Keep your whites white

To help with those stubborn stains, like beetroot on white shorts (my 5 year old likes to wear his beetroot!), run cold water over the stain, then cover with bi-carb soda and let it sit overnight.  Wash the bi-carb soda off with cold water, then take your current Sindhiya SoapNuts washbag and (if not already wet) wet it then rub the stained area vigorously with this to form a lather.  Then place the clothing into the wash as per normal.  Use a cold water wash and let the load soak for extra cleanliness.

A teaspoon of citric acid in with your washload will help to keep your whites gleaming white.

Lemon juice is another natural bleach so try soaking your ‘stained’ washing in a bucket with a ratio of 1 cup lemon juice to half bucket cold water.

Always hang your white washing in the sun as this not only helps to naturally disinfect it, but also naturally ‘bleaches’ it.

Best way to tie your SoapNuts washbag

I’ve found that the best way to tie your SoapNuts washbag so that the SoapNut shells do not escape is to loop the string over the top of the bag as you would an elastic band.  When it becomes wet, the cloth expands and the tie is secure.  It’s best to wait for the bag to dry to unloop the string....you can do it when it’s wet, but it’s much easier when it’s dry!

Do you want your washing to have a certain fragrance?

Sindhiya SoapNuts leave your washing smelling clean and fresh because there are no toxic fragrances added.  You can, however, add essential oils if you would like your washing to have a certain scent.  Just add a few drops of your essential oil of choice to the wash bag, or (if using a top loader) add a few drops to the water once the machine has filled.  Be careful not to get any directly onto your washing as it may leave an oil mark.  By adding the essential oil to the water rather than the washbag, you can change the scent for every wash! 

My favourites are lavender, eucalyptus, clove and peppermint.  You could also try lemon and orange.  The choice is up to you!

Save water, money and time....

Sindhiya SoapNuts leave no residue on your washing, so you don’t need to do a rinse cycle.  This will not only save you water and money, but also time as the wash cycle will be shortened.  You will have to check your washing machine to see when to stop its full cycle and avoid the rinse cycle, thus saving you water, money and time!

Stubborn Stains

To help with those stubborn stains, like grassy knees or red wine, run cold water over the stain, then cover with bi-carb soda and let it sit overnight.  Wash the bi-carb soda off with cold water, then take your current Sindhiya SoapNuts washbag and (if not already wet) wet it then rub the stained area vigorously with this to form a lather.  Then place the clothing into the wash as per normal.  Use a cold water wash and let the load soak for extra cleanliness.

For heavily soiled washing, use a warm to hot water wash as this will extract more saponin from your wash bag of SoapNuts, giving it a more powerful clean.  This will mean, however, that your SoapNuts washbag will have to be reloaded with fresh SoapNuts after the 2^nd or 3^rd washload.

Pre Wash SoapNuts Liquid

I’ve found that by keeping the wash bag in a jar of water between wash loads, the water can be used as a spot stain remover/pre wash liquid.  It also acts as an indicator of when to reload your wash bag with fresh SoapNuts as the water will remain clear when no more saponin is being released.

SoapNuts Liquid Concentrate for Front Loaders

Some front loading washing machines use only a small amount of water, so using SoapNuts in the wash bag supplied may not give an effective clean.  Instead, bring to the boil and then simmer your SoapNuts in water for 20 minutes, then strain the liquid concentrate and use this in your front loader drawer.  Use 20-25 whole SoapNuts (half cup of broken pieces) to 1 litre of water.  Be sure to simmer on the lowest heat or your liquid will boil and bubble over....which wouldn’t be so terrible as it would clean your stove top at the same time!

My tried and tested Multipurpose SoapNut Liquid Recipes

Once you have used SoapNuts in your washing machine for 4-6 washloads, you can then reuse them by making a multipurpose SoapNut Liquid. Or, you can make up a multipurpose SoapNut Liquid Concentrate from fresh SoapNuts.

Simply place approx. 4 whole SoapNuts (sml handful of broken pieces) to 1 cup (approx. 250ml) of water in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer, lid off, for approx. 20 minutes.  (I wait until I have approx. 20-25 used SoapNuts (about half a cup of broken peices) and boil them in 1 litre of water)
Strain the liquid and place the SoapNuts in your compost or worm farm, then use your Multipurpose liquid as follows:

Shampoo

add 2 drops of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and 2 drops of Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) essential oils to 250ml of Multipurpose SoapNut liquid.

Body Wash

 add 4 drops of the essential oil of your choice to 250ml of Multipurpose SoapNut liquid. (I like Rose Geranium!)

General Household Cleaner

 add 4 drops of Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globules)/Orange (Citrus aurantium)/Lemon (Citrus limonum)/Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) essential oil to a spray bottle of Multipurpose liquid.  Shake before use.  Great for cleaning dirty marks from walls/carpet/bench tops/stove/bathroom sink/toilet.  Your all-in-one cleaner and disinfectant.

Pest Spray/Pet wash

 add 2 drops of Clove (Eugenia carophyllus) essential oil to a spray bottle of Multipurpose liquid.  Shake before use.  Great for keeping aphids and other bugs off your roses and vegetables.  Lightly spray your curtains and inside your clothes cupboards to keep moths at bay and leave a fresh, clean aroma. Keeps your pets’ coats shiny and healthy and free from mites, fleas & ticks.

Dishwasher

 Place 5 whole SoapNuts into the cutlery basket and fill the rinse aid dispenser with vinegar...Voila! Sparkling clean dishes with no chemical residue.

PLEASE NOTE: Essential oils have a strong effect on the body.  It is advisable to do adequate research as to which oils are right for you!

What are your experiences with Sindhiya SoapNuts? 

Do you have any SoapNut secrets or recipes to share?  If so, please email them to recipes@soapnutssindhiya.com.au