PRX Releases

Though they are certainly not new, Soap Nuts are revolutionizing the green scene. Used in Asia for thousands of years, the West is finally realizing the virtues of these little berries. What makes soap nuts so useful is their naturally-occurring saponins, the chemical compound that gives soap its cleaning power. Saponins cause dirt to be released and dissolved into the water. Saponins do not create many suds (great for HE washers!), so soap nuts aren’t at all sudsy (suds are a modern chemical marvel), but they sure are good at cleaning! Saponins also have anti-microbial properties and so are great for septic systems. Soap nuts are totally natural, totally gentle, biodegradable, compostable, sustainable, can be used for washing, bathing, cleaning, even toothpaste, and are even a natural remedy for lice on the scalp! Did we mention that soap nuts grow on trees? We’re talking centuries-old trees that have been clear-cut in the last few decades, but are now being preserved thanks to their new monetary value. The world is going gaga over soap nuts.

Soap nuts are fabulous, but they are a little awkward for some people. As Kim Skalman of Chicago says, "It’s just too hard to get used to the idea of throwing a couple of berries in a wash sack, and then into your laundry." So Maggie’s has come up with a solution that should please Kim and all who think similarly: Liquid Soap Nuts! Still as wonderfully natural, the liquid version is simply a concentrated solution achieved by soaking the soap nuts and adding a few organic essential oils as preservatives.

This product may just change the laundry landscape forever. Truly, purely, and uniquely natural- soap nuts are the only laundry product to accurately make this claim. They totally eliminate the need for toxic chemicals to get effectively clean, and help consumers rest assured that there are no hidden toxins in their cleaner.

The Greater Green is one of the first companies to carry the new convenient liquid version of Maggie’s Soap Nuts. "We were so thrilled to hear that Maggie’s Soap Nuts has created a liquid version. Though lots of people think Soap Nuts are kind of fun, we still have many customers who feel awkward throwing these little berries into their wash. Now they can have all the amazing benefits of soap nuts in a form that looks and feels like the conventional detergents they are used to," says Joanna Livieratos, owner of The Greater Green.

The history of soap nuts goes back thousands of years. In ancient India, they were used for soap and hair wash powders, used by jewelers for shining ornaments of gold and silver and used in the laundering of fine silks and wools. Soap "nuts" are also believed to cleanse and purify spiritually, and are used in many medicinal preparations. These soap nuts are so gentle and safe, and have been used for centuries, and yet when modern chemistry created synthetic detergents that cost merely ten cents a pound or so to manufacture, modern culture fell in love with "cleaning through chemistry". And now we have discovered that many of these synthetic chemicals are harsh irritants at best, toxic carcinogens at worst, and are slowly destroying not only our bodies, but our environment as well.

Soap nuts have been resurrected in Europe now for decades, and are just starting to gain popularity in the US as consumers begin to open their eyes to safer, more natural alternatives (which, ironically, have often been used elsewhere for hundreds or thousands of years).