to come find you because she said our blogs are so similar. Love it…I’m sure I’ll learn a lot of great stuff here.
Yes, Mountain Rose Herbs is wonderful. Hey, I noticed you said they could be used to make insect repellent…..does that mean I can spray it on my Organic garden???
This is great. I’ve been wanting to try soapnuts for a while.
Also, the fourth photo caption made me bust up laughing.
You’re continuing the “crunchy” conversion that my best friend started a few years ago. As soon as all the shampoo is gone, we’re going no ‘poo and now, I’m loving the soap nuts idea. My sister lives with my family and every few weeks she’ll come into the office and look at me and say “What? What are we giving up this week? Are you on a mission to destroy me?” LOL Nope, just make her a bit crunchier!
Soapnuts?? How do you figure this stuff out?? Love it.
Oh, this was a funny and instructive post. Your Skip reminds me of Brendan Fraser. 🙂
Mountain Rose Herbs is my favorite place for homemade lotions and potions ingredients! I didn’t know they had SOAP NUTS TOO!!! I have been wanting to try them for a few years! Sign me up Cruchy Betty!!
By the way, I found your site a few weeks ago and wow, my homemade things have improved! Thank you!
I have never heard of the soapnuts but find it very interesting. I have learned alot from Crunchy Betty and plan on cont. learning all this neat stuff that is out there that we had no idea of!!
Those soapnuts look so cool! I would love to try them! Or better yet, give them to my husband to try 🙂
These look truly interesting, especially as I’m on the verge of (finally) making my own laundry detergent since I’m about to (finally) run out of the ginormous box from Costco.
So… should we start calling him “Crunchy Skip” now? 🙂
I loved the post! I only recently heard of soapnuts, but I have yet to try them. I am currently pregnant (today is my due day,no baby yet!) I heard soapnuts are great to use on baby clothes! I can’t wait to try them!
I just stumbled across this post and laughed so hard! I wish my husband would do laundry willingly! Maybe soapnuts will help haha! I’m going to go to that site now and look at other awesome stuff they have!
Heehee, nutbag…
<3
LOVE it!
Have been slowly making the change to natural and/or organic products out of necessity (skin severely stressed out) and love for my kids and their well being. With the help of this blog and many other sources, I have started making my own skin care products – some good, some not so good. It’s all about the journey… 😉
I currently use the Trader Joe’s laundry detergent (vegetable based) but had never heard of soapnuts – I wanna try!!
I am very grateful and happy to realize that there is a movement towards natural skin care and that we are moving away from the ‘beauty by chemistry’. Women are led to believe that they somehow need this intensely formulated ‘magical’ product to look beautiful when not so long ago women for centuries used simple ingredients they had in the house and probably never had the skin problems that exist today.
I was looking into soapnuts when I came across your instructions on making laundry soap. We are currently using that method but my guy is not a fan if the scratchy clothes and is still adding commercial fabric softener. Guess it is time to reconsider the soapnuts. It was fun making my own laundry soap though. Felt very Little House on the Prairie.
This is so neat! I’d love to give this a try, what happens after 4-5 uses with them?
They go to soapnuts heaven. Heh.
Actually, after 4 to 5 uses, they just start to turn a little gray and get kinda mushy, once you’ve sapped the saponin out of them. After that, you can just toss the used ones, or they’re perfectly great to add to a compost heap (if you have one of those).
So soapnuts appear handy dandy, and a almost must have!! With so many uses, how could they go wrong? I want some!!! Especially if it would help to get the guys around here to help with laundry. I suppose if they get to say “nutbag”, they may become interested at least! Also, I discovered a way to get men to do grocery shopping! Just start referring to it as “Hunting” and call the men “The Hunters” and tell them you desperately need their services!! Of course give them a detailed list of what you want, brand, size, how many exactly! They’ll give you a confusaled look on their way out the door, but they will go, and leaving us more time to put food on our faces or to brew something up!!
Did you ask if you could put your gum on his nuts? Because you should’ve…
Oh, I was going to ask what Michelle asked.
We have an HE front loading washing machine. Are they happy bedmates? Umm…laundrymates?
They are VERY happy laundrymates, apparently. Here’s what http://www.buysoapnuts.com says about it:
“Soap nuts are perfect for HE and front load washers as they do not create many suds! Just remember to put whole soap nuts in the drum of the machine. Soap nuts liquid can go in the detergent drawer.”
And there you have it.
I’ve heard of soapnuts and wanted to try them. How do they work with a front loading washing machine? Do I just throw them in with the clothes??
Good news! I just found this on http://www.buysoapnuts.com:
“Soap nuts are perfect for HE and front load washers as they do not create many suds! Just remember to put whole soap nuts in the drum of the machine. Soap nuts liquid can go in the detergent drawer.”
Soooooooooo … Yay!
Skip is adorable! And thanks for the head’s up on soapnuts…never heard of them, but looking forward to trying them 🙂
I have never heard of soap nuts. But if they have magic power to get men to do laundry- sign me up!
LOVE this post. The photos are so entertaining with it!
These nuts sound very interesting.
I’m so glad I found Mountain Rose Herbs! 🙂 I was just wondering today what natural product I could use for my laundry as we are almost out. I’m definitely going to have to order some soapnuts and not wait and try to win some. Although, I think I should get some for posting first. 😉
I’ve already done away with commercial lotions in favor of coconut oil/shea butter/jojoba oil/coco butter; my deodorant of baking soda/coconut oil is better than any deodorant I’ve ever used; coconut oi/baking soda/peppermint or cinnamon oil is now my toothpaste; and vinegar is my hard water spot cleaner. I’m slowly converting the hubby and kids. 🙂 We have nary a processed food in the house.
Oops, hits submit too soon…
I just wanted to say thanks for you blog. I can’t remember now how I found my way here, but sure glad I did. I’m still trying to find time to read through all the past posts! 🙂