Soapnuts - And their tree

Ritha, doadni, dodan, doda, tree with soap… As much denomination for a tree with the multiple virtues: Sapindus mukorossi.

In fact, they are more precisely these fruits, commonly called “soapnuts” and their saponin which are recognized and used, and due. But from which they come? Why use them? Are they effective? These are as much questions which I will try to answer.

Sapindus mukorossi – Ritha Since the ecological turning, we intend more and more to speak about its famous nuts. In fact, it is not a question of a nut but well of the fruit of the tree. In Europe they bear also the name of “hulls” of washing, bus does in fact of them the hulls contain the element that we seek: saponin. Sapindus mukorossi is not the only tree to offer saponin, there is also Uncarina of the island of Madagascar, the saponin in Europe, as well as ivy to name only some of them, but only the fruits of Sapindus mukorossi contain some in so great quantity which they become easily usable in our daily newspaper. It is large tree originating in the tropical and under-tropical climate about the Asian continent. Species native of China and India one also sees it growing until Afghanistan and with heights 150m with 200m with the top of the sea level. It can reach 25 meters height and live up to 80 years. The tree flowered in May to June; of beautiful bunches of small flowers tender green. Fruits when with them appear in July-August and mature from November to December. They fall from themselves on the ground in continuation collected, dried, are split in order to withdraw the nut which is with the interior one. The nuts thus collected could be possibly germinated and the hulls will be is used by the peasants who for a long time use them for their detergent, the hair and the body or sold to go it international. It is enough only to some trees to only provide for the needs for a whole family. The peasants are remunerated for harvest, drying, the separation of the hull of nut like for packing. The nuts are then exported by boat.

Why use soapnuts? The saponin which one finds in nuts of washing has several properties and is used by several industries. That it is in agriculture as an insecticide, medicine and pharmacology for its properties antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drug, it would fight the freckles and certain skin diseases, one would make even recently a spermicidal of it. But we stop on what interests us. Saponin is a surface-active naturalness: it cleans. Several reasons make that it is more advantageous to use nuts of washing rather than any product commercial. Of course, let us put side immediately cleaning them containing toxic products and let us think only of the products known as ecological. First of all the culture of Sapindus mukorossi is very ecological. Being given that the tree is satisfied poor ground fully and that it produces itself an insecticide protecting it from undesirable, that in fact a very easy culture which does not require any precaution and/or manure and/or pesticide. Moreover, According to the IUCN (Union world for nature) and FAO (Organization of the Nations Linked for the food and agriculture) its culture would help to fight against the erosion of the grounds. Some could plead that the nuts of washing make a long way before arriving to us. Completely! However, contrary to all the liquid products, the nuts of washing do not require any plastic packing but come in a packing paper entirely which can be recycled and compostable. Moreover, the majority of the products the commercial (even those known as bio) one of the components which they, come from share and others from planet and one in themselves travelled and contributed to pollution would be this only by the energy used with their production. The oil of palm, copra and coconuts, largely used do not come completely from the door from at side! Without counting that, of large Asian territories southern, indonésiens and African are deforested for the benefit of the palm plantations what causes serious environmental problems of which the probable extinction of the orangs-outans. It is thus to say that our only small kilo of nut of made washing, in all and everywhere, much less damage ecological! To add to that that a bag of one kilo nut of washing, used for the detergent, can be enough for a family to four people, during one year!! The other detergents do not make the weight! Let’s talk efficiency! It goes without saying: Any ecological detergent will be less powerful than the others. There remains imperative to detach before washing and to use washing soda, soda percarbonate (OxyClean), and or bicarbonate of soda. Clothing is cleaned by three principles: mechanics (drum which turns), water and soap. The conventional detergents contain not only the surface-active ones (only from 15 to 30%) but also a panoply of other chemical ingredients intended to treat all kinds of spots, to scent etc Whereas the ecological detergents will treat only the dirtiness known as “fatty” whose perspiration, fat and dirtiness in general. If one wishes to reduce the use of chemicals it thus becomes necessary to increase the effectiveness of the three principal actors. Maybe, by balls of washing (or of simple golf balls to place in the basin), steeping (at the time of dirtier clothing) like by other products mentioned Ci-high or a combination of the three. For all spots, fruits, eggs, blood etc it becomes necessary to detach front. To detach: To rub a little soft soap on the spot (liquid soap containing potash and tallow or another greasy substance available in the stores bio) Steeping with calcium percarbonate or washing soda.

Here a list of some tricks for difficult stains coming from the site of "Le Grand Ménage" http://raffa.over-blog.com/article-1360917.html

Stain Traitement

Grease and oil § To powder with the whiting, the clay or the ground of Sommières transpiration § to rub with the water vinaigrée until disappearance OR of methylated spirit with 70° lipstick § Methylated spirit with 70° OR mixes hydrogen peroxide (or percarbonate) + washing soda Fruits in general § To treat immediately with ebullient water (to pass water through fabric). § On spot dries to test the lemon juice or vinegar/water, the hydrogen peroxide, percarbonate. Red fruits § To make soak in tepid water, soap, not rinse, and extend to the sun. To wash then out of machine. Egg § Of hot water To never rub with hydrogen peroxide or a solution of percarbonate Red wine § To pass immediately from the white wine (then to powder with salt) or from aerated water on the spot. § OR to make soak in tepid water, soap, not rinse, and extend to the sun. To wash then out of machine Blood § Especially, never of hot water!!! § On a fresh spot, to soak and rub in a strongly salted fresh water bath. § On a dry spot, to soak 1/2 hour in cold a water bath added with soda percarbonate and hydrogen peroxide or washing soda () § On a spot “cooked” (old) to test vinegar/water § On a fragile fabric, to make soak in a little water with an aspirin thea § to rub the spot with lemon juice (attention to fragile fabrics, in this case to replace by vinegar) § or hydrogen peroxide or a solution of percarbonate coffee § To rinse with cold water, to rub with soapy tepid water, to rinse. § OR to use hydrogen peroxide chocolate § To sponge the spot with soapy tepid water, § to fade delicately with hydrogen peroxide On pure cocoa to forget soapy water. herb § To rub with vinegar scorch § To rub with a lump sugar § OR hydrogen peroxide moisture

§ To plug the spot with a clean fabric soaked in salted lemon juice. § To rub with household soap. § To wash with 90° (essential to kill the spores) or § to make boil in a water pan. Waxing/dirty oil tar/fuel oil § To apply fat content as soon as possible (butter, oil, petroleum jelly, milk) § To remove with a knife the dirty oil which did not penetrate fabric. § To soften the remainder by applying butter OR to soak several times in ebullient milk by kneading fabric. § To then rub the spot with spirits of turpentine, to extend and pour powder of Sommières (or whiting or clay). § To leave in place several hours and to start again if necessary. § OR bath of 12h in hot water + soft soap (25g) + washing soda (15g) + spirits of turpentine (5g). To brush. Paint / ink § to make soak in tepid milk. § To replace milk until its color does not change any more. § To wash with soapy water and to rinse abundantly. § OR to rub with alcohol § On white cotton there is not great a deal to have separately dyed it (or bleach). § To test also possibly spirits of turpentine nicotine § To rub with cold water then to impregnate tepid glycerin + water § To rub with alcohol rust § To press a lemon juice above and to powder with salt, § To let dry and wash out of machine Get more for your money. You like nuts of washing and wish to maximize your purchase. That's no problem! After you to be served as nut of washing in detergent, to leave to dry (important for not that they rotted) and accumulate them until you obtained approximately 500 gr. As follows make a decoction in approximately water 2l: To bring to boiling and to let boil approximately 15 minutes. Remain vigilant because saponin foams and there could be overflow. (To privilege the use of a large cauldron. ) · To let macerate 1 hour and repeat to remake 2 times at least and thereafter, · to let soak a whole night in order to you ensure that all the saponin of the hulls was extracted to the maximum. · To filter and bottle. (Why not re-use the container of your old detergent; -)) Tthe nut hulls are compostables This decoction kept with the refrigerator could be preserved one month. Use for: · To fertilize your interior plants like external Like insecticide for your plants, shrub and kitchen garden (particularly effective against the plant louses) · Mix there essential oils at a rate of 15-30ml per litre use there to clean your floors and cleaning in general. · Put in a bottle pumps as soap with hand Can also be used as ecological shampoo (very liquid on the other hand) if not, the decoction will make a very good contribution with your perforates A treasure in the hull! Then here are which I believe makes it tower of the question. It's a pity that this tree cannot push in our garden! Sapindus mukorossi is a tree known as rustic but not sufficiently to resist our rigorous winters. The botanical garden of Strasbourg would have of it a 25 year old specimen which would be now four meters top and which would have started to bear fruit as from 15 years.

Your now on your way to discover all their potential!

http://nerdatabank.nic.in/csireconomic.htm http://www.insinet.net/jasr/2007/95-101.pdf http://www.dweckdata.com/Lectures/ICE2000_preprint.pdf http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20011224/agro.htm#2 http://www.econologie.com/mobile/ar-3034.html