Maggie’s Pure Land Soap Nuts
Soap Nuts are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry tree (pictured). They contain saponin, a natural cleaner used for thousands of years to clean clothes, just like the plants used by Native Americans for washing. It is 100% natural and safe for all skin types, even the most sensitive.
I was introduced to Maggie’s Pure Land Soap Nuts a little over a year ago. I was starting up my AP friendly business and one of the moms in my mom group recommended them to sell locally. They weren’t available locally and after talking to her a little more, I decided to give Maggie’s a call. I ordered a bunch of product and started selling what I could. I ran into a slight problem though, I was being asked questions that I didn’t know the answers to BECAUSE I NEVER TRIED THEM! Duh.
I started using them on the kids’ clothes, followed by the cloth diapers and eventually using them solely for our laundering needs. I honestly wasn’t in love like I thought I would. The kids’ clothes never smelled clean or looked clean. I would wash things two or three times and some things never were white again. Our clothing started to look dingy all of the time, so I asked around a bit to a few of the moms that I know use them and LOVE them. I found that some hung their clothes out to dry on the line, so the sun bleached out stains and got rid of the “smellies”. Another mom said that she used OxyClean with the soap nuts to help brighten whites. Another one said to use vinegar as a softener… add this, do that, wait – did you try this? I was getting overloaded. I ended up using more of the dried soap berries with each load and washing less clothes in each load and things weren’t improving much. At first I thought I was being particular because I was a TIDE user and TIDE had a smell. I was expecting NO smell, but instead the clothes were coming out smelling like something close to vomit. Really, especially with the kids’ clothes. And, they didn’t do jack for the cloth diapers.
Then Maggie’s came out with a liquid version, which was filled with lavender, citric acid, lemongrass and Tea Tree Oil… all organic essential oils which were divine to the senses. I gave it a go thinking, maybe in liquid form the soap could get to more of the clothing. The first batch of clothes came out ok. For the second load, I put in my sack of nuts ( 
), more of the liquid laundry detergent and vinegar for the rinse cycle. Much better with the smell, BUT the clothes were still looking a bit dingy, socks were still grayish brown, and my daughters super cute white top was looking more light gray then white. So, for load #3, I put in the sack, the liquid, the vinegar and then added OxyClean and the load came out really well. I liked it, wasn’t in love, but willing to go on a second date.
I consistently used this array of soaps and cleaners for months. I clean about 14 loads of laundry a week and I started to realize that my supply was dwindling, so I started adding it all up. I was going through a $35 dollar gallon of liquid every week! Not to mention the OxyClean, regular soap nuts and the vinegar. It was getting to be too much and way to expensive. So, I quit using the liquid laundry (which really is nice, if you can afford it!) and started boiling the regular nuts to make my own liquid and it worked out ok for a while. I started going through a $35 kilo bag a month, which was better then a week, but still, it was pretty expensive. So, I stopped using it for laundry and started making my own laundry detergent, which still needs to be perfected, but it works. Or I go and get Costco’s eco-friendly detergent (which is not good for diapers, learned that one the hard way!).
I said that I stopped using it for laundry, but I haven’t stopped using soap nuts all together. I still boil them and use the beautiful brown juice as an ingredient in my all-purpose cleaner. It rocks my socks! I love Soap Nuts for cleaning and I use it every day! So, my overall feeling is – I hate it for laundry, but LOVE it for cleaning! I have also used it in the kids’ bath water (when I am out of Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castille Soap). I have used it to wash my hands and even my hair! I love the squeeky clean that I get. I really don’t get much of a lather, which is why I prefer Dr. Bronner’s, but it does the job when I am in a bind.
I am a Soap Nuts lover overall… just don’t touch my threads.
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