I am so excited to share these berries with you!! I have been using soap berries for the past few months and have become absolutely obsessed. I have mostly been using them for my laundry however they can also be used for other purposes such as a surface cleaner, dish soap, glass cleaner and shampoo. Here is the rundown of what soap berries are and why I love them so much.

Soap berries (or soap nuts as they are sometimes referred to) are berries that grow on the Sapindus Mukorossi tree. This tree grows in various countries across the world, preferring tropical and sub tropical climates. Though not for eating (they will irritate your stomach if you eat them), they are an effective, safe, eco friendly cleaning agent for your home. Being completely chemical free, they send zero toxic waste down the drain and once the berries break down they can be composted.

So how exactly do these work? When immersed in water, soap berries produce Saponins. Saponins are chemical compounds that hold antibacterial, anti fungal and foaming properties. They work to break down the surface tension in water and draw out dirt and oils- basically creating the positive effect of a detergent without the negative environmental effects. When I use these for laundry, I place five berries in a muslin drawstring bag (this came with the berries when I purchased them) and add it to the load. I like to add a few drops of essential oil onto the bag to add a scent however this is not required when using the soap berries. There is no need to add any detergent or fabric softener to the load- these berries do it all!

I have found them to be effective at certain stain removal however not everything. Having an 8 month baby who is an insanely messy eater and is crawling all over the place means lots of stains and dirt. I pre-soak most items that are stained and pre-scrub stubborn stains. Saying that, I did once have old blood stains that I assumed would stay on the fabric, however when I washed them in the machine with the soap berries (without even soaking before hand) they came out completely clean.

The berries last for 5-10 cycles. Once they decompose and become thin and brittle I place them in the compost and then replace with new berries.

This website has some useful recipes you can try for other soap berry uses such as household cleaners, shampoo, pre-soak liquid etc.

Overall, here is what I have found to be the pro’s and cons of the berries when using for my laundry:

Pro’s:

Antibacterial

Anti fungal

Eco friendly

Great for sensitive skin and people with skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema who react to detergents.

Non-toxic

Compostable

Multi purpose

Effective

Affordable

Cons:

Doesn’t remove every stain.

Honestly that is about it for con’s from me. Overall I friggin love these berries and everyone I have introduced them to now use them for their laundry. Not one person has come back to say the berries didn’t work or they didn’t love them.

You can find these at various bulk stores, health food stores or online. I purchased mine from this store.

I would love to hear about your experience if you do try these or have already tried them. Leave your thoughts or any questions in the comment section below.