What on earth? This is what we first thought when we encountered Maggie’s Soap Nuts—dried fruit from the Chinese Soapberry tree—billed as an all-natural, biodegradable replacement for chemical laundry detergents. We examined the box skeptically, plucking out a few of the brown, raisin-like things and wrinkling our noses at their distinctly unclean vinegary smell. The thought that these things could actually clean clothes seemed a lit-tle, well, nutty until we tried. The verdict: They work! The clothes came out clean and soft, untouched by that questionable scent. And afterward, we were able to add the nuts to our garden compost without any eco-guilt.
 Soap Nuts impressed us, and not just because a pair of earrings came free inside the box. |
So, how do they work? Basically, you just put two or three of them in the charming cotton sack that comes with the box, toss it in with your laundry, and wash as normal. Soap Nuts clean your clothes because they con-tain saponin, a natural surfactant, which works like the chemical kind in commonplace detergents to make water penetrate clothing better. Though on the expensive side ($18.99 for a 36-load box), Soap Nuts can help you save water and energy because their no-suds method requires a shorter rinse cycle. Try them if you’re allergic to the dyes and scents in other household soaps—or, if you want scented clothing, you can always put a few drops of your favorite botanicals on the cotton sack before your next wash.
Check out the Soap Nuts website, www.maggiespureland.com, where you can read in-depth FAQ and order samples to see for yourself.