You can use a nut to clean your laundry? That's Nuts!

Allow me to introduce you to nature's tide pod, the soap nut!

*Soap nut takes a bow*

*The crowd goes wild*

It's true, you can use a nut to clean your laundry. Regular laundry detergent has a few negative environmental impacts that come with it. The chemicals used to clean your clothes end up in bodies of water, where they can create algal blooms that harm the fish and other water dwellers. They also come packaged in plastic, and we should all be trying to cut down on that! Tide pods are super convenient, but they're a single-use plastic, and that plastic ends up in a landfill or in the water like the rest of our laundry detergent.

That's where soap nuts come into play. They are safe for our water-dwelling friends and plastic free. Not to mention, they are also a great move if you're trying to save money. When I was a broke college student, I dreaded the day I would run out of laundry detergent. That stuff can run a pretty penny. But then, I bought a pack of soap nuts from Amazon. I bought that pack almost two years ago, and I haven't had to buy laundry detergent since! And I've even given away some soap nuts to friends, but I've still had plenty left over to do my laundry.

So, what is a soap nut?

Well, it's exactly what it sounds like! It's a nut that has many of the same properties as soap. So, it can be used for cleaning but it's 100% natural.

Just like soap, a soap nut bubbles up when it reacts with water.

Where do I get soap nuts?

I bought this pack from Amazon, and as I mentioned before, it's lasted me almost two years, I have given a substantial amount away to friends, and it's still not close to running out!

How do they work?

Just like a tide pod!

For real! Just throw them in with your load of laundry. The soap nut will bubble up and do it's magic while your washing machine is running its cycle. Your clothes will come out smelling completely neutral.

You can even reuse soap nuts! They don't loose all of bubbly power after one use. I have reused one nut three times and it's still worked great.

I personally have not ventured past the realm of laundry yet, but people use soap nuts for many more cleaning purposes! I have heard of soap nuts being used as a clean alternative to shampoo and dish soap. The possibilities are endless!

Do they really work?

In case it's not clear yet, I wanted to verify that soap nuts get a five star review from me! I was skeptical at first, wondering if they would actually give my clothes a good cleaning. But now I can say that they really do! And I love that I don't have to worry about where my laundry detergent is going when it's done washing my clothes. And it's helped me cut down on plastic a little bit, because traditional laundry detergent is usually packaged in a big plastic bottle! Using soap nuts is a small step towards helping our water friends stay safe, and towards helping our planet!

I hope I've convinced you to try using soap nuts too! My next step is to see where else I can use them as a replacement for chemical-filled products. If you know of any other uses for soap nuts, leave a comment so we can all try it out!

Lastly, let's spread the word!

Had you ever heard of soap nuts before this? I for one wish I had heard about them sooner, but there isn't a whole lot of talk about them. Let's change that! Let's get more people to switch from laundry detergent to soap nuts. Share your soap nuts with your friends, and share this article on social media to spread the word!

Let's keep taking steps to protect our water friends and our planet!