| Soap nuts are essentially everything that all the | | | | certainly not going to try to address every single |
| major detergent producers are struggling to | | | | machine out there. They don't all operate exactly |
| develop for HE washers via chemicals. Soap nuts | | | | alike. Fundamentally they are the same, but there |
| simply accomplish it naturally and synthetic | | | | are differences. It is very important to realize |
| chemical-free. A low suds, effective surfactant is | | | | that the machine manufacturers are working with |
| the primary objective of a great HE detergent. | | | | the chemical detergent producers and writing their |
| (Just in case: A surfactant is an agent or | | | | manuals accordingly. They are certainly not |
| substance that reduces the surface tension of | | | | addressing soap nut usage. (It seems that the |
| liquids so that the liquid spreads out, rather than | | | | European manufacturer Electrolux has actually |
| collecting in droplets, hence allowing easy flow | | | | demonstrated their foresight and vision to start |
| through out water and facilitating the removal or | | | | addressing soap nut usage. More on that in |
| release of dirt, oils, grime, etc. from fabrics.) Soap | | | | another article.) |
| nuts are exactly that. | | | | Soap nuts are a natural alternative to the |
| Plus, soap nuts come with some major extra | | | | chemical detergents. In some ways they work |
| bonuses. They are naturally anti-fungal, | | | | similarly, and in other ways they work very |
| antimicrobial, biodegradable and hypoallergenic. | | | | differently. Some experimentation on your part is |
| Geesh...what more can you ask for? | | | | going to be needed for you to determine the |
| Virtually everything in this article applies to all | | | | best method of using soap nuts in your machine. |
| front-loading washers. All front loading washers | | | | I recommend forgetting about the compartments, |
| are essentially HE washers by design. They use | | | | but again experimentation is the only way to |
| tumbling as opposed to agitators to clean your | | | | know what works best for YOU. Since each |
| laundry. Interestingly tumbling the laundry is | | | | machine functions differently the compartments |
| perfect for soap nuts, for it further enhances the | | | | and their dispersion method simply introduces |
| release of saponins (all all-important active natural | | | | more variables. I recommend simply putting the |
| ingredient in soap nuts that produce the "soaping" | | | | wash bag of soap nuts, the powder or liquid |
| effect). | | | | directly in with your laundry. You can forget about |
| A very, very interesting point to be noted is that | | | | the fabric softener department completely since |
| most HE washers have a maintenance cycle that | | | | you don't need fabric softeners at all when using |
| should be run to keep the machine operating at | | | | soap nuts. If you are using soap nuts in the |
| peak efficiency. I very recently wrote an article | | | | traditional method (soap nuts in a wash bag) |
| (easily found on Ezine) specifically about purging | | | | definitely make a cup of soap nut tea and pour |
| and cleaning your machine using soap nuts. Soap | | | | the tea and bag right in with your laundry. This is |
| nuts do not leave the residues and build ups that | | | | the exactly the same as you should do with all |
| chemical detergents do (yes, even the so called | | | | cold-water washes for best results. Heat is |
| "green" ones). Given that much less water is used | | | | needed to activate the release of the saponins. |
| in HE washers, a good "flushing" of the | | | | The "tea" method works great. Alternately, just |
| detergents, residues and additives out of your | | | | boil some soap nuts and make a liquid, or grind |
| laundry and your machine is greatly reduced. | | | | them to a dust-like ultra fine powder. How you |
| Hence this new NEED for a maintenance cycle. | | | | use soap nuts is purely a matter of personal |
| Make sense? | | | | preference. All methods work. |
| Amazingly, chemists are struggling to keep up | | | | Bottom line: Simply use good old-fashioned |
| with the washing machine technologies. So far | | | | common sense. Know that heat and agitation are |
| they are not keeping up. Most of those I speak | | | | required to release saponin from raw soap nuts. |
| with that own HE and front-loading machines are | | | | Using powders and liquids are simply convenient |
| not happy at all with the commercial detergents. I | | | | alternative methods, and many people really |
| routinely hear stories of the nasty odors and | | | | enjoy producing their own concoctions. |
| gross build-ups. And I speak to a lot of people on | | | | What's most important to know and understand |
| this issue every day! | | | | is that you have available to you (right now) the |
| So, if you have a new HE washer (top or front | | | | very best HE detergent you will ever find - the |
| loader) simply try soap nuts. It's my bet that you | | | | soap nut. Soap nuts are the perfect HE detergent |
| will be totally amazed. They simply seem to | | | | in every single way - and they are even more |
| resolve all the problems people are complaining | | | | affordable than the commercial HE detergents! I |
| about. | | | | guess Mother Nature is a little smarter than all |
| In an effort to keep this short and sweet, I'm | | | | those laboratory chemists, huh? I'm not surprised. |