Have you ever heard of a soap dish?
It is a tree that has been grown in ancient times for its fruits, the shells of which contain saponin (a substance which, when mixed with water, forms a foam) and have excellent cleansing and antibacterial effects. The shells were dried and used to wash the laundry.
Right handed to this tree are China and Japan, in our area it is suitable for growing as a houseplant, which can decorate your terrace or balcony during the summer months. If you decide to grow it, it needs plenty of sunshine, but it can also take half – shade. As a substrate, it is sufficient for room plants enriched with a little sand or pearlite.
Benefits of a soap dish
It is 100% natural, as soon as the foaming effect is exhausted (roughly after 3-4 repeated use), the shells can be added to the compost. It can be used as a multifunctional cleanser – for hair, face and as a detergent. Thanks to its antibacterial properties, it removes odors very well while providing delicate care. It is hypoallergenic and therefore suitable for sensitive skin (thanks to natural oils it hydrates and protects it at the same time). People with skin problems (allergies, psoriasis, eczema) can also use it. It is also suitable for washing baby clothes.
As a detergent it can be used for both handwashing and washing machine. The fabrics it contains are gentle to various types of textile fibers, and are also suitable for washing wool or silk clothing. Even the colors are not aggressive, so you will prevent the loss of color in your clothing. It can also be used at different wash temperatures. They deal with common dirt, but they do not resist resistant stains. It also does not have bleaching effects.
Use for washing
Place the shells in a cloth bag and add to the washing machine – soft water 6-8 nuts per batch, hard water a little more.
At a lower temperature, a smaller amount is needed.
We can use nuts repeatedly, ideal for next batch, otherwise we have to let them dry.
The washed laundry does not have any aroma, so if we want it to smell, we use the ethereal oil that we put on the bag before putting it in the washing machine.
Soap leach
For production we can use already used shells, which we cook for 10 – 15 minutes in water. The extract can be used for hand washing and everywhere we normally use detergents. It is also suitable as spraying against aphids.
