Soapberries (Soap Nuts) - 100% Natural Detergent (500g)

Soapberries are the fruits of the soap tree Sapindus Mukorossi. Maybe you've heard soapberries referred to as soap nuts or wash nuts? Even though the dried berries have many names, the fruit from the soap tree is in fact a berry - hence the name soapberry.

Many people call the soapberry nature's very own detergent. And for good reason. The dried berries are bursting with natural and gentle soap substances called saponins, which are actually the plant's own protection mechanism against pests.

The saponins activate in contact with water and can wash your clothes clean from everyday dirt - Just like the detergent you might be used to. You can even see the soap as a fine shiny film on the inside of the berries.

Soapberries work as a natural detergent because the saponins (soap) reduce the surface tension of the water in the washing machine and release dirt from the clothes completely without enzymes and harsh chemicals.

1. Place what is roughly equivalent to the shells of five whole berries in the small cotton wash bag provided. You can use whole, half and quarter shells.

2. Close the small wash bag tightly with a knot and then put the bag directly into the washing drum together with the clothes. It should NOT go in the soap drawer.

3. If there are stains on any of the clothes, treat the stains before washing with a stain remover.

4. Start your washing machine and wash as usual. The higher the temperature you wash with, the fewer washes you can get out of the berries.

– If you wash at 30°C, you can use the berries for approx. 5 times in the washing machine.

– If you wash at 40-60°C, you can use the berries for approx. 4-5 times in the washing machine.

– If you wash at 60-90°C, you can use the berries for approx. 1-3 times in the washing machine.

But you can look at your berries to see when they need to be changed. If the berry shells have become thin, paler in colour and no longer have the shiny membrane left on the inside, it is time. Then they are ready to go in the compost, bio bin or directly in your flower bed.

5. Take the clothes out of the washing machine as soon as possible after it is finished. And hang the small bag with soap berries to dry if you don't have to wash again right away.

We dream of giving you the best experience with our soapberries. So here is what you need to know, so you can get the most out of nature's detergent.

Soapberries are a completely natural product with no added chemicals. And this is important to remember, so you don't expect soapberries by themselves to do exactly the same as a chemical detergent with a long ingredient list of added substances that e.g. bleach or remove stains from clothes.

WE DO NOT RECOMMEND SOAPBERRIES AS A STAIN REMOVER

Soapberries do not contain added ingredients that dissolve and remove difficult stains from clothes. If your clothes get a stain, we have developed a natural stain remover as a supplement to the soapberries. With it, you can target and remove the irritating spots as needed.

WE DO NOT RECOMMEND SOAPBERRIES FOR WASHING WHITE

The soapberries are brilliant for your regular laundry of e.g. coloured and wool. But we do not recommend soapberries for white wash loads, as the berries do not contain additives such as optical white or bleach, and therefore white clothes will not retain their "whiteness" over time when you wash with soapberries.

SOAPBERRIES ARE FRAGRANCE-FREE

When you wash with soapberries, the scent is neutral with no added fragrance. It's the gentlest choice, but if you like your laundry to smell extra fresh and delicious when it comes out of the washing machine, you can add 4-5 drops of our natural laundry scents in the fabric softener drawer.

Our soapberries grow wild and on small private and collectively owned plots of land in the Himalayas in Nepal. The berries are harvested once a year, dried by the sun's rays and the seeds are removed by hand.

Through our local partners, we purchase our soapberries through Nepal's ancient chains of trade. In this way, we act on the terms of the Nepalese and through our work, we can support approx. 130 local families in one of the world's poorest regions.

The soapberries are sent in bulk to our headquarters in Denmark by ship where they are then packed in paper and cotton bags in a protected workshop.

In this way, our production of soapberries lives up to our visions of supporting sustainable growth in Nepal, while at the same time supporting socio-economic initiatives here in Denmark.

The bag contains 500g of organic, raw, dried soapberries from Nepal. 100% natural product directly from wild-growing soap trees. No pesticide or chemical use.

Ecocert-certified organic product. Certified USDA Organic. Certified 100% compostable.