Soap nuts are actually not a nut; they are in fact a berry from trees that grow in particularly in India and Nepal. A very ecological and economical way to do your laundry, they have been used for centuries thanks to their degreasing qualities.

Once ripe, soap nuts become sticky due to the high content saponin contained in their shells that, when added to water, act as a natural detergent. The detergent properties of the saponin in the soap nuts is due to a combination of lipophilic components (soluble in oily organic compounds) and hydrophilic compounds (soluble in water), which, when agitated, remove grease from clothes, skin or soiled surfaces.

Soap nuts used as shells or in liquid form, do not need any processing or industrial production. Neither do they require any added pollutants (phosphates, solvents, whitening agents) before use. Also when using soap nuts, the water released from your washing machine contains nothing harmful to the environment. In fact, the saponin from the nuts acts as a very good solution to combat the propagation of parasites and the aphids in the garden. Soap nuts are, therefore, considered as non-toxic and non-polluting.

Other Advantages of Ecological Laundry

Soap nuts are not aggressive towards clothing and linen
Soap nuts are very effective for washing delicates, wool and silk without pilling or spoiling the shape
Soap nuts are great for making colours vibrant again
Soap nuts are hypoallergenic and excellent for anyone who suffers from skin complaints
Soap nuts are more economical than traditional washing detergents
Soap nuts can be used for multiple purposes: laundry, jewellery, pets, household, etc.

What Results Can I Expect For My Laundry?

Due to the natural characteristics of saponin, soap nuts are considered to be less effective than chemical detergents but, they are sufficient for most washes. They are great for colours and delicates and can be used for hand or machine wash in temperatures of 30° to 90°. They are also suitable for dish-washing. The people who use soap nuts are generally of the opinion that this green, ecological manner of washing is as good as washing with chemical detergents, although for heavily soiled laundry, the use of a stain remover or bicarbonate of soda is recommended.

Instructions For Use in The Washing Machine

Put 6 half nuts into the cotton bag (normally provided) and add to the laundry in the drum
Add a couple of drops of your favourite smelling essential oil to the wash; because the soap nuts offer no scent.
Re-use the same nuts 3 to 4 times more for low/medium temperature, and less for hotter washes
When the soap nuts become soft, throw them on your garden compost heap and use new ones for your next wash

Soap Nuts Liquid Soap

If you decide to use soap nuts in a liquid form, the same rules apply in terms of using in the washing machine; temperatures ranging 30° to 90°.  Just add about 40ml of liquid direct into the drum or the drawer of the machine and wash as normal; not forgetting the essential oil for scent.

A Few Tips & Tricks

If your laundry is very dirty, pre soak it with bicarbonate of soda as well as the wash nuts.
If there are stains, rub with Savon de Marseille then soak as above
If the water is very hard, soap nuts can be less effective so add a little baking soda or white vinegar to the washing machine

How to Make Liquid Soap

More Uses for Soap Nuts

Available in the UK
For more information, visit our website at http://www.naturalfrenchsoap.com
and our blog at  http://www.naturalfrenchsoap.com/blog.html
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Is living clean and green difficult? Well, it can be a little difficult when you are not completely sure how to go about doing it. Some may assume that living green is a complex or difficult process. In the past, it was tough to live green. Other than keeping your energy expenditures down and replacing inefficient appliances, there was little a person could do. Those with significant budgets could procure solar panels for the home. Today, solar panels are not a luxury as they have come down greatly in price. And, thankfully, there are scores of other minor methods that can help improve your home’s ability to go green. Some of these other methods are well worth exploring.

For example, did you know that there are organic cleaning agents that can replace many of the traditional chemical detergents that are commonly available on the market? These detergents are made with natural products that do not deliver the problematic fumes that can make the interior of a home unsafe. And, most damaging to the environment is the release of these chemicals into the environment when they are washed down the drain. The impact of such weak disposal on the environment can be significantly enormous. Through using biodegradable and natural detergents, this negative impact will be completely eliminated. These natural detergents are also no where near as expensive as some assume which makes them quite accessible to a variety of budgets.

Sometimes, taking a few basic simple steps is all that is needed to enhance the ability of a home to go green. Purchasing incandescent light bulbs is another simple method for reducing your home’s proverbial carbon footprint. Such light bulbs use far less electricity than the traditional light bulb and last much longer. In addition to helping the environment, these light bulbs also help keep you home budget in check!

Then, there is the most common means of making sure a home is green: recycling. Recycling is significantly important to preserving the environment because it is able to reduce a number of problems associated with environmental depletion. Paper, as most are well aware, derives from trees. When you recycle something as basic as a newspaper, you are eliminating the need to need to cut down trees for future paper production. Recycling plastics is something many people will take part in although they may not be completely sure how this improves the environment. The reason it is so helpful is because plastic derives from petroleum which requires oil to product. By recycling plastic, you are reducing the need to deplete oil reserves. This helps keep the environment clean and keeps the price of a barrel of oil low.

Yes, the steps one can take to ensure a home is properly green are no where near as tough as some assume. Simply taking a few basic steps will certainly deliver the results needed to turn your home into an environmentally sound abode. Yes, if you want to contribute to the environment, you can do something about in a rather easy to achieve manner.

OCS Waste is the leading North Carolina Residential and Commericial Trash Pickup company, working alongside Governement organizations to provide services including Document Shredding in the Carolinas and Efficient Recycling services.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/clean-and-green-environment-leads-to-healthy-living-1269556.html

Please Note... All links within articles are placed by their author-owners and not by this blog.Products with in those links may or may not be the best in the world.If it sounds too good to be true it could be a scam.Articles are posted for their info,ideas and or entertainment value only.

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