Put Maggie's Soap Nuts into the included, reusable cotton sack. Tie it closed. Add the sack to your washing machine and follow clothing manufacturer instructions. Return Soap Nuts to the earth by adding them to your compost! It's that simple!
Warm/Hot Water
Use 2 Soap Nuts in the cotton sack.
Cold Water
Use 4 Soap Nuts and re-use them 2-3 times OR pre-soak 2 Soap Nuts in the cotton sack in hot water for a few minutes. Add the "tea" and sack to your cold wash load.
Heavy Soils
Pre-soak 4 Soap Nuts in the cotton sack in hot water for a few minutes. Add the "tea"
and sack to your wash load. Add fewer clothes to your machine so the fabric has lots
of room to agitate.
For Sparkling Whites
Always separate colors. For extra stain removal, add a scoop of oxygen bleach.
Fabric Softener
Maggie's Soap Nuts naturally soften and add body to your clothes. You'll love how your clothes feel after washing with Soap Nuts.
Hand Washables
Soak 2 Soap Nuts in hot water for a few minutes. Add the "tea" to your cool water basin. Alternatively, add a squirt of your homemade Soap Nuts liquid cleaner to the cool basin.
Maggie's Soap Nuts liquid is a wonderful concentrated cleaner. Use it for washing people and pets, fruit and vegetables, spot treating laundry, hand washing delicates, cleaning kitchens and bathrooms, washing cars and plants, repelling pests, cleaning jewelry, even sparking windows!
Stove Top Method - Simmer 1 cup Soap Nuts on the stove in 4 cups water for 10 minutes. If the mixture suds and bubbles over, fear not! When cool, simply wipe off and find your stovetop squeaky clean! After 10 minutes, turn off heat, cover, and allow Soap Nuts liquid to cool. When cool, mash the nuts with your hands. Strain the liquid into a bottle through a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
Soaking Method - Soak 1 cup Soap Nuts in 4 cups water overnight. In the morning, liquefy the mixture in your blender. Strain the liquid into a bottle through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth.
How To Use In Your Home:
Keep Soap Nuts liquid in a squeeze bottle by the sink, in your shower, and in spray bottles for cleaning the kitchen and bath. If you plan to store Maggie's Soap Nuts liquid longer than 3 weeks, keep it in the refrigerator.
Sparkling Windows - Fill a clean spray bottle with 10 parts water, 1 part Soap Nuts liquid, and a splash of vinegar. Shake well. Spray and wipe windows clean. Polish glass with a clean, dry towel or newspaper.
Jewelry - Soak your jewels (metal and stones) for a few minutes in a small amount of Soap Nuts liquid. Use a soft toothbrush to gently loosen any debris. Rinse with clean water and polish with a soft, dry cloth.
Plant Wash and Pest Repellent - Add 10 parts water, 1 part Soap Nuts liquid, and 1 tablespoon Neem oil (optional) to a clean spray bottle. Shake well. For plant wash, spray leaves and wipe clean. To repel pests, spray plant thoroughly, covering all surfaces, and allow to air dry.
Where do Maggie's Soap Nuts come from?
Maggie's Soap Nuts are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry Tree (Sapindus mukorrosi), related to the lychee and rambutan. Maggie's Soap Nuts are harvested in Indian and Indonesian jungles where Soap Nut trees are holding forests and families together! Our Soap Nuts fall to the ground where they are collected by local folks who have used them for centuries.
How do Soap Nuts work?
Maggie's Soap Nuts work like a detergent. They contain saponin, an all-natural surfactant. Conventional detergents are manufactured, chemical surfactants. Surfactants work by breaking the surface tension of water so it can more easily penetrate into fabrics, effectively making water "wetter." Once wet, the agitation of your washing machine (or your hands) shakes the dirt loose from your clothes. Then Soap Nuts' saponin holds the dirt in suspension in the water (preventing it from re-depositing on your clothes) until you've rinsed it away.
Can I use Soap Nuts in my HE (high efficiency) washing machine?
Yes! Maggie's Soap Nuts are low-sudsing and are ideal for high-efficiency washers.
Where are the bubbles?
Most laboratory cleaners contain foaming agents to "trick" consumers that the product is working. In truth, the quantity of bubbles does not tell you if a cleaner is effective! Maggie's Soap Nuts keep you clean without phony bubbles. Because they are low sudsing, Soap Nuts are ideal for H.E. and front-loader machines.
How do I use Soap Nuts?
Can I use Soap Nuts to clean more than my laundry? Yes! In Indian Ayurvedic science, Soap Nuts are used as a skin and hair cleanser. Soap Nuts are used in Bali by artisans who create beautiful jewelry and batik fabrics. Learn more ways to use Maggie's Soap Nuts and learn to make a homemade, multipurpose liquid cleaner.
Can I use too many nuts?
We recommend two whole Maggie's Soap Nuts per load of hot water wash. For really dirty clothes, giant loads, or when washing in cold water, you can use more nuts. You'll know you've used too many nuts if your clothes feel stiff after washing. The stiffness results from excess saponin in the rinse water and is not harmful to you or the clothes. The stiffness will go away after the next washing.
Can I use the Soap Nuts more than once?
Yes! The saponin in Maggie's Soap Nuts releases quickly into hot water, and more slowly in cold water. When washing in hot water you only need two soap nuts per load and they'll release all of their saponin in about one wash. When washing with cold water, up to 4 nuts and reuse them up to 4 times. You'll know the saponin in Maggie's Soap Nuts is used up when the nuts no longer feel squeaky clean or sudsy when you rub them.
Can I use Soap Nuts with any temperature water?
Yes! The saponin in Maggie's Soap Nuts releases quickly into hot water, and more slowly in cold water. When washing in hot water you only need the equivalent of two whole Soap Nuts per load. They'll release all of their saponin in about one wash. When washing with cold water, up to 4 nuts and reuse them up to 4 times. Alternatively, pre-soak your cotton sack containing two soap nuts in a little hot water to release the saponin. After a couple minutes of soaking, add the mixture to the cold-water wash.
Do I have to remove the Maggie's Soap Nuts from the washing machine during the rinse cycle?
No need to remove the soap nuts from the rinse cycle. There's no soapy residue to rinse away! The little bit of saponin left in the rinse adds softness and body to your clothes.
Are Maggie's Soap Nuts hypoallergenic?
Yes! Maggie's Soap Nuts are 100% natural, safe and hypoallergenic. We recommend them for babies and people with sensitive skin. In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, Soap Nuts are used traditionally to treat skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis. With Maggie's Soap Nuts, there's nothing between you and your clothes but Mother Nature!
Do I need to clean the chemical detergent residue out of my washing machine before I wash my clothes with Soap Nuts?
You can use Maggie's Soap Nuts to purify your washing machine. To remove chemical residues from your machine, run a full load of rags through a warm or hot wash cycle with 4-5 soap nuts in the sack.
I'm allergic to nuts. Can I use Soap Nuts?
Yes! Maggie's Soap Nuts are actually a dried fruit related to the lychee. People with nut allergies can safely use Soap Nuts!
Do Maggie's Soap Nuts have a fragrance?
Yes and No. On their own Maggie's Soap Nuts have a mild, fresh, vinegary smell. They will not fragrance your clothes. For added fragrance, add a few drops of you favorite essential oil on the cotton sack. For a refreshing wash, Maggie likes to use geranium, coriander, or neroli.
Do I need to use fabric softener?
Nope. Maggie's Soap Nuts naturally soften and add body to your clothes! In fact, Soap Nuts are used commercially to give body and sheen to expensive silks! You'll love how your clothes feel after washing with Maggie's Soap Nuts.
Are Maggie's Soap Nuts safe for my delicate washables?
Yes! Soap Nuts are ideal for gently cleaning delicate fibers like wool and silk!
Will Soap Nuts keep my colors bright?
Yes! Maggie's Soap Nuts are 100% natural and gentle. Your colors will look brighter!
Will Maggie's Soap Nuts get my white clothes REALLY white?
To maintain sparkling whites we recommend that you always separate your colors. For extra stain removal, when necessary add a scoop of environmentally friendly oxygen bleach to the wash.
What is the environmental and social impact of Maggie's Soap Nuts?
In suffering rural economies Soapberry trees are cut down and sold as lumber and firewood to feed hungry families. Maggie's Pure Land reserves the Soapberry harvest years in advance, providing families with guaranteed income from living Soapberry trees. By using Maggie's Soap Nuts you are preserving tropical forests! You are supporting real people in their local economies, cultures and communities! You are using the safest, most natural product available!
Can Maggie's Soap Nuts help me Save Water and Energy?
Yes! Since there's no soapy residue to rinse away you can use shorter rinse cycles on your washing machine.
What do I do with the leftover shells?
You'll know the saponin in Maggie's Soap Nuts is used up when the nuts no longer feel squeaky clean and sudsy when you rub them. If they're re-useable, let the shells dry out and use them again later. When the shells are ready to retire, add them to your garden compost.
Why is the plastic bag and silica gel desiccant necessary?
We import Maggie's Soap Nuts from humid climates. Without a plastic bag the nuts absorb moisture from the very wet air and get black and sticky as they release their saponin. We pack a desiccant inside each bag to help absorb any moisture that gets trapped inside.
My Nuts are sticky! What's up?
Yikes! Soap Nuts turn black and sticky as they absorb moisture from the air. If your soap nuts are exposed to long-term moisture, like humid air, they may change color. This doesn't affect Soap Nuts' cleaning power. In fact, some people think the sticky nuts clean better because they are pre-releasing their saponin. We like our nuts to release when WE are ready, so we pack them with a desiccant.
What's this little black marble I found in my box of Soap Nuts?
Lucky you! That little black marble is a seed. You can plant your own Soapberry tree.
How do I care for my Maggie's Soap Nuts earrings?
Treat your Maggie's Soap Nuts jewelry like pearls, by wiping them with a soft dry cloth. We don't recommend taking your earrings into the bathtub, shower, steam room, or sauna. Your Maggie's Soap Nuts jewelry is perishable (and cleansing) in wet environments. You might end up with an expired pair of earrings and a really clean neck!
