Convert from detergent to soap nuts!

[Doel Trivedy]

Soap Nuts - 100% natural substitute for ordinary detergents.

What are soap nuts?

soap nuts, or reetha, are actually not nuts. they are the fruit of the soap nut tree which are harvested and then air dried. These fruits are the best known source of naturally produced saponin and grow easily in the mountains.

Do we really know the contents of the cleaning materials we buy of the shelf?

We trust a brand, and rightly so. but we must also know that in the last 50 years tens of thousands of synthetic chemicals have been invented. hardly any of these substances have been tested for safety. instead, they have been added to our food, water and everyday cleaning products without our consent or informing us of any dangers. there is a lot of intentional suppression in this industry that adds approximately 1,000 new chemicals each year. So we really dont know what each pack of cleaning material we are bringing into our home contains. companies are not legally bound to tell us everything. they can hide behind the 'business secret' clause.

Why should we avoid using detergents?

the production, packaging and use of detergents pollutes the environment considerably. chemical residues from detergents are non-biodegradable and are known to cause harm to humans in the form of skin allergies, respiratory problems, psoriais and eczema. the phosphate run-off from detergents is a great source of water pollution. it leads to eutrophication of the aquatic environment. technically we can recycle phosphate from water but india has too few plants to handle the load thus putting our water bodies at risk.

so if we have a safer and as effective alternative then why dont we use it. we dont want our children, home and clothes to be exposed to chemicals that can cause allergy and after-effects. reducing our exposure to these household chemicals is advisable. also washing our clothes doesnt need to be bad for the environment.

soap nuts are safe to be used for all types of laundry and can even be used in washing machines! everyday wera and delicate clothes, silks and woollens. they help to maintain absorbency and have natural anti-bacterial properties.

also since there is no soapy residue to rinse away we use less water! soap nuts work out more economical too and we wont need to buy any fabric softeners. also once the

here is how to use them:

1. take 5 soap nuts and put them in a muslin bag. soak in 500 ml of hot water for atleast 15 minutes.
2. add the soap nut water and the muslin bag into a bucket, then fill the bucket with water and the full load of clothes.
3. stir and leave to soak for an hour.
4. scrub and rinse as usual.

the same bag of soap nuts can be re-used. jsut hang the wet muslin bag with soap nuts to dry till the next wash.
soak again before the next wash.

so go ahead and buy a bunch of soapnuts - convert from chemical to natural quick!

please ask for more information if in doubt..:)

[gautam pandey]

wow.. will try this for sure!

[soniya kopargaonkar]

hi
i read ur article! u talking about reetha we use in making shampoo?

[Doel Trivedy]

yes its the same thing! and it works perfectly.

[Subrata mohapatra]

For woolen and costly garments Reetha is the safest nature made detergent. I have also tried it in washing machine and got a wonderful result. Added with shikkakai, it acts as an unmatched hair wash shampoo.

[Doel Trivedy]

wow thats great. i will have to try the homemade shampoo soon.

[roshini sethi]

thats great info, very useful and easy too...but where can i purchase these soap nuts from?

[VIBHASHREE RAO]

u r a genius! will surely try this .but where are these available?

[Doel Trivedy]

soap nuts can be easily bought at general stores. they are called reetha. organic sopanuts can be bought at the good earth stores.