Warm or Hot Water Wash:
Put 4 or 5 soap nut shells or equivalent pieces, about a half-ounce, in cotton or muslin drawstring bag and tie bag securely.
Toss in washing machine before you add your clothes.
Remove from washer at end of the wash to dry (leave soap nuts in bag). Soapnuts can remain till the end of washing cycle, as rinsing water is cold and very little saponine will thus remain on linen.
Re-use 3 to 5 times. The soap nuts are no longer effective when they become thin, mushy and very light tan or gray.
Cold Water Wash:
Cold wash : since saponin can only be extracted from the nuts when the water is heated, a decoction or liquid is necessary for a cold wash. Boil 3 to 4 handfuls of nuts in one litre of water for 4 minutes. Remove the shells and allow to cool. One spoonful is enough for a load.
Use liquid soap nut or simply make a cup of soap nut 'tea' by soaking 4 or 5 bagged soap nuts in a cup of very hot water for approximately 3 minutes.
Pour both the soap nuts liquid and bag in wash.
Remove from washer at end of the wash to dry (leave soap nuts in bag).
Re-use 3 to 5 times. Soap nuts are no longer effective when they thin, turn soft, mushy and very light tan or gray.
Give a scent to your washing
Using soapnuts, the scent will be neutral. You can therefore spray the cotton bag with a few droplets of essential oil (lavender, orange, mint…) to add scent on the linen before introducing it in the washing machine.
Resistant stains
In such case (blood, egg, grass, mud, milk, sweat, ice-cream, oil or jam stains), add some soap nut liquid on the stain part before the laundry contact water to have a pre-wash first and then wash as ususal..
White linen
To avoid the greying of white cloth, add one to two spoonful of bleaching agent inside the washing machine.
Water hardness
Depending on dissolved calcium carbonate (limestone), water can be more or less soft / hard
How to get rid of soapnuts:
Soapnuts remnants can be deposited on a compost heap (No harmful waste for environment)
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