Soap Nuts: The Most Affordable and Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent

We’re all stretching our paychecks (if we’re still getting one) as much as possible these days. We are also very concerned about all possible health hazards and living a greener life. Unfortunately, what often accompanies supposedly “greener” products is higher prices. A walk down any aisle of any store, and this is immediately apparent. I recently read numerous articles about the green speculation that is taking place in virtually every industry.

I also read misleading articles referring to soap nuts as an expensive eco-friendly alternative to laundry detergent. Nothing could be THAT far from the truth. I’ve gotten more than one apology (of some kind) from writers who just didn’t do their research very well. Any conclusion of a study that begins with faulty premises and inadequate testing techniques will result in incorrect data. A big problem with soap nuts is that there are huge data gaps and some poor quality information floating around. One writer stated that the cost of using soap nuts was around 50 cents per load. That was complete nonsense. I quickly straightened it. Used correctly, soap nuts can be one of the MOST affordable ways to do laundry! It is VERY easy to calculate. You just need the correct data to calculate.

NOTE: It is important to realize that it is prohibitively expensive to purchase samples of soap nuts or just a few ounces. The purpose of the “samples” is just to TEST THEM. Period. If you like the way they work, you’ll likely buy them in much larger quantities to lower your cost per ounce and associated cost per load. Right?

Let’s compare the cost of using soap nuts to using many commercial detergents we see all the time. Let’s break down the numbers: (You’ll certainly notice that I’m skipping the metrics and referring to the USD. I think the different methods of weights and measures, as well as the different currencies, have added to some confusion. I’m a US citizen and write in largely for easily understood by the US audience. I sincerely apologize to anyone who has not been accused of my use of pesos and common currency in the US).

You can buy about two pounds (32 ounces) of good soap nuts for about $30. That would be a very common amount for an expert soap nut user to purchase. Used in the traditional way, you will use approx. half an ounce in a wash bag and that will average about 5 loads. That yields approx. 320 loads for the $30 dollars spent. Personally, I can usually get a lot more charges than that, but that’s down to a few tricks I use to extend its shelf life and maximize saponin extraction. BUT, to be conservative, we’re going with only FOUR loads per half ounce.

One note worth mentioning: I’ve seen sellers claim load amounts that seem to be all over the place. I have also heard of people claiming to use half the amount I suggest using. I can’t explain that. Let’s just take into account the many, many variables in how people do laundry, plus the variables in the quality and types of soap nuts, and leave it at that. My approach is very “middle-of-the-road”. I’m dealing with norms, not extremes, so this is meaningful for the vast majority of scenarios.

You can take THIS to the bank: When using good quality soapnuts (the mukorossi variety is very good), half an ounce (usually five or six whole soapnuts or the equivalent in pieces) traditionally used (in a wash bag that is put directly with your clothes) will be reusable for four to six loads, easily.

So with only FOUR loads per half ounce, that would give us only 256 loads (not 320) of 32 ounces. $30 divided by 256 equals $0.127 per load. And we’re talking about average size, standard loads, not high-efficiency loads that will extend the number of uses and thus further reduce the cost per load.

Now let’s do some “cost per load” comparisons of soap nuts with “natural” detergents and other popular types of detergents in the typical sizes in which they are available. Please note that all prices are from reputable sellers and are typical prices that are easily found. Again, all soapnut prices per load are based on standard loads, not HE loads. I do my best to be very conservative and realistic in all my calculations and estimates.

The following are common prices for soap nuts in various common sizes (I pulled them directly off the internet from a reputable supplier): Note: I am even including common prices for smaller size bags (at higher costs per ounce, and STILL using only FOUR loads per half-ounce wash bag.) – One 64-ounce bag of Soapnuts: $57.95 for 512 loads ($0.113 per load) – One 32-ounce bag of Soapnuts: $29.95 for 256 loads ($0.117 per load) – One 16 – One 8-ounce bag of soap nuts: $19.95 for 128 loads ($0.155 per load) – One 8-ounce bag of soap nuts: $12.75 for 64 loads ($0.199 per load)

The following are various commercial detergents in typical sizes and prices. The number of loads is according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

– Seventh Generation 2x Ultra Natural Free & Clear Laundry Detergent: $11.99 for 50 loads. ($0.239 per load)

– All’s Small and Mighty 3x Concentrate for HE washers: $8.49 for 32 loads. ($0.265 per load)

– ECOS laundry detergent, ultra concentrated with soy fabric softener: $9.49 for 26 loads ($0.367 per load)

– Tide 2x Concentrated Laundry Detergent: $14.99 for 32 loads ($0.468 per load!) This surprised me!

– Dreft 2x Concentrated Baby Laundry Detergent: $31.99 for 110 loads ($0.290 per load)

– Babyganics 3x Concentrated Laundry Detergent: $13.49 for 33 loads ($0.408 per load)

– Method 3x Concentrated Baby Laundry Detergent: $10.99 for 32 loads ($0.343 per load)

– Lady. Meyer’s Lavender Laundry Detergent: $13.49 for 32 loads ($0.421 per load)

It quickly becomes apparent that soap nuts are VERY inexpensive compared to most detergents. (Note that I also picked a nice random crossover sample from very common brands to some more esoteric ones.) Used correctly, soap nuts can significantly reduce our laundry costs. PLUS, this doesn’t even take into account that you need virtually no fabric softener or dryer sheets when using soap nuts.

It’s also worth mentioning that all of these soapnut comparison products are around (more or less) the same 32-ounce weight range that I mentioned above that is popular with soapnut users. Most stores (apart from warehouse type stores) don’t seem to have much in sizes larger than that. I can only assume that most retailers have determined the right size, weight, and price for detergents in this weight range to be the most common sellers. It is the difference in the number of loads per ounce between soap nuts and commercial detergents that is absolutely staggering.

Regardless, the gist of this article comes down to the COST PER LOAD of using soap nuts compared to commercial detergents. Soap nuts are NOT expensive. They’re a much more affordable means of washing our clothes, and it certainly doesn’t get any more eco-friendly. As shown above, even a very small bag of soap nuts (8 ounces for $12.75) costs much less per load than any of these commercial brands, and again that’s VERY conservative on all counts. They are less than half the cost per load compared to one of Tide’s flagship detergents.

I gave a single mom, a good friend of mine with three kids, a bag of soap nuts for the holidays. She has been working hard to make ends meet. Since then, she has raved about how wonderfully they worked, how her clothes never smelled so clean and soft, how her washing machine no longer smelled like mold and mildew. She had difficulty describing the smell, because there is no smell. How do you simply describe the scent of pure and clean? Think about it.

She didn’t stop with the clothes. She hasn’t stopped experimenting, and last I heard the liquid she made from her cleaned her coffee maker better than even CLR. (Yuk. I’m sure she would have cleaned the CLR very well. She’s a smart woman.) Amazing. She tells me that her coffee maker works and she looks like new again.

Soapnuts aren’t just rising in consumer awareness when GREEN is “in.” It’s growing in awareness at a time when we can all use conserving a little more of the green in our pockets. The green movement is only going to continue to grow. Both business and government have recognized the need for change (for different reasons, of course). Our children WILL LIVE in a much greener, safer and more efficient world than we have known and grew up in. There is no better time than now to discover all the wonders that soap nuts have to offer. Better laundry products are just the beginning.