Soap nuts

i also got one of them sample packs after reading quite mixed reviews thought i;d try them for myself. At the moment i don't think they're too bad though i've only tried with nappies and there's probably still detergent residue in my washer. However, they did seem to do the job with nappies on first impressions.

We use Soapods pretty much full-time (even with nappies). They don't always get carrot or tomato stains out first time but the sun can do that and there are a lot of advantages to using them compared to standard detergents.

There's lots of info on the Soapods website:

http://www.soapods.com/faqs.html

But this might answer a few questions.

ORGANIC & FAIRTRADE

ARE SOAPODS ORGANIC?
Yes, Soapods are organic and we are in the process of getting an organic stamp.

ARE SOAPODS FAIRLY TRADED?
Unfortunately, at the moment there are no criteria for fairtrade for Soapods, but we hope that the Fairtrade Foundation will establish and implement fairtrade standards in the near future. In the meantime, we have done the next best thing and have visited plantations and natural areas where soap nuts are cultivated to see for ourselves.

SOAPODS/SOAPNUTS

WHAT ARE SOAPODS LAUNDRY PRODUCTS MADE FROM?
Soapods come from the soap nut tree. The soap nut tree is a large deciduous tree with fleshy fruit like a berry. The skin of the berry (the soapod) contains 12-15% saponin which is similar to soap. Saponin is the active cleaning ingredient in Soapods, and it has a dermatologically sound lathering and cleansing effect.

HOW DO SOAPODS GET TO THE UK? ARE THEY FLOWN?
Soapods are sent by ship. They are not flown, one way to help keep carbon emissions lower!

WHERE DO SOAPODS SOAP NUTS GROW?
The soap nut tree is an important tree of tropical and sub-tropical regions of Asia. The tree grows in many places from Afghanistan in the west to China in the east and also Florida,the Caribbean and Africa. The tree can reach a height of 25m and a girth of 3 to 5m and flowers for at least 70 years.

I forgot to add that companies like P&G are far from ethical.

ive used them for a few years now and have had no problems.
they dont have a bleaching agent obviously so sometimes need a boost for whites but stuff is soooo soft afterwards!!

I used them full time some time ago but quit because:
-they didn't get rid of sweat smell
-they didn't get rid of perfume smell
If my clothes still smell, I don't think they are clean!

Recently I gave them another go, but now I pre-soak them in hot water and then transfer the bag to the laundry and the soapy water in the powder container. Works better. Still doesn't get rid of the heavy stains...