FRECKLED BEAUTIES: February 2011

I have had the lucky priveledge to review a new and innovative way to think about cleaning and clothing care: Soap Nuts! Earth’s Berries Soap Nuts are an economical, environmentally friendly alternative to your standard cleaning products. Recognized by most for its safe and effective laundry uses, Earth’s Berries Soap Nuts has a multitude of other household uses including:

All-purpose cleaner
Pet friendly shampoo for your furry friend
Steam-cleaning spot treatment
Liquid hand soap
Body wash
Shampoo
Jewelry cleaner
Window cleaner
Vegetable wash
Pest repellant

So what are Earth’s Berries Soap Nuts? Here's an excerpt from their website:

“Soap nuts aren't technically nuts. They're fruit, taken from the soapberry tree (Sapindus mukorrosi). In appearance, they're similar to the lychee nut, yet they're not grown for consumption. Thanks to their high concentration of foaming "saponin," soap nuts are used throughout the world as cleaning agents.

Harvested in India and Nepal, soap nuts have been used for centuries in Southeast Asia and for decades in Europe. In the past decade, it has made its way to North America, where it has been recognized as a natural, potent cleaning alternative to the harsh chemicals common to detergents and household cleaners.”

Read up more on Earth's Berries Soap Nuts and all their great uses here.

Some great advantages of Earth's Berries Soap Nuts:

CHEAP!
Cost effective!
Global conscientious!
Fund raising
Fair trade

So now - my experience with Earth's Berries Soap Nuts in one word:

FANTASTIC!

I purchased a large bag (1kg) from TheShoppingChannel when I saw Karen's intriguing presentation on TV. That 1kg bag will do approximately 300-400 loads of laundry. With a purchase price of $30 CDN - that equals maximum $0.10 per load!!! The average laundry detergent runs around $0.30 per load - so it's pretty obvious which is better on the wallet.

First I started using it for laundry. Following the directions on the bag (which can also be found here on their website), I used it as my only laundry soap for several weeks - and I have had nothing but great results! Clothes come out clean with no odor or scent from the soap - even my husband's nasty work pants that he has slugged through the mud - completely clean! Hot water, cold water, small loads, large VERY dirty loads - didn't matter what the combination - it all turned out clean and fresh!

I was very impressed, and quite pleased with myself for finding such an effective natural product :)

So I moved on to see what else Earth's Berries Soap Nuts could do for me...and so began the creating of soap nut liquid. I followed Karen's video instructions at the Earth's Berries Soap Nuts website to create a rather large quantity of soap nut liquid - very easy to do!

So my first batch all jarred and ready to be put to the test!

I then used it in a spray bottle as an all-purpose cleaner - on counters, table tops, cabinets, sinks...great easy cleaning!

I then used it to spot treat a few dirty areas on some drapery - worked FANTASTIC! Stains were completely gone with no discoloration or residue on the drapes. It totally saved me from taking each panel down and throwing them in the wash. Saved me time and energy!

Now my routine has been to create Earth's Berries Soap Nuts liquid and freeze it in ice cube trays. Since my freezer is in my laundry room, it's easy access to "ready to use" cleaner. I alternate between using the soap nuts in the muslin laundry bag or using a cube or two of the frozen liquid for each laundry load. Both work just as well.

I plan to use Earth's Berries Soap Nuts for all my child's laundering needs...including cloth diapers!!! I have full confidence it won't let me down.

Check out the Earth's Berries Soap Nuts website to read about all the goodness that soap nuts brings, including testimonals...and order your bag today! Also check out their facebook page here.