
As participants of the IKEA Live Lagom sustainability consumer research (closed group) project, the family are on a drive to be more sustainable and healthy and reduce our negative environmental impact as well as upping the positive impact of the same both at home and in our community.
As part of this we have been looking at where we can cut down on packaging in favour of reusable/refillable, and on using chemicals in favour of natural.
Browsing on Amazon, I came across a natural sustainable alternative to Clothes' Detergent and Softener (yes, it really claims to function as both!). Excellent reviews on Amazon so went ahead and bought a small pack
These nuts are grown on trees, and can be done so at scale - so pretty sustainable. Natural soapy lather is produced when the nuts mix with water, as well as producing a softening effect on the wash. Can be used in the machine or when conducting a wash by hand.
The product marketing on Amazon says it quite well:
"
Soap Nuts are a natural washing detergent that is literally grown on trees. The Soapnut shells contain Saponins which on contact with water release mild suds and can be used as an environmentally friendly alternative to Laundry detergent in washing machines. In India and Nepal the soap nuts have been used as a washing detergent for hundreds of years. Modern day thinking that we should consider the future of the planet we live in have made Soap Nuts popular. Not only are they effective but the Soap Nuts are also relatively cheap compared to supermarket bought washing powder."
Just got our delivery today, so will be trying this out a little later and feedback the results on here...
Working method:
A reusable cloth pouch which is supplied with your purchase, is filled with 4-6 half nut shells (they come de-stoned, so essentially each husk is already split in two). The pouch can be used again on the same day to do one more wash, and then thrown into a composter or garden waste for recycling.
The only thing missing is the fragrance element of the wash, for this it is recommended you add a couple of drops of essential oils to the wash - we already use at home for various purposes (- another post coming soon on this!)
Pros:
- will reduce packaging consumption,
- and chemicals consumption and chemical waste into the waterways,
- eco-friendly - kinder to our skin and the environment as its chemical free,
- kinder on the pocket too!
- supporting local economies in developing countr
ies - Cultivated through sustainable agriculture
- a
llergy-free, good for your skin,
- ecological and economical compared to other brands of detergent
- around 1 Kg of soap nuts can be used for more than 100 loads of laundry,
- used for all fabrics and with all temperatures,
- can also be used as an all-purpose cleaner in the house
Cons:
- cloth pouch in every purchased pack, so some wastage, but can be re/up-cycled, and is biodegradable,
- produced in India/AsiaPac region so ups the carbon footprint in terms of transport etc,
- initially higher outlay to purchase a larger quantity to make more economical
Costs comparison:
From a quick Googling, consensus on washing powder marketing is 16 washes from 1kg of powder in the wash. Now cost will depend on wether you go supermarket at £1-00 or premium brand which are around £5-00 for 1.4kg
Soap nuts on the other hand generally claim 330 washes per kg!! which roughly come in generally at about £12-00 per kg delivered (on Amazon Prime at least).
Ive done a quick table for comparison of available options below to establish cost vs other factors:
(sorry had to screen shot it straight out of numbers as no time to make a nice HTML table in blogger by hand!)
Soap nuts then, seem to not only be the cheapest option, coming in at 14% pf the price per wash of the nearest Eco washing powder. Also, being
nice to marine life is a big plus on its own.
Peace.