Hi.  My name is Angel and I've been using Soap Nuts for a few years now.  During that time I've come across a few ways to make using them easier and more convenient.  These are my tips.

I'm not a blogger so this blog is very simple and just a way for me to easily share my insights.  Please feel free to share your tips and tricks as well!

List of helpful supplies:

1. Lots of little muslin bags.  5-10 depending on how often you do laundry.  If your soap nuts did not come with any you can make them or buy a set from Amazon. Something like this:  Muslin Bags
2.  A planter pot or basket to keep your bagged soap nuts in.
3.  Mesh laundry bag - the kind you use to put delicates in.  You can get these at any dollar store.
4.  A pot or jar to keep used soap nuts in. Like a planter pot or mason jar.
5.  A small hook to hang used soap nuts bags to dry.  I use a small 3M hook on the side of my cupboard.
6.  A jar to soak the soap nuts in.

My tips:

1.  Take all those little muslin bags and fill them all at the same time (or put the kids to work!).  This is helpful for a number of reasons.  For one, you always have a bag ready to go. I hated having to fill a bag when I needed to put a load in quickly.  For another, it is super difficult to untie those little bags to refill when they are wet! This prevents all that.  Keep them in a pot or basket in your laundry room - I use a pretty plant pot.


2. Put a filled bag in the mesh laundry bag.  I recommend having one just for this purpose.  ie: don't put delicates in the same bag.  Some of the biggest complaints new users of soap nuts have is:

• the little bag gets lost in the wash and
• they can get stuck inside an item of clothing and will leave a brown mark if the item is white (this will wash out but it's a pain to have to rewash).

I've found using the delicates bag prevents both of these issues.  I'm especially happy to be able to find the bag quickly.

3. Many sites will tell you that you can use your soap nuts 5-6 times but keeping track of how many times they've been used is a pain.  There are suggestions, such as:

• tying a knot in the string each time you use it
• putting a magnet on the washing machine each time

I honestly found these WAY too much of a pain to follow so the best suggestion I've found is this:

Test if the soap nuts are still usable by placing them in a jar and adding some hot water.  Once good and wet, give them a squeeze.  If there are lots of bubbles you are still good to go.   Make sure you throw the 'tea' into the wash as well!

4.  When the nuts are no longer usable (or between washings), hang the bag on the hook to dry.  Once they are dry, empty the nuts into a pot/jar. I'm lazy so I usually wait till I have 4 or 5 dried bags and then empty them all.  

These nuts can still be used!  Once you have a good amount, boil them on the stove with some water.  Let them steep a few hours, then strain and use the 'tea' in the wash or in a spray bottle for cleaning.  You can then put the nuts in the compost.  I won't go into detail on how to make this liquid - you can Google soap nuts liquid and find lots of recipes. 

This solution will go bad so use it up quickly and keep it in the fridge.  You can add salt and essential oils to keep it fresh longer. 

BE CAREFUL WHEN BOILING THE SOAP NUTS!  They will bubble and overflow making a huge mess on your stove so watch the heat closely. :)

5.  I always soak my soap nuts in a jar of hot water to 'activate them' before using them for the first time (if they are dry).  I do this because I wash in cold water and because I have a front loading washer.   I put them in the jar and let them soak while I load the washer.  Then I throw the jar of 'tea' and the bag into the machine and press go.  The 'tea' is also great as a stain remover. 

Update:


I've started giving the bag of nuts a quick wack with a wooden spoon before soaking now.  I find that they foam up much better if they are in smaller pieces.

I have had great luck using soap nuts.  I do have to pretreat stains - I have little kids who use their sleeves as napkins - but I had to do that even with detergent so that's not any different.

Good luck using soap nuts and if you have any questions, feel free to ask!