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| You have to do something BIG for your 50th birthday. I chose to begin life with soap nuts. |
It was destiny, destiny I tell you that the box of soap nuts arrived on my 50th birthday. I don’t usually air our dirty laundry (horrible pun) but now that it’s getting clean, let me brag for a moment about my new cleansing agent.
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| Do not be afraid, my friends, these are only soap nuts. |
From the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains, several pounds of the dried shells of the sapindus mukorossi trees have found purpose in the suburbs of North Carolina. Oh how I wished I had these nuts when my oldest OS was a lowly plebe just starting at West Point. My olfactory buds have suffered greatly from the mounds of West Point laundry. There have been times when I have nearly driven home from the airport with the windows in my SUV open because Nate smelled really bad. Oddly enough it wasn’t due to poor hygiene, it was his clothing. When I informed Nate that he REEKED, he expressed confusion not knowing whether it was the cheap laundry detergent he was using or the frequently used washing machines on post. I’m still in disbelief that he went to see his bonita in El Salvador with that unpleasant odor attached to his clothing.
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| The Soldier and his bonita in El Salvador. He’s going there for Spring Break. Clean your clothes well before you leave to go see her, Nate! |
But perhaps I have found the solution. My chest swelled with pride when Nate came home recently and I introduced him to soap nuts. While he was a bit skeptical about Mom and one of my latest “things,” here’s what I told him about the newest addition to the family.
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| This is the equivalent of at least eight loads of laundry |
- Our clothes are cleaner – Imbedded stains have nearly disappeared. Without any additional spot removers or bleach, the soap nuts are kicking stains’ butts. It’s shocking how fresh and bright our clothes and linens have become.
- Our clothes feel nicer – Dare I admit I now even enjoy folding clothes again? Please don’t tell anyone else in the family. The texture of our laundry is more authentic. Ungainly t-shirts hold their heads up higher, towels have absorptive confidence. Who’d have thunk?
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| Soaking them soap nuts |
And here’s a really weird thing I’ve noticed
- Our clothes even sound better – As someone with sensitive hearing, sounds influence my daily life. The sizzle of popcorn after the kernels have just finished exploding delights but I’m drawn to the brink of insanity by the smacking of lips or the licking of fingers. A very prominent person in my life does the latter so I’m quite familiar with this sound. And while it might sound really strange to most people, I have noticed the laundry sounds different and I never perceived the sound of laundry until my encounter with soap nuts.
Enjoy this brief “music” clip of my soap nuts. For artistic purposes, I included some almonds in the picture. Do not use almonds in your laundry! 😉
- No residual odors – Have ever washed your face with a wash cloth that smells like it had cleaned an armpit? It has happened too many times to me and I’m sick of it! Especially frustrating is when I know that the towel was freshly cleaned and still throw it out because the smell has lingered. Well friends, that is a now thing of the past. With soap nuts, there is no funky smell. I cannot detect the body part previously scrubbed with any towel.
- Much less lint – the dryer has about a 10th of its previous lint! I guess that’s a good thing, right?
- No odors – aside from the slight vinegar smell of the soap nuts, my nose detects no chemical odors or perfumes.
- Fun to use – I just soak about six soap nuts in a small muslin bag, immerse them in warm water during my washing machine and that’s it. After the rinse cycle, I just hang my nuts on the knob on the cabinet until the next time. You can use the soap nuts for about 4-7 times before they are done and then I just toss them in my backyard. They are eco-friendly like that.
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| “I’m taking these pants and my mom’s soap nuts to college!” |
- Take up less space, weigh nearly nothing – As we prepare for our middle OS to attend Moody Bible Institute in the fall, Aaron will have his own supply of soap nuts quite possibly with a small monogrammed muslin bag. 😉 I might even give them as gifts for his college bound friends. Aaron will surely be the coolest guy pursuing a ministry degree and he will have more room in his dorm. Perhaps he will even wear his homemade bibliophile pajama pants to the laundry room and send the ladies into orbit!
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| “I think West Point needs soap nuts!” |
Here’s some more information if you are interested in learning more about soap nuts. Many times I have purchased products and been disappointed. My experience with soap nuts (click this to see how they work) has exceeded my expectations. Thanks to my Himalayan Mountain treasures, I can now proclaim, “Bring on the stinky Soldier! Send hither the malodorous minister! Come nigh thy athletic ginger, your mother and her soap nuts await you all with open arms.”
A friend sent me this link, thought I’d pass it along.
My Awesome Olive Shoots 
