who likes to do laundry ?

<— raised her un-manicured hand

who likes to put it away?

<—– pulled her hand down faster than a speeding bullet

Yes, today we are talking laundry…. and not just any laundry, but fun laundry! Eco friendly laundry! Creative laundry. Yes friends, I have something uber-fun for you…….  are you ready?  soap nuts

say WHAT??  yes soap nuts. You are about to learn how to do laundry using nuts  *insert 7th grade giggle here….  we’ve had a lot of giggles here about this exact thing throughout this past  summer*

so what are soap nuts? here ya go… directly from Laundry Tree’s website

LaundryTree SoapNuts are an easy way to “green” your laundry!

Soapnuts aren’t actually a nut at all, they are simply the fruit of a tree (Sapindus Mukorossi), found primarily in the Himilayas. And they are an EXCELLENT alternative to traditional laundry detergents and cleaners.

A FEW AMAZING THINGS ABOUT SOAP NUTS:

• They are simply a dried fruit — 100% totally natural.
• Clothes washed with soapnuts will have no scent — and that’s how you’ll know they are TRULY clean!
• They are organically grown and are free of harsh chemicals, so they are incredibly gentle. (This makes them especially great for those with sensitive skin — including babies and those that suffer from allergies, eczema, and psoriasis).
• They’re totally biodegradeable, so they’re better for the environment than regular detergent.

HOW DO SOAPNUTS WORK?

The outer shell of the soapnut contains saponin, a natural substance known for its ability to cleanse and wash. (That’s what makes them so GREAT for cleaning your laundry!) And here’s a cool fact: soapnuts aren’t a new concept; they have been used to clean all kinds of fabric for centuries, and are only now gaining popularity in the Americas and Europe as a powerful, yet natural alternative to modern detergents. Having used any number of other detergents, we’re here to say so far man has yet to best Mother Nature in coming up with a genius cleaning agent for clothes.

HOW ARE SOAPNUTS PREPARED FOR USE IN YOUR WASH?

They are simply harvested, de-seeded, and then dried in the sun.  And they WORK — they really, really work!

YUP! they work!

I bought these at the beginning of the summer on Open Sky. For those who do not know what Open sky is, it’s somebody’s (usually famous or famous-ish) personal store where they feature products that they like.. my Open sky store would have

1. vintage Springsteen stuff
2. cheese.. and lots of it
3. wine stuff
4. jeep stuff
5. fun ball jars
6. yoga stuff
7. lotsa socks
8. comfy clothes
9. pictures of Fenway
10. all of my kids’ artwork on display
11. chap stick galore
12. lotsa quilts

So I bought these crazy little things and they arrived. I was very excited… to do laundry??  yes.  they can be used one of two ways….  ( copied from Laundry tree’s website)

• Put 3-5 soapnuts in the cotton drawstring bag that comes with your order
• Pull the bag closed. If you desire scent, add a few drops of essential oil.
• Pop it in the washing machine and wash the clothes on warm or hot.

THAT’S IT!

Take the bag out before you put the laundry in the dryer. You can re-use the same soapnuts for your next load, since they’re good for four rounds. If you don’t have any more laundry to do, just set them aside to dry and you can use them again later. ——> barefoot girl addition to this info —>( this works best in warm/ hot water)

barefoot girl talking form now on… no longer copying form website—-> they can be used for around four times. Simply let dry then use again… Not sure if your nuts still have power in them? *sniggle*

wait.. it gets better….. while they are still wet, simply squeeze them and if some white liquid comes out there is still life left in them

I couldn’t make this up ! nor would I want to… I’m just so happy that I found them 🙂 *I wasn’t kidding about my un manicured hand*

when there is no more life to them, simply compost them :).. BUT>>>> I don’t do that just yet.. set them aside .. I’ll come back to that.

The other way to use soap nuts is to make a laundry soak..  Don’t be a=scared… it’s easy 🙂

again.. copied from Laundry tree’s website.. photos courtesy of moi……

• Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a heavy saucepan with a lid.
• Turn off the heat and toss 6-8 soapnuts in the saucepan with the hot water. (If you’re using Soapnut Bits, use about 1/2 cup).
• Cover the saucepan, and let it sit overnight.
• In the morning, fish out and discard the remaining soapnut shells.
• Pour the cooled liquid into a container with a lid. (Just about any container will do. We use a pretty antique bottle that makes us smile every time we reach for it. But an old spaghetti sauce jar will work just as well).
• (Optional) If you’d like your Soapnut Soak to have a scent, add your favorite essential oils. We suggest lemon or tea tree oil for bathroom cleanser, lavenderfor cold water laundry loads, and sweet orange for dishwasher cleaning liquid.

This batch of Soapnut Soak will wash at least 16 loads of laundry. Use 1/4 to 1/2 cup for each load. (You can adjust this amount as needed, depending on the size of the load and how dirty the contents are).

barefootgirl talking again —-> when I am boiling my nuts.. ( I can’t control myself here..) I add all of my old used nuts just to get the last little bit out of them…  after letting sit covered overnight… I put my hand in and try to break down what is left, then drain through a fine mesh strainer.

then I add an essential oil to the mixture… for me, clean cotton rocks my boat..

then simply put in a container and use 1/4 cup -1/2 cup depending on the size of the load 🙂

but wait… there’s more.  I still see more *umph* in the nut remains, so I add more water, re-boil and make more… a less- stronger version….  and come up with a killer all-purpose cleaner…. I added lavender to this one and have the prettiest smelling cleaner going. Add it to a spray bottle and you are good to go!

Now.. remember last week when I told you that I was bound to make mistakes (remember, if a word is a different color then click on it and it may make my story make more sense…. then again , maybe not… but it is still worth a shot)

so I was sooooo excited to try to get the finger prints off of my inherited ipad that I poured the soap nut diluted soak right into this cute little spray bottle… and melted it…. *le sigh *

note to self… and my invisible blog friends… LET the mixture cool!!  this isn’t rocket science ( although I have to admit, it kinda felt like it with all the bottles and boiling  and stuff 😉

the top couldn’t even screw on anymore…….. ( I did cut it down so it works and I washed my windows and computer/ipad/phone screens and it works AWESOME!)

so…. there ya go.. a lesson in balls..and guess what? Laundry Tree has generously given my *10* soap nuts sample kits!!  FOR YOU!!!!!!!Yes.. you can do this too!!   ( and trust me, you want to 😉

sooo… if you haven’t already..

1. like barefootgirl in the kitchen on facebook
2. share a barefootgirl post on your facebook page… pick your favorite!
3. have a friend do either of the above… then post on BFG page your name .. you each will get an entry
4. sign up for barefootgirl email or through wordpress using the links on the blog itself.
5.  comment about whatever enteres you mind on the blog itself.. simply hit leave a comment… and leave a comment!!!
6. Share this ( or any barefootgirl post on pinterst).. just shoot me a message on the FB wall or email me at barefootgirl27@me.com so that I know that you did 🙂

you can earn multiple entries!!  Each friend that joins or likes give you at least an extra entry!  So lets see.. today is Wednesday… so I will close this contest Friday at midnight….

so good luck 🙂 and thank you again for reading…

oxoxox friends 🙂