Plastic-Free Soap Nuts
UPDATE: Sadly, LaundryTree has closed its doors. For updated information on where to buy plastic-free soap nuts and all of our plastic-free laundry methods, please visit this post: How to Make Liquid Soap Nuts Laundry Soap Plus Other Plastic-Free Laundry Ideas. But don’t leave just yet! This is still a great story about how to get companies to change their packaging.
The original post…
Put on your fuzzy slippers. Grab a mug of cocoa. Sit back, and let me tell you a little story about why it’s worth it for us to ask for what we want. There’s free stuff at the end, so hang in with me.
Have you ever done your laundry with soap nuts or been curious to find out how they work? Soap nuts grow on a tree called Sapindus mukorossi (Chinese Soapberry) and contain saponin, a natural surfactant which foams just like soap. I’ve wanted to try soap nuts since I first spotted them in a natural grocery store a couple of years ago but have always been deterred by the plastic in the packaging. Although they are imported, the idea of using a laundry soap that contains only one, minimally-processed natural ingredient (the soap nuts are harvested, de-seeded, and sun-dried) appealed to me.
So last month, when the bloggers at Tiny Choices announced a LaundryTree soap nuts giveaway, I was pretty excited. Excited, that is, until I clicked on the site and saw the soap nuts packaging. Looked like plastic bags to me.
Not one to give up so easily, I left a comment asking what the packaging was made from. I wanted to be sure. Jenn at Tiny Choices forwarded my comment to Lisa at LaundryTree, who responded to me right away and asked for helping de-plasticking her packaging.
Less than one month later, LaundryTree has already switched to recycled paper bags! Check out the sample I received in the mail:
The natural kraft paper bags contain 40% recycled content and are lined with a minimal amount of PLA (to keep the soap nuts fresh) which makes the bags fully compostable or recyclable.
I am so impressed with a business owner that listens to her customers and responds so quickly. Isn’t this the kind of business we’d all like to support?
Of course, the packaging would be irrelevant if the soap nuts themselves didn’t work. So before writing this post, I of course tried them out. And actually, I could just send you over to the Tiny Choices review of soap nuts because their review is very similar to what I’m about to write here. They even linked to the same Wikipedia page. But to spare you the extra clicks, I’ll go ahead and write my own glowing review.
Soap nuts only release their saponin in warm or hot water. I wash in cold to save energy. But never fear, there is an easy solution. Mix up a batch of SoapNuts Soak by bringing a pot of water to a boil, removing it from the heat, tossing in 6-8 soap nuts, and letting them sit covered over night. In the morning, strain into a couple of glass jars. The used soap nuts can go in the compost. Use 1/4 to 1/2 cup per laundry load.
By the way, I’ve noticed that another major distributor of soap nuts is now selling a liquid version in plastic bottles. Look how easy it is to make without the plastic. Easy as boiling water. Of course, if you’re like me and forget about pots on the stove, this procedure might not be as easy as it is for most. Still, I can deal. Because one batch of Soapnut Soak will do at least 8 loads of laundry.
Now, I’ll be honest. Soap nuts smell pretty darned funky. In fact, when I poured some out on the carpet this morning to take a picture, Soots and Arya went just a little nutty sniffing them. So, as you can imagine, I was skeptical about how my laundry would smell. LaundryTree promises that our clothes will not end up smelling like the soap nuts.
So, after adding the Soapnut Soak to my cold water load of light colors, and watching in amazement at the amount of foamy bubbles produced, I felt compelled to sniff every item as it came out of the washing machine. And you know what? They just smelled clean. Fresh. That’s the only way I can describe the scent. It was nothing like the smell of the soap nuts.
Some people prefer to add scent to their laundry, and to that end, LaundryTree sells a variety of essential oils. For me, the oils were completely unnecessary. I like my clean to smell like clean.
@Rebecca that is some really interesting information. I’m going to look further into this, is I am a big fan and user, and advocate and promoter, of soap nuts. I had no idea about the consequences you mentioned.
I scanned over the other comments, however, I didn’t read every single of them, so I’m sorry if someone else already pointed this out: While I appreciate the idea of a laundry detergent that grows on trees and doesn’t have to be made from chemicals… I read a book recently that made me re-think my enthusiasm on this particular “green product” (and some others, too). The book is called “Ende der Marchenstunde” and is in German… so probably not too interesting for most of the readers of this blog. 😉 Essentially, it’s about questioning the actual impact of “conscious consumerism”, and here’s what the author had to say about soapnuts:
While they are certainly less toxic than “normal” detergent, we might actually be releasing more toxins into the environment by using them. And why is this? Because since so many people in the USA and Europe think it’s cool to go green and want to use soap nuts, prices of this crop have multiplied and a lot of people in India, where it is native, are no longer able to afford it. So while soap nuts are exported to the so-called first world, a lot of Indians have switched to cheap chemical detergents, possibly more aggressive than most and applied by hand by those who don’t own a laundry machine.
Authors conclusion? “Green” products are a hoax.
My conclusion? Not necessarily all the time… but just because something seems to be green, doesn’t mean it really is. And in order to know whether we are making the right choices, we ought to try looking at the big picture. Though, of course, that’s easier said than done…
I’ve tried to verify the story above by finding other sources for it, but I haven’t yet. What I HAVE found is other accounts of how the price for soap nuts is now many times of what it used to be. And while the consequences weren’t mentioned in those other sources, to me, they sound too rational to dismiss.
So… I don’t buy soapnuts anymore.
What I use, at the moment, is some sort of ball that according to the description contains minerals and stuff to clean your laundry and allegedly can be used about 1000 times before wearing out. I don’t know whether I’ll stick to that method forever, but at the moment, it seems to be the best solution I’ve been able to find.
What a great blog you have! I found you in my search for soap nuts info. You’ve convinced me that it’s something I need to try so if the promo is still open please throw my hat in the ring.
And my question to Mother Earth – Please can you tell me if the little things I am doing add up? I worry that it’s just a drop in the ocean since corporations are still allowed to pollute with little or no consequence.
Anita, I’m sorry you got the plastic bag! Did you use the FAKEPLASTICFISH discount code?
Dear Earth,
How many people do we need to make the change away from plastic before you start feeling better?
Just started reading your blog & love it.
I’m willing to try using soapnuts in my front-loading washing machine. I greatly appreciate the absence of plastic packaging! And the absence of “fragrance.”
Can soapnuts be used for shampoo?
Susan Dorey
Those soapnuts things sound cool. Would those who pick them up mind doing some science for the rest of us and see how well they work in front load vs top washers, cold vs warm water for the liquid and solid versions, etc?
hjohnson587 at good ole G-Mail (take THAT spam bots!)
Dear Earth,
I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. We seem to be going through a rough patch in our relationship these days. I love your birds and flowers, and you do a lot for me that I don’t even know. Looking to the face of that wolf made me breathless, and you know I’m on your side about the hunting of them that’s going to start. I think it’s pretty cool how you gave some atoms to form some plants and animals that my parents ate to form me. But for a random sack of atoms that formed by pure chance thanks to you, I sure don’t treat you right.
I always wanted to live forever, Earth. Losing the cohesion of my atoms scares me. I still am in denial over it’s eventual occurrence. But I’m starting to realize I already have achieved immortality, in some form. Every piece of plastic I use will still remain, even after most of my molecules have become small furry animals. I just hope the suburban species diversity improves by that point, I don’t want to be a pigeon or grey squirrel. But I’m forgetting the point, that the most lasting mark I will likely make is the remaining CO2 produced to power my life, all the chemicals I’ve used, and all the trash I’ve thrown into the ground. That’s not how I want you to remember me.
I don’t know what I can do to treat you right, Earth. You’re high maintenance. It’s so easy to tread on you without realizing.
This is hard, Earth. I don’t know if I can change. But I know we’re meant to be together. Maybe we should get couples therapy. Though that’s not fair to you, I’m just wanting more than you can give. When have I ever had to give for you?
Wow this is absolutely a terrific Idea. And they will work in HE front loaders! This is terrific, thanks for the tip! Please include me in the contest.
twitter me at LadyLiberty13
Dear Mother Earth,
I have been trying to help keep you cleaner. Everyone in my family has noticed, and everyone at work. Trying these soap nuts would be another way to help. Thank you.
Joyce Howden
Dear Mother Earth,
I am sorry for the part I have had in hurting you. I am doing my best to live more lightly upon your surface even though sometimes it seems impossible. This past year has been an incredible journey and I am so happy to have become closer and more in tune to you. Thank you for all your gifts to us – I promise to use them wisely.
Jen
Dear Mother–
I wanted to say thank you. I don’t take enough time out of my day to thank you, I really should. I should thank you not only for the beauty you have surrounded us with — the mountains I can see from my window, the smell of the rain or the snow, the beautiful way that the plants around me grow and support each other — but thank you for shining, and sharing. Thank you for sharing everything you have with us, for letting us explore you and learn from you, from giving us yourself to be fascinated with, to be in love with. Thank you for keeping mysteries and secrets from us, for making things interesting for us. Thank you for revealing yourself slowly, keeping the best part of you yet hidden for us to find. Thank you for supporting us, for letting us grow and change and live. And thank you for being patient with us, forgiving us as we try to sort our mistakes out and fix them as best we can.
Know, Mother, that we have an innate love for you, we are terraphiles, each and everyone one of us at heart. Not one of us can watch your glorious sunrises, witness your magnificent forests and mountains and oceans without feeling that stirring that lets us know how deeply we love and care for you.
Like any relationship Mother, we need to keep learning to undertand you, we need to learn to help and care for you, we need to learn from our past mistakes so that we can keep moving forward, and eventually we will be able to take care of each other the best that we can. You may not need us, Mother, but I like to think that you care for us as much as we care for you, I don’t think you want us to go, I think you just want us to stop hurting you.
We want to, Mother, we do, we just need the time to learn how.
~Sarah
I’m so excited at the prospects of this!
Dear Earth,
I’m so happy that you are taking care of us while we are here living on you. I’m sorry that we treat you so badly. My family is trying very hard to change our behavious so that we can show you LOVE!
Thanks Beth for the post! I’ve been dying to try these. I too would like to know if they can be used on cloth diapers.
Calley
Never heard of these before but would love to try them!
I’d ask the Earth if what I was doing was making a difference. Sometimes I get discouraged, thinking I should/could be doing more.
Di
That is so cool! I have a hand crank washing doohickey, and I line dry, so this would be the icing on the proverbial cake! I’d ask the earth what ONE thing she wishes we could all do? What’s ONE thing that if every single person on earth did, it would make a difference?
I’ll order some for sure if I don’t win. I love it so much!
Cool.
I use Charlie’s Soap right now and I’m pretty happy with it, but I certainly wouldn’t mind switching to something else with even less processing! BUT how do they work on diaper laundry? How do they work in high efficiency washing machines when they produce so many suds, which can be damaging for HE machines? It’s really cool that there’s an eco-conscious company out there making them available and I’m curious if they’ve looked in to using other naturally soapy botanicals, like soapwort! Perhaps they can add it to their selection of products, hm…
Dear Earth,
I was raised by a pair of original hippies, so I kind of rebelled against their earthy, nature-centric philosophy for most of my life- no patchouli for me! But I have my own daughter now and when I look at her I’m worried about what will be left of you for her. Will there still be sea turtles to see when we go to the beach, rare as they are now? Will she be stuck cleaning up our garbage or will we have figured out how to clean up our own mess by then? I sure hope so, for your sake and her generation’s future. I just don’t know what we’d do without you.
Love,
Jackie
forgot email:
Dear Earth,
As a pretty devout Jewish Atheist, I feel like I am cheating…on WHO/WHAT exactly?!…by writing to you. Do you feel as odd as I do about you being both a natural entity and a supernatural entity? Somehow this seems to be at the core of true worship and feels both uncomfortable and very authentic.
Your disciple,
The Raven
Dear Mother Earth,
I know you’ll be fine long after we’re gone. I have seen flowers blooming in the cracks of sidewalks, and I know you’ll be all right. I have seen trees growing up out of gutters, roofs, old brick patios, and I know you’ll be okay. I have seen ants and mice move in to man-made homes, tornados strip away entire neighborhoods, and whole barrier islands shrug off the beach houses built on your shifting sand. I know you can take care of yourself.
I just hope to enjoy your abundance while I’m here, and foster an even greater abundance for those who come after me. Mother Earth, you tell me. Is that right?
Love,
Emily
Dear Mother E,
I just wanted to let you know that I’m trying. I’m not nearly perfect, but I am trying to get better with every choice I make. I’m having a hard time convincing my husband that my little choices do make some difference in a problem he doesn’t even think exists. Please don’t swallow him up — I’m still working on him.
Thank you for spring! I’m enjoying hanging my clothes outside again.
Love,
Colleen
Whoa! This is the coolest laundry detergent ever!
Dear Earth,
I’m not sure why we have to make living so difficult. Here we are going through countless manufacturing processes just to clean our clothes, and it turns out that laundry soap grows on trees!
There you sit shaking your head at all the trouble we go through when you provide us with everything we need; but like bratty teenagers, we think we have a better way…
Maybe one day we’ll all grow into adults and will calm down enough to sit back and reminiscence with you about how ridiculous we *used* to be.
Dear Earth,
I apologize for the thick headedness of some my fellow people.
Please know that as time passes more and more people will come to see the errors of their ways and join in the green revolution to help make you happy and pure again.
Can you wait long enough for us or are we doing to much irreversable damage to save you, our beautiful planet Earth, or ourselves?
I would say…please don’t give up on us. We are not all hopeless. Despite a good majority of your inhabitants being ignorant and wasteful, there are some of us that try really hard in everything we do to keep you happy and not make you sad. I’m sorry we are so consumed with material belongings that we just keep industrializing to the point there are no trees, flowers, and animals left. I’m sorry some of us cannot be okay with the beauty that just “is”.
My email is
Dear Earth,
I am trying. Adjusting my life to benefit you is harder than I thought, but I am doing my best. I hope it makes a difference!
-Britt
Dear Mum,
I’m writing to encourage you to have faith in us. Over the past few years, more and more of us are trying to patch up what we have ruined, one baby step at a time. Give it a bit of time, and I’m sure even the big corporate conglomerates will begin to see the error of their ways!
Thanks Beth!
Hurr, I forgot to add my question.
Earth-Mother, will you forgive us?
OH WOW. I have been interested in soapnuts for a while, so I’m glad someone I follow has an opinion on them!
Dear Earth-Mom:
I’m sorry for my fellow man. I’m sorry that everything we do hurts. I’m sorry that it’s so ridiculously hard to recycle some things, and I’m sorry that there are things that can’t be recycled at all. I’m sorry that people forget that the things we do don’t hurt just ourselves, but you.
I am glad that growing up, I was told fantastic (in the truest sense of the word) tales of the people that came before us that knew how to treat you well, and I can only hope that someday we return to the same sentiments as we live our live.
Even if those that persecute us Greenies, Eco-freaks, Hippies and pagans ignore your pain.
WE most certainly won’t.
Oh my goodness, that’s a great review! I have always wanted to try soapnuts, but we haven’t had our own washer and my laundromat frowns upon experimental detergents (not to mention I’d be afraid one of the nuts would get stuck somewhere and break the machine and I’d be in trouble!). I didn’t know you could boil them like that, PLUS now we do have our own machine and I can do my laundry however I want. I’d so love to try them! Thanks!
Oops. Looks like I should read the rules better…
Dear Earth (I’ll call you Mother):
We really ARE trying. I despair sometimes that there aren’t enough people who care, but then every day I read more and more about changes people are making. But is it enough?
I’m sure YOU know, Mother, what we need to do in order to turn things around. I only hope we can figure it out and DO it, before it’s too late for us.
I would ask the earth if I’m still on the right track, are there things I’m doing that are pointless? Things I’m over looking?
I would also love to know for sure just how bad the earth is right now!
So how are you feel earth???
You have my e-mail but just in case-