The Healthy Natural Cleaner

Soap Grows On A Tree

 

How often did we hear parents say, “Money doesn’t grow on trees”?  While money does not grow on trees, apparently soap does.  For centuries, many cultures have been using a berry from a tree to clean themselves, their clothing and much more.  That’s right.  There really is a soapberry tree.

The soapberry or soapnut tree grows in India, Indonesia, Nepal, Bali, Burma, the far east, South America and… parts of the United States.  The fruit of this tree goes by many names: Reetha, Areetha, Kala kamodi, washnuts, soapnuts, soapberry, soapods, laundrynuts, and Klerek to name a few.

From September to February, the soapberries are harvested when the fruits ripen and fall to the ground.  The seeds are removed and the outer shell is sundried.  It is the outer shell that native families in south Asian countries have used as a cleaner. 

The soapberry, or soapnut, is the fruit of the tree of the sapindus genus, from the family Sapindacea. The species sapindus mukorossi, known simply as the Soapberry Tree, Soap Nut Tree, Chinese Soapberry or Chinaberry Tree, is most widely used for its cleaning properties.

 

Saponin: The Natural Surfactant

 

The soapberry is a small yellow-brown fruit, containing a black seed.  The seed is removed from the fruit when it is harvested.  Each soapberry contains saponin, an all-natural surfactant. Surfactants break the surface tension of water.  That makes it easier for water to penetrate into fabrics. Then, your washing machine easily shakes the dirt loose from your clothes.  

All parts of the soapberry are biodegradable, safe, chemical and petroleum free.  By contrast, commercial cleaners contain chemicals that are toxic and harmful to the environment.  For example, some commercial cleaners contain petroleum distillates which have been linked to cancer, lung damage, lung inflammation and damage to mucous membranes.

 

The Non-Detergent Cleaner

 

A dictionary definition of “detergent” is a chemical substance used for washing clothes, dishes, etc.  Since the soapberry is all natural, it might be considered a non-detergent.  But, it cleans as well if not better than chemical detergents.

That’s why we call this environmentally green soapberry the healthy, natural cleaner.

Inside These Pages

Throughout this site, you can learn more about the soap nut soapberry. You can read about their uses and benefits and how to make homemade liquid cleaners. You can learn why soap nuts are able to clean so well. Also learn what makes some soapberries better than other kinds. Then, you can order online from our selection of package sizes. Still have questions? Check out our faq’s section. Wondering who we are and why we are involved with this type of natural product? Read about us.