Soap nuts have been around for centuries. It’s one of the oldest medicinal plants in the world which is native to India and Nepal, and is known by other names like ‘Indian soapberry’ and ‘washnut’.

Sapindus is a genus of about five to twelve species of shrubs and small trees in the lychee family, Sapindaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the world. The genus includes both deciduous and evergreen species. Members of the genus are commonly known as soapberries[3] or soapnuts because the fruit pulp is used to make soap. The generic name is derived from the Latin words sapo, meaning "soap", and indicus, meaning "of India" [From the Wiki]

Traditionally, these nuts are used as a natural remedy for many health problems and skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis. It is hypoallergenic and has natural antibacterial, anti-fungal and insecticidal properties. Today, they’re a popular, natural, biodegradable and environment-friendly alternative to chemical detergents as the soap nut shells contain saponin, a surfactant which is released when the soap nuts are soaked in water.

Do they actually work? What does research say

A research paper assessing the efficacy of soap nut as a scouring agent and checking the bursting strength of the knit fabric scoured with soap nut instead of detergent for industrial purposes, especially during the pretreatment of fabric has found that “soap nut could be a sustainable and cheaper alternative to synthetic detergent in knit fabric scouring method”.

This research on naturally soiled cotton fabrics that investigated the primary and secondary washing effect of soap nuts at different temperatures (60 and 90 °C) found “good washing performance of soap nut shells evaluated through primary effect was obtained especially at 90 °C”.

This study “establishes them as a potentially safe and eco-friendly source of saponins for processing cotton fabrics”.

Many zero wasters have used soap nuts for years and say their clothes come out of the washing machine clean, as long as they aren’t too dirty. They are not recommended for dirty nappies, grubby kids clothes and very smelly gym and work clothes, as these will need something stronger. Some soap nut users say rubbing very dirty patches with a bar of soap or a paste of bicarb and water before washing solves this problem.

Those who use them recommend pre-soaking stained clothing and bleaching whites using percarbonate to keep them white, else they will start going grey after a while. Some say that soap nuts need to be activated before use by soaking them in a cup of hot water before adding them to your cold-water wash cycle. A high spin is recommended to ensure agitation. You may also need to use a hot water cycle.

In addition, some say that they work better in a top loader and don’t work well in a front loader because there is not enough agitation. They are an inexpensive option for washing clothes, as the same berries can be used for multiple loads, making them cost effective. Some people like the fact that their clothing doesn’t have a chemical smell when they come out of the washing machine, however others don’t like the smell clothes washed with soap nuts have, finding it a bit weird. If you’re not a fan of soap nuts’ natural smell, those who use them recommend adding a drop or two of an essential oil to liquid soap nut laundry detergent.

The quality of the berries does apparently make a difference though, with sellers of soap nuts advising buying quality soap nuts for good results as these will have higher saponin content. In other applications, the Sapindus Mukorossi species was used as a flow improver of heavy crude oil in this study and results were compared with a commercially available surfactant. It was found that the “addition of soapnut reduces viscosity and yield stress of crude by 87% and 83% respectively at 30 °C which is helpful for economical transportation of the heavy crude”. And in a study on the performance of two plant-based surfactants in the removal of heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn) from soil, “the overall performance of the batch washing process indicates that both surfactants were very effective in soil washing” and “the effectiveness of these surfactants is due to their ability to form micelles and subsequent removal of heavy metals from the soil surface by reducing the interfacial tension”.

Who should use it ? - ALL!

Sopanuts can be used by everyone . As the world is moving towards chemical free lifestyle, everyone can use soapnuts instead of SLES rich chemical products.

Soapnuts, along with saponin, are also rich in fatty acids (EFAs). This special composition is particularly effective in treating the following conditions:

• skin conditions such aseczema, psoriasis and rashes due to allergic reactions (due to its allergy-free, anti-fungal and antibacterial nature)
• dry skin
• mature and ageing skin due to the anti-ageing and anti-oxidant effect.
• delicate skin, particularly for babies and toddlers.
• acne-prone skin, as it dries up excess oil in the epidermis and reduces the appearance of clogged pores.

Conclusion

It is openly acknowledged by the soap nut industry that soap nuts are not as effective on stains as chemical detergents, but they maintain that “based on our experience and countless other people’s opinions from around the world, Sapindus Mukorossi soap nuts are excellent for general laundry needs, multi-purpose cleaning, personal care, and various other uses”.

They suggest doing your own test by handwashing a dirty cotton face mask or cotton T-shirt in water first, followed by a handwashing it in soapnut liquid.

So if you want serve a nature your bit , Soapnuts are definetly one of the option you can look for .