I was a little skeptical. It seemed like a scam when there were no suds at all and it felt like I was doing laundry in just water, but after doing 4 large loads of laundry, including pee'd bedding that usually takes vinegar to get the smell out (i used nothing but the soapnuts), they came out smelling clean. I used the same 5 pieces of soapnuts for all 4 loads. I've also done 4 loads of dishes in the dishwasher using another 5 pieces of soapnuts and the dishes came out clean everytime.I didn't really know what I was getting into when I stumbled on Soapnuts for the first time. I had did a lot of research on the web and I came to the conclusion these things were too good to be true. I really didn't believe they would work, so I went to their website and ordered 2 trail size pouches with enough to do 5 loads each for a couple of dollars and waited for their arrival. I had 5 loads to do the day my package arrived and these things produced SOAP! I couldn't believe it, I watched the washer for a couple of minutes and you could tell the nuts were really releasing soap. Its not a foamy soap, like a lot of people are use to due to phosphates in regular detergents but they really work. I went to Amazon.com the very next day and ordered the 5 lb box of pieces ( there are a lot of high quality nuts in the "pieces" bag, and with 1 oz. of nuts doing 5 loads of laundry it will do almost 800 loads before I run out of nuts. The only thing I wish NaturalOli would have done with this purchase is send a couple of more canvas bags for the nuts (I only received one with the shipment. I have gave away my dryer sheets and fabric softner too, with the use of soapnuts the only thing I have found one needs is a small amount of vinegar in a Downy ball for the rinse cycle,(one gal of vinegar cost me 2.00 vs. almost 6.00 for trad.fabric softner) my cloths have never been so soft or so clean. I take the used soapnuts once they are "used up" and let them dry out in a Mason jar and compost them in my compost bin. No more plastic laundry detergent bottles to recycle either...Its a win win for my family and the planet.I've been researching soap nuts after I discovered them at my local health store. The reason I had been researching them is because the soap nuts I purchased there were good but not great. I love the concept, the product itself is good for the environment, and it couldn't be easier to use . .buuut. .. I knew there had to be better product offerings out there. I found the best I believe in this brand! The soap nuts from NaturOli don't even compare to the ones I bought locally. They are high quality, packaged in an environmentally aware manner, and they WORK great! The shipping was fast and the company follow-up was personable and thorough. Their website offers more than enough info for anyone to get the most out of their order plus I got a free sample of their concentrated wash and a body wash both great items. The soap nut concept in general is a no brainer they work, they are re-usable for making household cleansers, and they are compostable after all is said and done. I use three or four nuts for a load of laundry re-use the same nuts for a second load, then keep a bucket next to the washer for saving the "spent" ones. When I have enough spent nuts I add them to a pot of water, boil, strain, add some essential oil lemon juiceand a dash of dish soap and tada, I've got a great household cleanser that works better than most store bought ones. Then on top of all of that I compost the boiled nuts when I'm done love it!
If your an environmentally aware person who likes saving money while your helping the environment, you have to give this product a try. If you like good customer service and quality products NaturOli is the company to try them from.This is not a negative review of soap nuts in general, which I love and have been using exclusively as detergent for almost 5 years. Rather, this is a negative review of NaturOli's product, the 5 lb. soap nut pieces. In short, the product just does not work as well as Maggie's whole soap nuts.
I was very excited to see this product on the market, as it is a cheaper and (I believed) equally effective alternative to what I had been buying. However, since I started using them, I have been required to use significantly more product for each load, and I must religiously swap out all the soap nuts after two loads. Trying to use the nuts for a third load inevitably results in clothes that remain dirty and smell musty and gross. This is in comparison to Maggie's whole soap nuts, when a third and even a fourth load of laundry from the same bag would come out just as clean as the first.
Also, the smaller pieces don't stay put in the little cotton bags, so I'm often picking out soap nut pieces from my laundered clothing. I know, it's a small detail, but it's aggravating after a while.
I thought that buying this huge bag would save us money; instead it has been a disappointing reminder that you do get what you pay for. I can't wait until we've used it all so that I can go back to whole soap nuts again.I've been using soapnut pieces with the HE front load washing machine for 6 months now. Was very satisfied with NaturOli the company but soapnuts simply didn't work as well as expected. For those who are thinking about trying it, bear in mind:
1)Don't expect white clothes come out bright white (I even use oxygen bleach everytime. Still, my husband's under shirts and my 2-year-old son's T-shirts are stained and turning yellow/grey.)
2)You might need much more soapnut pieces per load than suggested. We have hard water. I originally used equivalent to 5 whole nuts per load and used them for 4 loads (I also added baking soda or vinegar to each load). Then I noticed my clothes came out smelling stinky. Now I know better to use 50% more soapnuts per load and only use them for 2 loads. Turns out, using soapnuts is not very economical.
With that said, soapnuts are great for dark color clothes and towels. Clothes and towels come out fluffy and soft without having to use any softner. I also like soapnuts as a degreaser/cleaner for the kitchen. I use pieces/powder to scrub the stove and it works great.
NaturOli Soap Nuts / Soap Berries PIECES - FIVE POUNDS! (1000+ Loads) - Seedless "USDA" Organic! -
Posted by
Unknown
on Saturday, October 5, 2013
0 comments:
Post a Comment