Review: Nuts for Soapberries

What Are Soapberries?

Soapberries are harvested from Sapindus Mukorossi, or soapberry tree and are also called soap nuts. They are native to India and Nepal, where they thrive in the tropical climate.

After the drying process, the fruits resemble hollowed-out nuts, giving them their moniker. Since they are actually berries, they are nut-allergy safe.

How Do They Work?

Soapberries contain saponin, a plant-derived, organic chemical with soap-like properties. When agitated in water, particularly at higher temperatures, it creates mild suds and acts as a cleansing agent. The saponin is contained in the berry's skin, so halves and pieces work as well as whole berries.

To use as laundry detergent:

1.) Put four or five berries in a cloth bag (One or two bags will be included in the box, typically.)

2.) Toss in the washer with your clothes, preferably using warm or hot settings, or after steeping in boiling water for a few minutes.

3.) Wash as normal. There is no need to remove them during the rinse cycle because they also work well as a fabric softener.

One bag is good for about 10 loads. When the berries become thin, brittle, or lose their color, replace them!

Do They Work?

Yes, with some caveats. My niece, Ess, and I tried Eco Nuts in two different situations with some pretty awesome results!

I’m an avid hiker, so I’m no stranger to gross socks and smelly sneakers. I wore some pristine, white socks on a multi-mile hike and then washed them with soapberries for this review. To ensure I found the correct test sock, I marked it with an “A” in red sharpie.

Here’s how it went:

As you can see, not only did I manage to clean most of the dirt out of the fabric, but it reduced the appearance of the red ink, which I was not expecting! Most importantly, while the socks didn’t have that chemically created “clean” smell we’re all used to, it no longer smelled like straight foot sweat. A win, for sure!

My niece's husband, Jay, is a mechanic, and anyone familiar with this line of work will tell you that it can completely wreck your clothes! So Ess has been using extra-strength detergent on Jay’s jeans to remove the large amounts of grime and oil he inevitably comes home with.

She tossed his clothes in the washer, with the setting on cold (I’d forgotten to tell her they work best in higher temperature water), and voila! Clean jeans! Unfortunately, she also told me they still smell lightly of motor oil.

Here’s how they look:

According to Green Matters, soap nuts are antimicrobial and can help kill harmful bacteria while being gentle on you and the environment. However, it’s important to note here that to fully eradicate dangerous microbes, you’ll need to use hot water as well.

The best news? You don’t have to take my word for it; you can try it out yourself! There are many sellers, including Eco Nuts and PlasticFreeZone on Etsy, who sell sample sizes!

How Eco-Friendly Are They Really?

According to Farmer’s Almanac, not only are soapberries a great zero-waste alternative to regular detergent, but they’re entirely biodegradable! So when they are paper thin, toss them in the compost pile with your leftover greens. They are also unappetizing to insects because of their bitter taste, eliminating the need for pesticides.

Soapberries are all-natural and don’t contain the harmful chemicals you'll find in traditional detergents. According to 1millionwomen.com, the tree itself is also great at reducing CO2 in the air.

Eco Nuts reports that they collect the berries directly from their natural environment, so there is no need to plant a monoculture of Soapberry Trees, so they minimize their footprint in the region. The dried berries come in easily recyclable packaging, as well.

However, it’s important to note that using a high-temp wash will waste more energy than using the cold setting. To offset this issue, steep your berries in boiling water for a few minutes before using them. This will prep the berries to work their best while reducing the amount of power wasted.

Where Can I Buy These!?

I bought my Eco Nuts from Earth Hero and got 100 loads for $11.89! You can also purchase them directly from the Eco Nuts website.

Unfortunately, they are sold out as of the date of this review, but you can sign up to receive a notification for when they are back in stock or search for other brands online.