Home Experiments: Soap Nuts Phase One

Last Updated & concluded: Nov 6 2010

Step One: Order sample of soap nuts & stain bar to test. *Done*

I ordered two sample bags of soap nuts from the first Canadian supplier I found online(Greener Living). Called them and asked a few quick questions and she suggested I try out a stain bar that she said would work on the old food grease stains on all our clothes. Worth a try. Click to see pictures Soap Nut Trial Pack & Stain Bar

Step Two: Wait for order to arrive at house. Order is in transit. Should be here this week or the middle of next week at the latest. *Done*

Results: Order received on Friday October 29th 2010. *Success*

Step Three: Test soap nut on the stinkiest thing I own; Susie's harness. Nothing seems to get the doggy smell off her nylon harness. *Done*

Results: According to myself and two of the four children I had smell the harness before and after cleaning(two of the four refused to participate in after sniffing) the harness now smells like nothing. Update: Once dry the harness & leash still smell a little but that may be because of drying it inside laying flat rather than out in the sun or in the dryer. I will call it conditional since it does smell better and even detergents didn't do better. *Conditional Success*

Step Four A: Test soap nuts out on our daily laundry. Daily laundry sometimes includes pee accident bedding.*Done*

Results: After using the bagged soap nuts I found everything was coming out clean. On a lark I did a test wash with nothing in warm wash cold rinse and the clothes came out clean as well ... I have to wonder if we really need a cleaner in with our clothes at all but I will still use one. I will say this is a success but will make and sue liquid so i can switch back to cold wash cold rinse. *Conditional Success*

Step Four B: Also test stain bar on old food grease stains.*Done*

Results: After washing grease stains appear to be gone. I am waiting for item to come out of the dryer to confirm...t-shirt was still stained but failure may have been on my part as I did not completely follow directions. *Conditional Fail*

Will continue testing stain bar on daily laundry.

Results: Tried on another load of laundry. Following directions this time. Stains still there - the search continues for something to get laundered in grease stains out of my clothes. *Utter Failure*

Step Five: If soap nuts pass steps three and four I will order a larger bag for further testing.*Done*

Results: Found closer supplier of soap nuts and picked up 1 KG bag on Nov 3rd. *Success*

Summary of first phase: Susie's harness still a little funky. Stain stick a complete failure. Soap nuts appear to work fine on laundry.

End of first phase of testing ... next home made soap nut liquid. Liquid testing will include; hand dish washing soap, all purpose cleaner, hair and body foam and how long does it keep anyway? This section will also include my adventures in canning to preserve large batches of soap nut liquid.