Soap Nuts and Soapnut Shells - Sapindus Laurifolius - Ritha
English |
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Soap nut |
Botanical |
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Sapindus laurifolius |
Sanskrit |
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Aristakah, Phenila |
Hindi |
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Ritha |
Telugu |
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Kumkullu |
Common names |
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Reetha, Puchikottai(Poochikottai), Munippungu, Urulinji, Kumkuticettu, Uruvanci, Phenila, Antolakaayi, Chavakkai |
Family name |
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Sapindaceae, Asclepiadaceae |
Health and Benefits of Soap Nuts and Shells - Sapindus Laurifolius - Ritha
- These seeds are rich in saponins.
- It is an antibacterial cleanser. Exfoliant.
- It is used as cleansing agent for hair, skin and laundry.
- It clears skin problems like eczema, psoriasis, itchy skin.
- It also protects sensitive skin.
- It prevents hair loss, controls dandruff.
- It balances salivation, epilepsy and chlorosis.
- Good remedy for dental caries.
- It is good cleaning agent for oily skin
- Clearly cheaper than normal detergents.
- Environment friendly as soapnuts are 100% natural, they do not pollute our environment. Furthermore, soapnuts considered renewable primary products. The soapnut trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
- Perfect for allergic persons, people with sensitive skin and people who suffer from neurodermatitis.
- Effective and gentle as Soapnuts clean dirty laundry very effectively and at the same time preserve the colour of your laundry better than chemical detergents. In Nepal, people wash even the finest silks using soapnuts.
- 100% biodegradable. Simply add the used soapnuts directly to your compost heap.
Soap nuts
- Cleaning basically anything, from washing clothes, as a liquid soap
- Cleaning and shining ornaments,
- Household cleaner etc.
Soapnuts or Soapberry, also sometimes referred to as Washing Nuts or Ritha / Reetha (in Hindi), contain ‘Saponins’, which have the ability to clean and wash. When in contact with water, it creates a mild suds, which is similar to soap.
For hundreds of years, people in India and Nepal have been doing their laundry and cleaning with Soapnuts The nut is the dried fruit of the Ritha tree and the saponin released is a 100% substitute to normal detergents.
Soap nuts are allergy-free and hence are good for your skin especially good for babies, eczema and sensitive skin. This chemical free product is excellent for washing children’s clothing. Soap nuts are both Ecological and Economical when compared to other forms of detergents.
Soapnut Shell
Deseeded soapnut, divided into two parts, is commonly known as soapnut shell. Soapnut shells are becoming very popular among the health conscious creed in Europe and other parts of the world because of their Eco-friendly natural washing properties.
The nuts contain the active natural washing ingredient saponin. Similar to soap, when the shells of the soapnut come in contact with water the saponin is released and suds are produced - These are excellent for cleaning laundry and leaving it beautifully soft.
They are especially good for colours: because they don’t contain any whiteners or brighteners your colours will stay coloured for longer. Just pop 6-8 shells into a cotton bag (provided) and place in your washing machine.
They clean effectively however will not fragrance your laundry. If you prefer a fragrance use a couple of drops of essential oils either directly onto the nuts or in the dispenser drawer (front load).
The nuts can be used for 4-6 consecutive loads and then disposed either in the compost bin or normal bin. Because the soap nuts leave your laundry so soft there is no need to include softeners.