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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Even one-drop-at-a-time oil spills on roads and parking lots from vehicles are enough to pollute the environment significantly. The oil spilled on the driveway, parking lots, or gas stations, not only look unsightly, but according to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, they also contribute to an estimated 80 percent of marine pollution.

When an oil spill occurs at home, most people use oil spill cleanup techniques, such as hot water pressure washing, pour paint thinner, use kitty litter, soapy water and other granular absorbents and solvents. But, the fact is that most of the techniques that you use for oil spill cleanup are not environmentally safe and cause more harm than the oil spill itself.

Even though washing down oil spills quickly removes driveway oil stains, it still leaves the driveway slippery and also proves to be harmful to the environment in the long run. Washing off oil spills results in oil being flushed into the ditches or storm sewers, which ultimately end up in streams or lakes polluting them and causing great harm to humans as well as to the wildlife.

Similarly, when you use toxic chemicals, such as detergents or dispersants on an oil spill, they break up the oil into small droplets, which dissolve for some time, but again reform and float on the water surface creating additional problems.

Gas stations often use kitty litter or other granular absorbents for oil spill cleanup. These granular absorbents soak up all the oil rather than biodegrade it. And, when the oil kitty litter is swept up and disposed off, it ends up in a land fill resulting in an environmental hazard.

On the whole, the solvents and absorbents that we use for oil spill cleanup are also harmful pollutants. Bioremediation is the only method that cleans up oil spill in an eco-friendly manner. Bioremediation is the process where the harmful hydrocarbons present in the oil are broken down into nontoxic substances by attracting the microbes present in the atmosphere. So, always make use of oil spill cleaners that make use of this technology.

OilGoneEasy

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/harmful-effects-of-environmentally-unsafe-solvents-and-absorbents-1497495.html

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