Soap nut concentrate is very easy to make, although a little fiddly. It is well worth your while though once it is made as it is incredibly versatile and can be used pretty much anywhere on you and around the house.
It is best to make your concentrate in small amounts as the solution has a limited shelf life and it does tend to froth a lot when you are making it.
Vicki - it does soften them, but you have to remember that you are mixing soap and it gets pretty frothy, so it is a bit of a process. Since I originally wrote this article, I have changed my approach.These days I do what Liu Z does and I simply grind the nuts to a powder. That way, they are easy to manage and don't go off. I then use about 1/2 teaspoon in each load with a tablespoon of bicarb soda. Friday, 3 June 2016
Just wondering if soaking the nuts softens them, therefore making them easier to process. I always wondered how you use these nuts as soap. Thanks for the post. Saturday, 28 May 2016
I wrote a review, but I probably should have posted here. I have found it better to grind the nuts first instead of soaking them. Then you just mix up a litre or two as you need it and it doesn't get anywhere near as frothy. Store the mix in the fridge to stop it going off. Thursday, 24 September 2015
The saponins in Soap Nuts act as a surfactant, which is a substance that, when dissolved in water, gives soap nuts the ability to remove dirt. Soap nut concentrate is probably most effective as a clothes cleaner, dishwashing liquid or general surface cleaner. It needs other products like borax to be really effective in the dishwasher. I like it better than nuts in the washing machine as I know the nuts have gone after the wash cycle, unlike whole nuts that stay in your machine.
If you aren't going to use your concentrate straight away, make it into ice cubes - of a size that you will use. Bear in mind that a teaspoon is about the equivalent of one nut.> > Add your choice of essential oils if you prefer.