Soapnuts are one of the most effective cleaning agents and the best thing is – they grow on trees! If you haven’t heard about this miracle of Mother Nature, you can learn more here. They are natural and safe for your family and for the environment. No waste. No chemicals. Here is the recipe that will help you can prepare your own liquid cleaner from raw soapnuts:
- Put 10-15 soapnut shells in a pot with 6 cups of water.
- Boil them and then leave them on the stove to simmer for 1 hour.
- Allow the liquid to cool completely.
- Pick out the nut shells from the mixture.
You can use the liquid for cleaning virtually everything in your home!
If you prepare a large batch you will need to refrigerate it to preserve it. Store in a glass jar in your refrigerator. Soupnut liquid is completely natural, so it can go bad if you leave it out of the fridge. There are also a few different other ways to preserve this cleaning agent: to freeze it in ice cube trays, to add essential oils, citric acid or vegetable glycerin – all of them are natural conservatives. Try and find out what will work best for you. You will clearly understand when the liquid deteriorates, because it develops a foul odour.
All-Purpose Soupnut Cleaner
Fill a spray bottle with the soapnut liquid you’ve prepared. You can always dilute it if you want. Add 4-5 drops of lemon essential oil or tea tree oil. Use for wiping floors and countertops and bookshelves. You can also use this mixture as a dish washing liquid. If you need to enhance the grease cutting effect add 1 tbs of lemon juice. To use as disinfectant add white distilled vinegar.
Windows and Glass Cleaner
Mix 1 cup of cold water with 1 tbs soapnut liquid and 1 tbs white distilled vinegar. Pour in a spray bottle and use as regular glass cleaner.
Dishwashing Machine Detergent
Fill the dishwasher dispenser with soapnut liquid. Use the dishwasher as usual. For extra sparkling dishes, add a half-ounce of white vinegar during the rinse cycle.
Use as Laundry Detergent
Use 1/2 cup soapnut liquid in hot or cold water. The liquid is the best detergent to clean thoroughly your clothes, especially bed linens and towels. The raw soapnut shells don’t seem to agitate enough.
Steam Carpet Cleaning Detergent
Soapnuts work impeccably as carpet cleaning agent for DIY steam cleaning because they don’t produce a lot of foam and have light natural odour. Add about ¼ cup of soapnut liquid to the hot water in the portable steam cleaner. The liquid removes urine stains and neutralizes the smell!
Just a few years ago soapnuts were quite hard to find, but today all you need is to google soapnut dealers in your area and start cleaning safe and green.
