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I've literally had it take out month-old baby poop (the yellow kind) that my husband had left sitting - wet - buried where I didn't find it til I could find it with my nose. It was horribly green when I started the wash, stinky and very scary. When I took it out, it was light yellow sort of stained-looking. When it was done drying on the line (sunshine really seems to have an effect on this), it was CLEAN. The clothing looked new. I couldn't believe it - I'd washed it figuring it would be a rag from then on, and it was _clean_.
I don't use anything else for my laundry anymore. I don't even need fabric softener when I use this - it softens well enough alone.
There's a thread over on the sustainable living forum about soapberries, I don't know if they cover this exact brand but they talk about the soapberries/soap nuts in general and what people's experiences have been.
Well Ilooked it up in the PlantFiles and this is Hytop's piece;
Quoted:
On Jul 20, 2005, htop from San Antonio, TX
(Zone 8b) wrote:
Another common name for this plant is Jaboncillo. I have not grown this plant so I am unable to give it a rating. Some people call it a "trash tree". In its natural habitat, I find it quite attractive all year. Containing a soaplike substance called saponin, a natural detergent, the fruits have been used as a substitute for soap. The soap is obtained from the fruit by rubbing the fruit in water and is used in Mexico for washing clothes. The fruit can be dried and stored for later use. Some people sustain a skin rash from this substance so be careful if using the fruit for this purpose.. The fruits are poisonous and should not be eaten. Sapindus in Latin means "soap of the Indes" and saponaria refers to the saponin found in the fruit; drummondii honors Thomas Drummond, who collected plants in Texas for Joseph Hooker.
It usually blooms in May and June and the fruits fully ripen in November. The fruits which are about about 15mm in diameter start out a green color and gradually change to a beautiful amber. When it loses its leaves in the winter, the marble sized transculent amber fruit show the black seed inside. The fruit tend to remain on the tree all winter.
It may be found on limestone bluffs, slopes and by streams in moist clay or dry limestone. It is adaptable to many types of soil and is drought tolerant. It will not grow in the shade; but, it will thrive at the sunny edge of a woodland.
When propagating, in mid-winter pre-soak the scarified seed for 24 hours in warm water and sow in a cold frame . Move to a greenhouse or other protected area in early spring. The seed should germinate in late spring. Place the seedlings in individual pots when they are large enough to handle and transplant in early summer. It can be propagated by using cuttings of almost ripe wood with a heel may be taken in July or August.
Buttons and necklaces are made from the seeds. The wood is close-grained, strong and heavy. Because it splits easily into thin strips, it is used in basket making. The wood is also used as a fuel.
It's also called "ChinaBerry" and is invasive many places in the south.
Sidney
Well, DUH! If the soapberry and chinaberry are indeed one and the same, I've got an overload supply of ripe berries out there in my back yard! The subdivision builder left a lot of trees , including mesquite, hackberry, and chinaberry - the latter two are definitely trash trees in that their seedlings pop up everywhere.
One source says the jaboncillo is in the Ditta family while chinaberry is Melia.
I shall proceed straightaway to experiment.
Growing up in southern Oklahoma, we kids would badger our mothers for needles and thread to string the green fruits into "necklaces." The flower clusters are very pretty and fragrant, but the yellowed ripe fruits are rather nondescript.
I'll report on what, if anything, develops from experimentation. Yuska
Nope, no soap. Need the plant that's similar in appearance (Sapindus), and eviidently can be found in our areas:
Common names can be confusing sometimes. I've always known Melia azederach as China Berry, and the soapberry is genus Sapindus. But people tend to use the same common name for multiple plants, so who knows.
I apologize for Dave just pulled my post due to promoting our own products. Well I should have read the rules. Sorry, Dave!
Yuska, There is what is commonly referrered to as a Florida Soap Berry - sounds like you've got them. Our research indicates that only mukorrossi and saponaria species are highly effective as a chemical detergent alternative. These apparently are grown primarily near and around the Himalayans. Although I read of some reports of other varieties growing and working well from around the globe. Of the MANY different species, we can find no hard documentation of other varieties that efficiently and effectively produce the 'soapy' effect. Good data on all the other varieties is sketchy at best.
However, don't look for a lot of suds. This is how we describe their cleansing action:
'The soap nut shell releases saponins (soap) when it comes into contact with warm water. The saponins circulate as a natural surfactant in wash water reducing the surface tension of the water and freeing dirt, grime and oils from clothes.'
FYI: Technically, none of this is actually 'soap'. True 'soap' contains glycerin. Hence we are dealing with a 'detergent' alternative.
There are two primary catalysts: warm water and agitation.
Believe me when I tell you: These work and work well. That's all I even use anymore. PLUS I have no need for softeners or dyer sheets either. I wish we knew more about the properties of the other strains, but there is minimal quality intel.
FYI: We own a lot of land in AZ where it was previously utilized as a tree farm. (I spent one year working it myself.) It is right next to the canal, and all the infrastructure is there. I'd love to plant it out again. Apparently the Himalayan species take nine years before bearing fruit. That's not good, but...I believe we have a tremendous natural resource with Sapindus and are only scratching the surface of how it may better the lives of all of us.
I tried the soapberries that my local food co-op had. Seemed to do fine on a lightly soiled load of laundry. And, when I took them out of the dryer they were very noticably softer than any laundry I've ever had!
