Do Soap Nuts Work In Cold Water

I did a test load on a couple of loads of heavily-soiled items like dirty cloth diapers and teenager’s athletic socks. The soap nuts worked great to remove the bad and musty smells. To disinfect and whiten I found that adding ½ cup of borax worked better.  I was amazed after starting to launder my granddaughter’s dirty diapers with soap nuts the lingering urine smell was gone.  Also, the natural saponins in soap nuts worked to strip the old detergent residue from the cloth diapers, making them more absorbent again. My daughter, a self-proclaimed crunchy mom of 4, was thrilled at my discovery!

As a person with severe allergies to scents and chemicals, I have scoured the shelves for a wash product that did not invoke an asthma attack. Yippeeee Soapnuts! For the first time in many years, I can wake up in the morning with fresh sheets and still breathe! My clothes are cleaner and softer, and we figured out the cost per load of clothing (including the dryer, no more fabric softener), approx. 22 cents per load. I love this product. And earth friendly too!

Do Soap Nuts Work In Cold Water

Yes. Soap nuts work in cold water. Saponins are released slower in cold water. If you wash in cold water, you may want to soak the nuts in a cup of warm water for 5 minutes to release the Saponin. Pour the water and the bag of soap nuts in your washer.

How to Use

Tie 4-6 soap nut shells in a muslin bag or sock and put it in the wash load. You can use the same pouch for 4 to 6 loads of laundry. If not reused on the same day, dry soap nuts in the dryer with your clothes. You can leave the soap nuts in the washer for the rinse cycle.

Natural boosters such as borax are recommended for whites. When the shells become grayish and mushy, they are ready to be replaced and added to your compost.

3.5 oz of soap nuts can be used for approximately 40 medium loads of laundry. The price per wash is about the same as commercial laundry detergent. What a bargain for an all natural product!