Soapnut Powder Laundry Tabs

 One of the things I was most pleased to receive in my July TVK box was the Soapnut Powder Laundry Tabs by Living Naturally. Now that I have nearly finished them, I thought I would share my thoughts. I have used soapnuts pretty regularly and have always been impressed with their performance. Typically you add 6-7 Soapnuts to a bag, wet the bag for a few minutes and them put them in the wash. Soapnuts are the dried shells from the Soapberry and contain high amounts of saponin. Whirling them around in the washer releases the saponin which acts to release, dirt, and stains from laundry. Soaking them first helps to release the soap. Soapnuts are a very effective alterative to conventional laundry products as they are a completely natural product. They are very good for any one that suffers with sensitive skin, as they are free from chemical additives and fragrances. Indeed this is what drew me to Soapnuts to begin with. When I had my twins prematurely I wanted something that I knew would be safe for their delicate skins, and could cope with double the poop, vomit and later on weaning. I can honestly say that the cleaning power of Soapnuts rivals that of a conventional laundry powder, and leaves clothes soft enough not to need a separate fabric conditioner. As a mom to 3, and at that point all of them were under 3, Soapnuts cleaned everything thoroughly. Believe you me I did a lot of washing at that point in my life, so it had to wash clean first time around. The tabs are a slightly more convenient product, you just need to pop them in the washer. They contain Soapnut powder and like all Soapnut products are biodegradeable, hypoallergenic, phosphate and chemical free in addition to carrying an Ecocert organic certification. The tabs do work out to be more expensive than the Soapnuts do (£4.99 for 20 washes), but they are still cheaper than 20 tablets by the leading brands. My boys turned 8 this week, and their clothes frequently have grass stains or blackcurrant stains. These wash out easily with the tabs and still remain soft enough to manage without a fabric softener. I would undoubtedly buy these again in the future, as they are so effective.