More Uses For Soap Nuts

CAR WASH:

This is wonderful, and no harm to your cars finish. Throw 6 – 8 nuts in a bucket and fill about half full with the pressure of your hose. Wash the car as normal and pour the soapy water on your plants, lawn or bushes as soap nuts actually repel insects.

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MAKE A CONCENTRATED LIQUID SOAP:

Since you’ll have many applications for the concentrate, you might want to begin with 3 cups of water to 1 cup of soapnuts. I usually make large batches as I use it for just about everything., and it saves time that way. Bring this to a boil and simmer until you reduce the amount to approximately 2/3 of what you began with.  This will be a nice dark brown liquid.  Strain, possibly using a cheese cloth if your strainer is not quite fine. Then take those same nuts that you have in the pan and make a second batch, same as the first,  cooking it down to about 2/3 or even less.  This will be something you will learn to play with as you use them.  It should give you a nice brown liquid again.  Your concentrate will last for sometime,  if you keep it refrigerated and/or frozen into ice cube trays.  It makes it very handy for many uses and leaves your refrigerator free for foods.

You can then spread the spent nuts around your garden, in your house or outside plants or around the perimeter of your house to keep unwanted pests away.  We  keep a bucket in the garage to use them again for washing your car. 

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DISHWASHERS:

I have had great luck,  now that the holes have been cleaned out of the arms.  I had a bright idea to just put a few in there and let them zoom around the dishes.  Not a good idea!!  I was just checking, so now we know, put 5 or so in their, “little bag”, or just put 4 or 5 in the utensil holder with the lid.  Keep checking after about the 4th wash to see how their doing.  Remember, just dump them into a jar with a bit of water and give them a shake, you still see some suds action, go another round.  Thanks to Janice S. for bringing up the fact I hadn’t addressed this.

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Then if you like suds, you can put it in a pump or place a 1/2 cup of concentrate in a container and give it a whiz with a hand beverage mixer, food processor or blender and watch it suds up. You will be amazed at the soft foaming cream you make, which will stay in this foam for approximately 30 minutes before it begins to return to liquid. Then simply put it back in the refrigerator until you need it again.

I sometimes like to put essential oil of  peppermint in the concentrate that I bath with.  You could use any essential oil of your choice.

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These gifts from nature are wonderful for washing your body, cleans and detangles your hair. It also kills head lice and their eggs.  No skin rashes as it is completely natural.

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It is also a great jewelry cleaner.  Simply soak your jewelry in the concentrate for a bit and take it out rub and rinse.