Soap nuts are an affordable and entirely non-toxic way to do laundry.
Despite the name, a soap nut isn’t even a nut… it’s a berry. That makes this laundry soap completely safe for those with nut allergies.
Homemade Liquid Soap Nuts Laundry Detergent
Ingredients:
- 1 cup soap nuts (approx. 2 oz)
- 4 cups Water
- 1/2 cup Vinegar (this acts as a natural preservative)
Supplies:
- Measuring Cups
- Mesh Strainer
- Water Tight Storage Jar
Instructions:
- Measure and pour all ingredients into a large pot. Bring to a low boil and then reduce to a med-low heat to simmer with the *lid on* for 30 minutes.
- Stir and mash the berries occasionally with a slotted spoon.
- After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue to simmer at a low heat for 30 more minutes to remove excess water.
- Continue to stir occasionally.
- Remove the pot from the heat, strain into a clean glass bowl with a mesh strainer and let cool.
- Pour detergent into a water tight jar for storage.
This should yield approximately 2 1/2 cups of liquid detergent, which will 40 loads in an HE machine or 20 loads in a standard washing machine. Yield may vary depend on the heat settings used while cooking.
To Use:
Use 1 tablespoon per HE load, or 2 tablespoons per regular load. More may be used on heavily soiled loads. As with any detergent, pretreat tough spots.
Amanda Hearn
Amanda may be best known as the voice behind the Eco-Friendly Family blog, where she’s been writing since 2009, about topics like parenting, cloth diapers, non-toxic menstrual products, chemical safety, & healthy living. She also has a passion for digital design and is delighted to work in an industry that is doing wonderful things for the communities and causes she cares about. Her three children inspire her passion to be involved in the movement towards intuitive living, and all that it encompasses.
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How long is this suppose to last on the shelf? I’ve made liquid soap before but was told it only keeps a few days out or up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Does the vinegar help that much that it doesn’t go bad?
I made this over a month ago and it’s still good. I made a double batch and filled 2 reused pasta sause containers. Works very well.