Soap Nut Review and Giveaway (from The Laundry Ladies)

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I normally make my own laundry detergent, but when I came across The Laundry Ladies at a local farmer's market selling soap nuts I just had to try them.  They graciously gave me some soap nuts and a laundry dryer bag to try.  The Laundry Ladies are offering FOUR of our readers a choice of the trial size soap nuts or the trial soap nut liquid (see giveaway at bottom).  AND, they are offering a 10% discount for our readers using code LEXIENATURALS10!  This code will be good until January 26, 2012 and can be used in their online store.

Soap nuts are actually a fruit from the Sapindus Mukorossi Tree.  The shells of this fruit contain saponin which produces suds and breaks up oils and dirt in clothing.  Learn more about soap nuts here.  

So, how do the soap nuts work?  You simply put 5 soap nuts into a muslin bag (included with purchase) and throw it into the wash with your dirty laundry.  You can reuse the same nuts 5 times or until they no longer produce suds and are grey in color.  I actually found that I could wash 6 or 7 times with some loads of laundry.  

The soap nuts come with detailed instructions and other uses.  You can also make a liquid version with the soap nuts by boiling them in water.

Other uses for soap nuts:

• household cleaning (windows, counters, sinks, floors, etc.)
• jewelry cleaning
• bathing
• hair washing

I used the soap nuts in the laundry, and I made a liquid version.  I used the liquid version to wash clothes and my hair.  Yes, my hair!  

What I loved:

• The soap nuts actually washed well.  The clothes were just as clean as if I'd used normal detergent. 
• Using soap nuts is a very frugal option.  You can buy 5 soap nuts for just $3 and since you reuse the same soap nuts that's about $0.60 per load (and only $0.19 if you buy the replenish bag for only $12).  It's even cheaper if you boil the nuts and make the liquid version (only about $0.09 per load).
• You can use them for so many different things.
• I love to reduce, reuse, and recycle and I really feel like using soap nuts helps me do just that.
• It cleaned my hair nicely without over drying.
• I didn't feel the need to re-rinse my towels like I do with conventional detergent because there aren't many suds when using soap nuts.
• The lavender dryer bag was heavenly. It made my clothes smell so very nice! I just wish it lasted more than a few loads.  

What I didn't love:

• When I made the liquid version I could hardly stand the smell, BUT once I added some lavender essential oil it was much better!
• I couldn't use the soap nuts on my soiled kitchen towels.  I only wash once a week so my towels sit all week in a container.  Perhaps they'd work if I washed more often.
• While I found the liquid version to work on my hair, I didn't just love it for the clothes.  I found the soap nuts worked much better.

Overall?  I really loved using the soap nuts and dryer bag.  The Laundry Ladies were very helpful with my questions and I loved working with them to bring you this giveaway.  

Don't forget that you can use the code LEXIENATURALS10 to get 10% off your order with The Laundry Ladies through January 26, 2013. Visit their website to see all of their other fabulous products. 
If you are reading this via email you must click the rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway.

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*The Laundry Ladies did provide me with soap nuts, a muslin bag, and a lavender dryer bag; however, I was in no way paid to write this review.  Nor was I obligated to write a positive review.  This review is my personal opinion of the products I tried.