I'm not nuts and neither are these (Soapnuts)

Member Name: cookie334

Product:	Soapnuts
Date:	06/11/08 (208 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cost, environmentally friendly, good for colours, no need for softener, completely natural

Disadvantages: Doesn't brighten whites and can't handle tough grime

I was first introduced to soapnuts a few years back by a member of a green living internet forum that I used to frequent. I was very sceptical as the lady explained to me that soapnuts are grown on trees in India and Nepal. The nuts themselves are used in the pharmaceutical industry and it was actually the shells which we were talking about. The shells contain saponin, which is a natural soap.

I ordered my soapnut shells from www.inasoapnutshell.co.uk. They come in a lovely cotton drawstring bag along with a smaller cotton drawstring bag for using in the washing machine. I was extremely curious about these little nut shells, so the day they arrived I opened them immediately. I was greeted with a strange smell, not unpleasant, maybe a little sweet. To look at they are nothing special. Most of them are broken in half so you have a bag of half shells that look exactly like the picture shown above. They are quite dark brown in colour and are half circles. To touch they are quite solid and I would presume that it's the saponin that makes them a bit sticky.

So.... how on Earth do I use them? Well, according to the leaflet enclosed, you pop six half shells into the drawstring bag, pop a few drops of essential oil in the softener drawer if you so wish and then chuck it in the drum of your machine on top of your washing.

I didn't bother with the essential oil as I was a bit unsure as to whether it would be safe on fabrics and to be honest I didn't really see the point. When the cycle had finished and I opened the door there was no smell. I wasn't too sure how I felt about this to begin with. I didn't think I was too fussy about smells, but to not be greeted with a smell was a bit strange. However, after thinking about it and realising that the smell I was used to was caused by so many chemicals, I decided that the lack of smell could only be a good thing.

So, how did the clothes wash up? Well, the clothes belonging to my partner and I were great - perfectly clean. However, the cuffs of the kids clothes and the knees of my sons jeans hadn't come up as well as I would've liked. Still, I had just purchased a large bag of these, so I decided to stick with them for a bit. You can use the same batch of soapnuts for 4-6 washes, so the bag really does last ages. I do a fair bit of laundry and it took me 6 months to get through the bag.

In these 6 months, I discovered that the soapnuts are slightly more effective (though still not perfect) if I didn't fill the washing machine right up - I'm not talking half loads here - just one or two less items. I also realised that because they don't have the brighteners that conventional soap powders do, they don't get your whites really white. However, the flip side of this is that for exactly the same reason, they don't fade your colours either, but instead keep them nice and strong.

Soapnuts can also be used in a dishwasher or for hand washing dishes. I haven't done this, so can't comment. I think the lack of bubbles would be an issue for me here.

Soapnuts are very eco friendly as they come in a re-usable cotton bag, and the soapnuts themselves can be composted after use.

Due to the fact these are completely natural, they beat even non bio detergents when it comes to suitability for sensitive skin, allergy and eczema sufferers.

At 3p per wash, compared with approximately 25p per wash for a standard non bio, soapnuts are a very cost effective way to do your laundry. Plus there's no need for seperate softeners, saving even more.

If you're not sure if these are for you, you can get a sample by sending a 48p SAE to the lovely people at www.inasoapnutshell.co.uk.

If you do decide to purchase some soapnuts, a small bag will cost you £4 and give you up to 150 washes (based on using 6 half shells 4 times). A large bag will cost £7 and give you up to 300 washes. Both of these prices include delivery.

Overall, I would say if you only do laundry for adults and maybe even older children, these would be fantastic. For my footballing son and my food dribbling toddler they're just not good enough. I find this very unfortunate as £7 for 6 months would certainly be my preferred choice instead of £5 per week I am currently paying for my powder.

I will definitely use soapnuts again in the future, but until my kids are a bit less messy, my soap nutting days will have to go on hold.

Summary: A very economical and ecological alternative to conventional detergents, but just not strong enough