...included below...I have been using these for 7 months and have been very happy with them. I am so glad to buy a laundry-cleaning product that does not come in a plastic jug, that does not leave a soap residue on my clothing or in my washer, and that cleans our clothes efficiently!
My fiancee, who has a very labor-intensive, sweaty, chemical-laden job, reports that even his work clothes come out of the washer smelling like nothing. Which is a huge improvement over the stinky pile of clothes he tosses in there! He likes that there is no scent on the clothes after they come out of the washer (no stench, no chemicals, no flowers, no perfume, just "clean").
The little bag is very durable and stays closed in the wash (we tie the drawstring in a knot for security). They also successfully run through the dryer. We have a front loading maytag commercial quality washer and a standard maytag gas dryer.
I purchased the 2 lb. bag, and I'm excited to finish it, so I can find a new use for the bag, as well. Reusable produce bag...travel lingerie bag... toiletries bag...etc.
I put "samples" of soap nuts from my big bag, into the little bags, and give to loved ones (I usually stuff the bag for them and tell them to store them in a ziploc bag or glass jar and only use about 5 or so nuts per "use", which equals about 5 loads. This way, they can get quite a few trials of them and have some on hand while waiting for their own shipment to arrive!). They sell a three-pack of the bags on amazon.
TIP 1: we keep a make-shift dry-erase board & marker on the wall by our washing machine to tally the washings with those IIII-slash line markings, using two lines for especially heavy or dirty loads. Once the nuts in the sack are washer-spent, we erase the markings on the board, dump the nuts into a big jug (for later boiling) and refill the sack. This is much easier than trying to remember/calculate how many uses the nuts had or have left (especially when two people use the same sack at different times).
The next three tips aren't about the direct use of this specific product, but since they are eco-laundry related, and about my general use of the product, I thought I'd add them:
TIP 2: Since these nuts don't attack stains, I also purchased (from Amazon) a spray bottle of BioKleen BacOut, which I keep in my laundry room for stains and problem spots. (I keep also one on each floor, for carpet spots.) Works better than other natural stain removers I have tried.
TIP 3: I don't use fabric softener, but I do put a few drops of essential oil in the fabric softener dispenser. I like how it makes my clothes smell and I think it helps repel mosquitoes as I haven't gotten bitten since I began doing this. I used to get bit very often, and others are getting bitten more then I am now.
TIP 4: In the dryer, I use organic wool dryer balls (bought on Amazon), with some drops of pure essential oil (usually lavender or peppermint). I put the drops on the balls and then toss them in for a brief Air Fluff (no heat) to dry the oil before I put my clothes in the dryer. No icky chemical (or expensive natural) separate fabric softener needed!
Disclosure: : This review is from: NaturOli Soap Nuts / Soap Berries. 2 lbs. (320+ loads). These nuts are the same product, in a different quantity.
I rely on reviews here at Amazon to help me make informed buying choices. I hope this review has helped you in the same manner. If you voted this as helpful, I Thank You! :)
A couple of tips: I bought the extra 3 bags, so that I don't have to go searching for the one that accidently got placed in the dryer. For really dirty clothes, I sometimes use a second bag as a booster. When washing with cold water, I let the clothes and soap nuts sit in the water for at least an hour before I run the washer. For stains I use either Vaska peroxide bleach or Orange oil spray. If I want a little bit of smell, I add lavender oil and water to the fabric softener cup.
It feels so awesome to use such a basic product on my toddlers clothes -no lavender oil for him.
Update on 17 FEB 13:
I bought the 5 pounds of pieces last year and they lasted me about 14 months. I'm back buying the 4 lb. whole nuts, because I think the whole nuts go further than the pieces. I'm buying the extra three bags again, as they wear out after a year of hard use. I've started adding about 1/3 of a cup of baking soda to my wash to counter our hard water and that seems to have streamlined the whole process. I'm still adding lavender oil in water to the fabric softener cup. And I've found that a half hour is sufficient for soaking the clothes and nuts. Oh, and we have two kids now, and we don't use bibs. I've also used it successfully on cloth diapers. This is a great product!I ordered the soap nuts and received my order within a few days. Included was a free sample for some of their face cream that I wasn't expecting too.
This is my first experience with soap nuts, NaturOli are the only brand I've tried. I've done several loads of wash so far and the nuts still look like they can handle a few more.
The clothes really do come out of the dryer feeling soft without using any dryer sheets or fabric softener! Only down side is with it being winter here and the heater running all the time I have a SMALL static problem...not sure how to deal with that.
I would recommend these and I will be buying them again.I was skeptical but hopeful when I bought the Soap Nuts. I was thrilled to continue my journey into toxic free cleaning. However, my hopes sank when I washed my husband's first load of work clothes. (He is in construction) The smell remained along with the dirt. I tried soaking the nuts in warm/hot water for 20 minutes as suggested. Poured the water and the nuts in the washer and even added borax as recommended. Still the same results with his clothes and my 3 boys' clothes. The sweat smell never seemed to really leave. I used lavender essential oils in the dryer which helped but felt it was only a cover up. I am sorely disappointed with the results and am not one to leave negative comments, but I couldn't let this go. My whites are dingy and regular stains remain even with using vinegar and other natural brighteners. Thus, I must try another "green" laundry cleaner.Originally, I was searching the internet for a recipe to make homemade laundry soap. I stumbled upon a blog that raved about these. The author even gave tips on how to get the most out of these, which I will share in a moment. I love how my clothes smell like ... well, nothing! It's great. I love how my clothes are coming out clean WITHOUT the use of toxic synthetic chemicals. I appreciate the "green" factor of this product. I have washed several loads...even super dingy ones, and expect that the odors will still be there or that my clothes won't be clean. I am grateful to have been proven wrong.
now to the tips (same person on the blog also left a review here):
1. keep a tally sheet by the washer to keep track of how many uses the nuts get out of each bag. (I use 4 nuts per "tea bag" and have used for 5+ loads)
2. Use Bac-Out to pre-treat serious stains. 1 part Bac-out to 2 parts water.
3. I use wool dryer balls with a couple drops of lavender oil... I have learned that the oil is almost pointless and could become costly.
Note: I have small children, which means that I have stinky pee clothes and pants with dirty dirty knees, yucky homemade wipes... In the past I have had to use baking soda to eliminate the odor and some kind of non-green, toxic chemical to get out the tough stains. The above regimen works. I love the soap nuts!
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