Eco Bebe Boutique Soap Nuts - Review and Giveaway! ENDED

This giveaway has ended. Winner announced at the end of the post.

Have you been searching for a laundry detergent and household cleaner that is truly eco-friendly and isn't going to break your budget?  I have found the product for you!  They are called soap nuts. I was browsing the Eco Bebe Boutique online and saw their Superior Soapnuts.  I tweeted that I was thinking of buying some to try and @ecomomwannabe graciously offered to send me some to try out.  I have been using them for about a month and a half (maybe a little longer now), and I have to tell you I am in love!  So let me tell you all about soap nuts.

What are soap nuts?  Soap nuts are actually a fruit that grows on the Ritha (sapindus mukorossi) tree in Northern India and Nepal. They dry the berries and this is what gives them their hard, nut like shell. They are completely sustainable - they are renewable and biodegradable.

How do soap nuts work? Soap nuts contain saponions (natural soap) that is released when it comes in contact with warm or hot water. They are low sudsing, which makes them a great alternative for use in front load washers, carpet cleaners, and for washing cloth diapers. Soap nuts can also be boiled to make an all purpose natural liquid cleaner.

How to use soap nuts in the laundry.  Your soap nuts will arrive with a small muslin bag.  In this bag place 4-5 soap nuts and tie the bag securely.  Toss this bag into the washer before you add your clothes.  When your washer stops remove the bag before placing the clothes into the dryer.

If you want to use a cold water wash it's recommended to soak 4-5 nuts in the muslin bag in a cup of hot water for 3 -5 minutes.  Pour water and bag into wash.

You do not need to use a fabric softener, your clothes will come out naturally soft.  If you want to add a fragrance with an essential oil, I recommend you add a few drops to a cloth and put it in the dryer with your clothes.  Essential oils can break down the fibers of your fabrics if added to the washer.

You can reuse the nuts 3-7 times. You'll know it's time for new ones when they become soft, mushy, lose their color and become thin.

Other ways you can use soap nuts. You can boil 6-8 soap nuts in water and use the liquid for laundry, all purpose household cleaner, fruit and vegetable cleaner, body soap and shampoo, window glass cleaner, jewelry cleaner, and even as mosquito repellent.

How I put soap nuts to the test. 

Laundry -  When my soap nuts arrived I could hardly wait to give them a go and I always have laundry to do. I was a little skeptical when I opened the bag and smelled them.  I thought hmm what is my laundry going to smell like. I forged on and tossed them in the washer with all my dirty clothes.  When the washer stopped and I opened it up I was met with clean clothes! And they smelled clean! There was no strong perfumed scent left behind it was just clean laundry.  I don't use fabric softener normally, just vinegar in the rinse cycle, but I left that out this time.  As I threw the clothes in the dryer I wondered if I would be getting static shocks while I folded my clothes later.  Once the laundry was dry I was pleasantly surprised to find my clothes were soft and static free.  Amazing!

My toddler has sensitive skin, so I have to be really careful doing his laundry.  I worried that the change in detergent would bother him.  There was no need to worry.  He never broke out in a rash at all when I used it on his clothes.

Dishwasher - I used 3-4 soap nuts and just tossed them in the silverware holder.  I was told that the dishes needed to be rinsed when using the soap nuts in the dishwasher. Well, I had the dishwasher loaded before I realized I was out of my usual detergent so I figured why not test out the soap nuts.  Some of the dishes came out clean, the others not so much. That wasn't the fault of the soap nuts just my lack of following directions.  So I rinsed off the dirty ones and continued filling the dishwasher through that day.  That night I ran it again with the soap nuts (as directed) and surprise they all came out shiny clean!  Using them in the dishwasher has been fantastic.  I really have hated using commercial products in the dishwasher as they are not very eco-friendly and the ones that are cost a lot.  This is a wonderful alternative and the dishes really do come clean.

Liquid Cleaner -  I boiled the soap nuts in water, strained my liquid and then poured into a spray bottle.  I used this cleaner on everything.  I have cleaned my counters, windows, floors,  I even clean my bathroom sink with it daily.  It  does a fantastic job!  I love the fact that I can use it anywhere and it cleans.  I also love the fact that it really doesn't have a smell.  I have a sensitivity to odors and typical cleaning supplies give me migraines.  Never once did I even get a touch of a headache using the soap nuts liquid.  And I felt good knowing that I was cleaning around the house with a product that is non-toxic.  Having a toddler in the house that touches everything, I always worry about what gets transferred from his hands to his mouth.  Using the soap nuts liquid I didn't have to worry that it would make him sick.

I am so pleased with the results that I got using the soap nuts.  I love that the product is very eco-friendly.  I don't think there is anything "greener" out there to use.  I also am pleased with the cost. This is a product that I can afford to use all the time.

Now that you know how soap nuts work and how well they worked for me, don't you just want to try some for yourself?

Buy some - Eco Bebe Boutique is an eco friendly baby boutique in Ottawa Canada carrying a large selection of cloth diapers, baby carriers, organic baby bath and skin care, post-partum belly bands and much more. Visit them here.

Win some - Danielle from Eco Bebe graciously sent me 2 100g bags and 2 trial size bags of soap nuts to try for a review.  Well, I decided as soon as I got them that I wanted to pass on some of that generosity to you!  So I am going to give away 1 of the 100g bags and 1 of the trial bags so you can share with a friend that might want to try them. UPDATE: @ecomomwannabe has graciously offered to send the winner of the contest a 500g bag of soap nuts! That's awesome isn't it!!

How to enter:

First Entry -  This is mandatory. All you have to do is go to Eco Bebe Boutique and tell me one other thing you would like to buy.  Leave a comment here telling me what that is and you are entered to win! That's easy right! :)

Now I know you might want a couple other chances to win so, if you want to here are some additional ways you can enter.

1 extra entry - Follow my blog publicly through Google Friend Connect.

1 extra entry - Follow @Ecomomwannabe on twitter

1 extra entry - Follow @Luvschweetheart on twitter

1 extra entry - Tweet this giveaway and post a link to the tweet here (You can do this once daily)
1 extra entry - Become a fan of Eco Bebe Boutique on Facebook

1 extra entry - Become a fan of Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense on Facebook
2 extra entries -  Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to your post.
5 extra entries -  Buy something from Eco Bebe Boutique between 10/3 and 10/16.  Leave a comment saying what you bought and when you bought it.


That's a lot of extra ways to win! Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry so you get credit for each entry.

This contest will end at 11:59pm on October 16th.

The winner is:

    October 13, 2009 2:10 PM
cndflybaby said...

    Tweet!

    http://twitter.com/cdnflybaby/status/4875075889