Reduce your chemical splash with Soapods
There are plenty of reasons to re-think the way you wash, from turning down the temparature to using more natural products to clean your clothes. And having already gone down the Ecover liquid route (the bio stuff is wonderful - did you know you could still use biological detergent using green products?) I decided to go a step further and try using soap nuts - an entirely renewable, natural and chemical-free way to wash, made by Soapods.com and available for £4.95 for a pack capable of doing 25 washes. In honesty, I wasn't convinced by the idea - the odourless little brown pods in their canvas pouch just didn't look like they'd get rid of any stains, but I gave them a try, and was pleasantly surprised by the results...
The main concern in my doubting mind was whether the nuts would actually get my clothes clean, and this was achieved with no trouble on an energy-saving 30 degree wash - score one. Next, I had been wondering if my laundry would smell as fresh as it does with my usual liquid, and again I was relieved to find that it just smelled clean! Although I hadn't used any fragrance on this trial, you can add essential oils to your wash so your clothes will come out smelling of whatever scent you prefer. I'm thinking of going for a balmy coconut scent in summer...the choice is yours!
If the idea of putting nuts in your washing machine is just a little too hippy, Soapods also offer a laundry liquid (£8.47 for a litre at Goodness Direct) made from the nuts. It's 100% organic, biodegradable and sustainable, since the soapnut trees used to make it live for up to 90 years and their foliage can also be cultivated, so there's no waste or deforestation caused by using these products.
A definite advantage of using Soapods soap nuts or washing liquid is that they won't trigger any allergies. I'm hyper-sensitive to anything more potent than water and itching after a wash has become the norm, so I'm happy to report that I was spared this discomfort after using the soap nuts. If you've got any sort of allergy or sensitivity to detergents, they'd be a good choice for this reason alone. Soapods products are available at The Natural Store.
