Introducing...
SOAP NUTS!
Last fall I discovered a phenomenon called Soap Nuts at the Ten Thousand Villages store in Ephrata. It might be hard to guess, but they are actually nuts with the properties of soap.
I have to admit I was a bit skeptical, but I happened to have Lorien along who had used them before and she had nothing but good words to report.
Soap nuts come from the fruit of the Chinese Soapberry Tree (Sapindus mukorossi), found in Asia, and have been used for thousands of years.
Not only are soap nuts used for their cleansing properties, they have also been known in India to treat eczema, psoriasis, freckle removal, and even to get rid of lice! They are odorless, biodegradable, and great if you have sensitive skin.
I bought just a handful from a store in Mount Joy to try them out, and at the register discovered them to be incredibly over-priced. However, the results were fabulous... they left my clothes bright and cheery clean, odorless, and quite soft!
So today I bought a 1 lb. bag at the Ten Thousand Villages Store (which sells fair-trade products from around the world) in the KOP Mall. For one load of laundry, just put 5 or six nuts into a muslin bag (included) and throw it in the washer. The nuts can be reused 4 or 5 times.
500 gram bag from Ten Thousand Villages - $14
De-seeded mukorossi soapnuts, from Nepal
The nuts can also be soaked in warm water to make a liquid soap to be used as a body wash or as a cleaning product!
See this website for tips on purchasing soapnuts.
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