Soapberries

Soapberries

If you Struggle with Sensitive Skin or Multiple Chemical Sensitives, Soapberries for your Laundry May Help Bring the Relief You Need

Jae O. Haroldsen 

Do you have sensitive skin that is easily irritated or prone to inflammation? Or maybe you deal with Multiple Chemical Sensitives (MCS) causing rashes, fatigue, headaches, memory loss, confusion, or joint aches from low-level chemical exposure. A chemically produced laundry detergent might be part of your problem.

You have to have clean clothes, but washing them solely in warm water doesn’t take out the accumulated smells or stains like when you wash with soap. Don’t fret. You no longer have to deal with the irritation of commercial laundry soap. We have found an eco-friendly alternative with the cleaning power of chemical soaps.

Introducing... Soapberries!!!

Soapberries or eco nuts come from naturally growing plants including the Sapindus Mukorossi tree species. These plants are native to warm tropical or temperate regions of the world. The plant’s berries contain a low-suds cleaner called saponin.

Soapberries are natural, biodegradable, pesticide-free, and safe for septic systems. This makes them perfect for washing delicate clothing or baby clothes.

To do laundry, place 5-6 soapberries in a mesh bag and throw it in the washing machine with your dirty clothes. After the washing machine fills with water and starts to agitate, the saponin is released to fully wash your clothes.

When using soapberries, there is no need to add chemical-based fabric softeners either during the rinse cycle or in the dryer. In addition to cleaning, soapberries also act as a natural fabric softener, leaving your clothes soft and pliable.

A few eco nuts go a long way. You can reuse the 5-6 berries for up to ten loads of laundry. Soapberries are economical, too. They cost slightly less than most commercially available laundry detergents.

Our 5oz net weight soapberry package is available for only $6.99. Each package contains enough berries to wash 60 loads of laundry. You can purchase soapberries on our Purogenics website.

 

To get the Best Cleaning from your Soapberries

Soap nuts only get soapy in hot water. If you are used to washing everything in cold water, you will need to make some adjustments to get the best cleaning power out of your soap nuts. You could switch to washing your clothes in a hot water cycle.

However, to conserve energy sources and cost, we recommend you can soak the berries in boiled water for a few minutes to get the saponin to release. Add the soaked berries and the soaking water to your wash. Doing so will effectively clean your clothes in a cold-water water cycle.

 

Soapberries can be reused as long as they contain saponin. After the completion of a wash cycle, while the berries are still wet, simply squeeze the berries. If a foamy liquid is released when you squeezed, the berry can be used in your next laundry load.

Soap nuts are a good cleaner. However, they are not a whitener or stain remover. You can add other natural cleansers to your wash cycle like baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, or borax to help remove tough stains.

Give soapberries a try today! Your skin will thank you.

 

Sources: 


Purogenics Announces Soapberries for Fragrance Allergy Sufferers. Press Release. 2013. https://www.pr.com/press-release/498687

Burgan, Blaine. “Where do Soapberries Come from and How to Use Them.” Pure Natural Cleaners. https://purenaturalcleaners.com/where-do-soap-berries-come-from-and-how-to-use-them/

“A Natural Living Guide for Chemical Sensitive.” Greenopedia. https://greenopedia.com/wp-content/uploads/Natural-Living-Guide-for-the-Chemically-Sensitive.pdf

Ryan, Sheryl. “Detox Your Wardrobe: Natural Cleaning Material + Laundry Tips to Keep Toxins Off Your Skin.” Greenopedia. https://greenopedia.com/natural-clothing-and-laundry-tips/

“Adding Soap Nuts to Your Load? Pros and Cons.” 2016. 1 Million Women. https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/adding-soap-nuts-your-load-pros-and-cons/

“Waste-Free Laundry: Do Soap Nuts Actually Work?” Reusable Nation. 2018. https://www.reusablenation.com/zero-waste-living/waste-free-laundry-do-soap-nuts-actually-work

Laitala, Kirsi. “Cleaning Effect of Alternative Laundry Products. A Comparison of Soap Nuts, Laundry Balls, Washing Pellets, Laundry Magnets, Water and Regular Detergent.” Research Gate. 2012. file:///C:/Users/Jae/AppData/Local/Temp/FinalLAITALA_HPC4_2012.pdf

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