SOAP NUTS & RECIPE

Soap Nuts are the best natural laundry detergent I have found. These little beauties come from a tree and despite their name they are actually the dried fruit from the tree. The seeds are harvested to be used and to be planted to make sure there are soap nut trees for as long as people want soap nuts.

Reasons I love them -

- They're inexpensive! I'm frugal so this is my #1 reason for liking them. They average $0.15-$0.19 per load of laundry depending on the size of bag you purchase.

- They work! These little beauties keep the laundry odor free and clean as well as soft - even with boys!

- I no longer use fabric softener! Soap nuts softens your laundry much as vinegar does. (In case you didn't know it - vinegar is great for softening your laundry!) For a nice smell I simply put 10 or more drops of my favorite essential oil or oil blend on an old wash cloth that I planned to throw out and place it in the dryer.  Lavender works great when washing the sheets and Orange is wonderful for the towels.

- I feel good about using them! They are sustainable and natural. I am protecting my family and my planet! Yeah me!

One bag of 5 soap nuts washes about 5-7 loads of laundry (depending on your water) and then you remove the old and put in new. My husband grew tired of having to change the soap nuts out so I started making liquid. (See recipe below) This made him very happy and since he does do laundry, as do my sons, it is important to make sure they are happy about the laundry procedures. :)

Check out our website for natural laundry soap you can feel good about. BeautePurpose.com

 

SOAP NUT LIQUID

To make Soap Nut Liquid simply add 16 soap nuts to 6 cups of pure water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. I simmer mine covered. Simmer for about an hour. Allow liquid to cool and remove soap nuts. Store liquid in an airtight glass container. I store mine in the refrigerator to extend the shelf life. Even in the refrigerator the liquid should be used within a few days. Never a problem at my house.

If you like your clothes to smell good I recommend using an old wash cloth as a dryer sheet. Place a few drops of your favorite essential oil or essential oil blend on the wash cloth and through it in the dryer with your clothes.

If you have extra smelly clothes or want extra softness - use a quarter to half cup of white distilled vinegar along with the soap nuts liquid. I do this with our towels and sheets and I love the clean softness that results. Be careful with vinegar as it can lighten dark clothes if the dye is not colorfast. I use it as a bleach alternative since my youngest is allergic to chlorine bleach.

Wishing you wellness,

Regina

Vinegar - The Natural Home's Friend!

When I first started looking for natural alternatives for cleaning my house I found this article on using plain white distilled vinegar for all sorts of things. It was amazing so I had to share it!

My favorite uses are:

- cleaning the floors, toilets, bathtubs, etc
- adding it to white clothes to brighten and soften clothes (handy with boys at home)
- pouring down the garbage disposal to kill odors

Check out all the uses for your vinegar, I think you'll be amazed. Share your favorites and let us know if you use it for something not listed.

Melinda shared that she uses apple cider vinegar for congestion and to keep mosquitoes away.

So here's to the lowly white distilled vinegar and it's many uses around the house!

Enjoy http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/go/index.php/357/uses-for-vinegar/

Let me know what you use vinegar for.

Wishing you wellness,

Regina

From Natural News - (NaturalNews) One of the major issues being tackled by consumer watchdog

groups this year is the presence of 1,4-dioxane, a synthetic

petrochemical carcinogen, in consumer products. Since hair care

products, cleaning formulas and laundry detergents are all susceptible

to containing this toxic chemical byproduct, which is not listed on

product labels, David Steinman from the Green Patriot Working Group

(GPWG) began a study in 2007 to see which consumer products are the

worst offenders. This year, his organization along with the Organic

Consumers Association (OCA), released the results of a portion of the

study conducted last year on laundry detergents. Read more

Here is their list -

Conventional brands:

1. Tide (P&G) – 55 parts per million (ppm)

2. Ivory Snow Gentle (P&G) – 31 ppm

3. Tide Free (P&G) – 29 ppm

4. Purex (Dial Corp.) – 25 ppm

5. Gain 2X Ultra (P&G) – 21 ppm

6. Cheer BrightClean Detergent (P&G) – 20 ppm

7. Era 2X Ultra (P&G) – 14 ppm

8. Arm & Hammer (Church & Dwight Co.) – 5.0 ppm

9. Wisk 2X Ultra (Sun Products Corp.) – 3.9 ppm

10. Woolite Complete Detergent (Reckitt Benckiser) – 1.3 ppm

11. All laundry detergent (Unilever) – 0.6 ppm

12. Dreft powdered detergent (P&G) – non-detectable (ND)

13. Sun Burst (Sun Products Corp.) – ND

"Natural" brands:

1. Planet Ultra Liquid laundry detergent – 6.1 ppm

2. Mrs. Meyers laundry detergent – 1.5 ppm

3. Clorox Green Works Natural laundry detergent – ND

4. Ecos laundry detergent (Earth Friendly Products) – ND

5. Life Tree Laundry Liquid – ND

6. Method Squeaky Green laundry detergent – ND

7. Seventh Generation Free & Clear laundry detergent – ND

Here is a link to the entire article http://www.naturalnews.com/028846_laundry_detergents_dioxane.html

For laundry soap from nature, check out Beaute Purpose Soap Nuts beautepurpose.com/natural-home/

Wishing you wellness,

Regina