Soapnut Soak can safely replace many household chemicals: window cleaner, bathroom cleaner, kitchen cleaner, floor cleaner, multi-purpose cleaner, liquid hand soap, delicate laundry soap, and even shampoo! It’s nearly effortless, and the results are so useful and economical!
- In a heavy saucepan with a lid, add four cups of water and 7 - 8 soapnuts.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then gently simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat and let it sit, covered, at least until cool. (Leaving the liquid to sit overnight will result in a stronger soapnut solution).
- Strain the liquid with cheesecloth to remove any small pieces of shell. (If you don’t have cheesecloth, you can even use your washbag as a strainer). Discard remaining soapnut shells.
- If you’d like your Soapnut Soak to have a scent, add your favorite essential oils. (We like to use lemon or tea tree oil for bathroom cleanser, lavender for cold water laundry loads, and Sweet Orange for dishwasher cleaning liquid).
- To store, pour the liquid into a container with a lid.
This batch of Soapnut Soak will wash at least 8 loads of laundry. (Use 1/4 to 1/2 cup for each load). The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to accomodate your laundry schedule! Your Soapnut Soak will keep at least 4 weeks, if kept covered and away from direct heat and sunlight.
To wash in cold water, use 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Soapnut Soak, (depending on how soiled the load is). Add it directly in the washing machine. For heavily soiled laundry, more Soapnut Soak can be safely used.
You can make your own Soapnut Shampoo using Soapnut Soak! This solution will leave your hair feeling soft and clean!
- Mix Soapnut Soak with 10 to 15% of your favorite shampoo. Use the mixed solution to wash your hair.
- Use an old shampoo bottle to hold your new Soapnut Shampoo, or, if you want to make your shampoo have more suds (like store-bought shampoo) use a pump bottle instead.
- If your hair feels slightly more stiff than normal once it’s dry, use less Soapnut Shampoo next time. No permanent harm done.
Wash chemical sprays and pesticides away with this simple mixture of Soapnut Soak and water.
- In a bowl, add 1/2 cup of Soapnut Soak to 2 cups of water.
- Soak your fruits and vegetables in the mix, or pour it into a spray bottle and spray them instead.
- Always rinse food well before eating.
Fill a spray bottle with 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of Soapnut Soak. Spray and wipe windows or mirrors clean. Remove any streaks with a dry cloth or wadded-up sheet of newspaper.
To gently wash delicate laundry:
- Add 2 tablespoons Soapnut Soak to warm water.
- Gently agitate laundry until clean.
- Rinse with warm water.
- Hang or lay flat to dry.
Keep Soapnut Soak in a spray bottle, and use it to clean all around your house!
- Experiment with the concentration until you have a mixture you prefer.
- If you like, add a few drops of any of our essential oils to make your home smell wonderful! We particularly love the uplifting scent of our Energy blend!
The most important thing to know about using soapnuts is this: it’s SUPER easy! And it’s really kind of fun, too!
- Put 3-5 soapnuts (or the equivalent in broken shells) in the small cotton drawstring bag that came with your soapnuts. (If your clothes are not very dirty, or if your water is soft, you may want to experiment and use fewer shells.
- Pull the bag closed and toss it in the washing machine with your laundry.
- You won’t need detergents and softeners, but you might want to add a scoop of oxygen bleach if you prefer really bright whites. And just like with regular detergent, if you’ve got tough stains, you’ll probably want to consider using a stain remover.
- Your clean laundry won’t have a scent when finished, but you can use your favorite essential oils to add fragrance.
- Wash on the hot or warm setting, and rinse in cool or cold. (Click here for information on washing in cold water). (You can leave the wash bag in during the rinse cycle, because the saponin is only released by the hot temperatures of the wash cycle).
- You can re-use the same soapnuts in your laundry up to FOUR times! Re-use them immediately, or set them aside to dry out and and be re-used later.
For more info on using soapnuts, check out the information categories at right.
It’s important to clean the leaves of your houseplants, because dust on their leaves blocks sunlight and reduces the plant’s ability to photosynthesize.
- Mix 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons Soapnut Soak in a clean spray bottle.
- To wash plants, spray the leaves and then wipe them clean.
This solution above is also wonderful for repelling and even eliminating common houseplant pests:
- Spray plant thoroughly and generously, covering all surfaces, including the top of the soil.
- Allow to air dry.
On average, 3-5 soapnut shells work great, but keep these variables in mind:
- If your water is hard, try using 4 or 5 shells for better results.
- If your laundry isn’t very dirty, try using 2 or 3.
- If you use hot water washes, your soapnuts will quickly release all of their saponin, and they won’t be good for as many re-uses — so try using fewer soapnuts the first time. We like to wash the really grungy stuff first (like hubby’s greasy work jeans) and then wash the “less dirty” loads (like colors or towels) with the same nuts.
- Our most important advice: experiment to find out what best suits your family’s washing conditions!
We just received a new shipment of soapnuts that are larger and sappier than any we’ve ever seen!
That’s good news for you — it means that the nuts will quickly release their saponin, and you’ll need fewer soapnuts. If you’ve noticed a difference in our “loads per bag” estimates recently, this is why. (Because the individual fruits are larger and heavier, in the same total weight, you get fewer than before). Our solution: try using less soapnuts for each normal load — we think you’ll find that your laundry will still get clean!
Saponin (the natural soap compound in soapnuts) is only released in higher temperature water. Therefore, we recommend using warm (or hot) water to wash your laundry. To wash your laundry with cold water, just whip up a batch of Soapnut Soak, and use it in place of commercial detergents.
Absolutely! Just whip up some Soapnut Soak and use it for cold water and delicate washes.
Certainly! Whip up a batch of Soapnut Soak, and add a few tablespoons of it to your hand washing instead of detergent.
Nope! You’ll be amazed to find that soapnuts will leave your laundry soft and fresh — without the use of any fabric softeners! We find that the difference is most noticeable with jeans and towels.
Soak your jewelry in Soapnut Soak for 15-20 minutes. Use an old toothbrush to gently remove debris, then rinse with clean water and polish with a dry cloth.
