Soap nuts or Reetha - my DIY shampoo experiment

[Jyoti]

It works! Soap nuts can be used to make a liquid shampoo that is green and economical.

This is what I did:
In a saucepan, I added 1 litre of water to 120gm of whole soap nuts (including seeds), brought it to a boil and then simmered for about 40 minutes. The kitchen smelt kind of soapy. Cooled and strained, I got 500ml of liquid. I used approximately 2-3 tablespoons of it as a hair and body shampoo after swimming and am delighted to report the results: I am converted mainly because it has removed the chlorine smell that usually lingers with other cleansers. It actually lathered slightly which was more gratifying than the powdered Reetha paste I normally use, and also, I found liquid form more convenient to use.
Interestingly, during the cooking period, a little bit boiled over on the hob so I used a damp sponge to wipe it away only to see that it had cleaned the hob beautifully! My experimentation shall continue- watch this space!

[HennaHelen]

Sounds ideal!
Can't wait to try it out!
And a bonus that it cleaned the hob too.

[Jyoti]

I have been using my DIY soap nut liquid for a couple of weeks. It has become my regular shampoo and body wash and I am finding it more effective than anything else for removing chlorine and cooking smells from my hair and body. It leaves my hair beautifully soft but my one criticism is that the body feels dry afterwards (why body and not hair?). So, I am using my Aunt's tip to keep my skin happy. She recommends adding a step to one's showering routine and smearing a tiny bit of olive oil all over the body after rinsing the soap. It spreads easily because the skin is wet and gets absorbed. I then have a final rinse with water to remove any excess oil from the skin and dry off. I haven't needed to use any body creams after this and feel pleased with my 100% natural skin care regime!

[HennaHelen]

That's fab! Amazing that you can have a 100% natural beauty routine without too much hassle.

Strange that it dries your skin but not your hair, that's an interesting outcome of the experiment.
Is it possible to add the olive oil to the soap nut liquid or will that just go weird?

[Jyoti]

I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for the suggestion- will try it and see what happens!

[Jyoti]

Well! I have added olive oil to my soap nut liquid wash and although it seems to work as a body wash, the result was disappointing for the hair. My hair felt limp and had to be washed again. So, to keep my natural washing routine going, I will have to use separate containers for shampoo and body wash. I continue to be amazed at the way it gets rid of the chlorine smell after a swim.

[Jyoti]

My experiments have led me to use soap nut liquid more and more for general and specific cleaning around the house. I accidently discovered that it cleaned my glass hob beautifully getting rid of the grease and splash marks. I then tried using it on other surfaces and it is now my cleanser of choice for stainless steel, granite and tiles. It is gentle, scratch-free and does not leave a residue. It did not clean the sink as well as Cif so that is the only other cleaning product I keep in my kitchen.It is very satisfying to be almost chemical-free in the kitchen.

[HennaHelen]

That is so fab ~ I will definitely be attempting to make a soap nut liquid asap ~ using your instructions above. Looking forward to trying it out on everything!

[Jyoti]

NEW DISCOVERY! SQUEEZE EVERY BIT OF DETERGENT OUT OF YOUR SOAP NUTS BEFORE THROWING THEM ON THE COMPOST HEAP. After making the last batch of soap nut liquid, I noticed the fat smooth-skinned soap nuts left in the saucepan still had plenty of honey-coloured sticky liquid still in them. I decided to experiment and used 5 of those used soap nuts in the washing machine and hurray! got two really clean washes out of them before they were spent. Not for nothing am I known as the thriftiest person in my family!