Earth Berries

Health

We are arriving at a new age of increased focus and awareness centred on preserving dear Mother Earth. Cleaning products are one of major sources of concern with an alarming array of chemicals listed as ingredients on even the most banal of products. Darren and I have a sensitivity (of varying degrees) to washing detergent with side effects ranging from a mild rash to debilitating rosacea.

During an episode of Dragon's Den last season ( http://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden), we learnt of a new product called 'soap nuts'; officially berries, not nuts and found growing in areas of India and Nepal. 

http://www.earthsberriesoapnuts.com

https://www.facebook.com/earthsberries

By a major stroke of luck, there is a lady in Collingwood who started a business a couple of years ago selling soap nuts; her company is known as 'Earth Berries'. Darren looked perplexed when I mentioned I was 'off to pick up some Earth Berries' but after explaining that Earth Berries were in fact our cleaning-saviour, he was extremely excited to give them a try. Earth Berries are very reasonably priced ($10 for a bag which claims to last for up to 95 loads!) and come, pre-seeded, in a neat little muslin bag, cute branding and 'mini' bag that would later be used during washing. 

The detergent properties of 'saponin' found in the shells is what gives the nuts their magical cleaning properties. The instructions advise that you pop 6 halves of the shells into the mini muslin bag and just add that into the main compartment of your washing machine along with the dirty laundry. The nuts can be used on a hot or cold cycle ( if you use a cold cycle, soak the nuts in warm water beforehand) and are so effective, you don't even need a 'rinse' cycle at the tail end of the wash. 

So, are the soap nuts all they are cracked up to be? Holy whites, YES! They are fantastic! You might be lured into thinking that because they are 'herbal' and 'green', they not as effective as the chemical products and laundry detergents you might find on sale at the store. I was overwhelmed at the effectiveness of soap nuts in the fight against dirt in the washing machine; our clothes come out clean, fresh and chemical free! Here is Darren with one of his shirts looking clean and ready for some summer action!

•Soap nuts are not damaging towards clothing and linen

•Soap nuts are very effective for washing delicates, wool and silk without spoiling their shape

•Soap nuts are great for restoring vibrant colour to clothes

•Soap nuts are hypoallergenic and excellent for anyone who suffers from skin complaints

•Soap nuts are more economical than traditional washing detergents

•Soap nuts reduce run off into our rivers and are totally bio-degradable. 

•Soap nuts can be used for multiple purposes ( cleaning, pets, laundry, household etc etc). Boil 'em up and use the liquid as a multi purpose cleaner. 

 And here am I ( **my first attempt of using the '10 second snap shot' mechanism on D's camera) very relaxed sleeping on 'soap nutted' sheets. I would highly recommend soap nuts as a great alternative for the standard laundry soap, they are effective, environmentally glorious, easy to use and don't make my hands hurt! Hurray!