Soap nuts may hardly have any match when it comes to sustainable cleaning. Since they grow on trees, they are completely renewable and safe without any harmful chemicals. Even the energy required to process and make them commercially available in the market is minimal. Best of all, they are very powerful and versatile cleaning agent with a wide variety of applications. They require very less water and are extremely easy to use. So, here are a few popular ways to use soap nuts for sustainable cleaning.
Soap Nuts for Laundry Detergent
Doing laundry is probably the most common use of soap nuts. All you need to do is tie a few pieces of soap nuts in a small piece of cloth and place it inside your washing machine. This can help you do away with the costly laundry detergents and fabric softeners you have been using for so long. Just one or two berries are enough for soft, hot water, and you can reuse them one more time. In case of cold, hard water, five or more berries may be required but you can reuse them multiple times.
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Soap Nuts for Shampoo
Shampoo is another popular application of soap nuts. Many Ayurvedic formulations for hair growth contain these little berries. Just mix a few drops of liquid soap nut into some warm water and your 100% natural shampoo is ready. Use it like a regular shampoo.
Soap Nuts for Dishwashing
If you use a dishwasher, place 4-5 soap nut berries into your machine and run it as you would normally do. Consider adding white vinegar for natural rinsing. If you handwash your dishes, you can either make a liquid detergent or simply add a soap nut berry into your hot water sink.
Soap Nuts for All Purpose Cleaner
You can use the liquid detergent obtained from soap nuts as an all-purpose cleaner. Dilute it as required and fill it in a spray bottle. You may add essential oils to it if you so prefer. You can now use this solution for cleaning cupboards, doors, floors, sinks, utensils, etc.
Here is how to make your own liquid detergent from soap nuts
