Environmental issues are increasingly taking up greater space as a cause of concern today. However, we are doing little to reduce the burden of pollution on the planet. It is a known fact that non -biodegradable materials are one of the major pollution causing agents as they remain as such in our environment for year's altogether.

1. Soap Nuts/Saponin - Nature's Highly Effective
Cleansing Agents
Most Detergents have non-biodegradable substances that remain in the environment for years
and it takes years and years for the complex compounds to break up into simpler compounds.
However, what we need to be aware of is that there is an urgent need for replacement of such
chemicals and not just a replacement but a far more efficacious alternative. The perfect
alternative is nature's own cleaning agent.
Soap nuts are essentially fruits that produce a substance called Saponin that acts as soap and is a
fantastic cleaning agent. The best feature of soaps nuts as a detergent is that they are a low
sudsing, effective surfactant, which means that it reduces the surface tension of liquids, allowing
it to spread out thereby removing the dirt, grime and oil from clothes, rather than forming
droplets. This is a feature that is sought in detergents for them to provide effective cleaning.
Soap nuts have in fact all the features that make them a perfect HE detergent that can be
conveniently used in front loading washing machines for which most of the detergents do not fit
the bill. Front loading washing machines usually require tumbling as opposed to agitators for top
loading washing machines and these tumbling results in a better Saponin release, providing a
better cleaning effect. Another factor that makes a perfect cleanser to be used in front loading
washing machines is that it produces low suds unlike most chemical detergents. Considering the
fact that HE washers use less water, soap nuts are good for use even with less water as when
soap nuts come in contact with water they immediately begin to release saponins for cleaning.
Some of the other features about soap nuts and its carefully made all natural laundry products
that make them a distinct HE detergent are that they are anti-fungal, anti-microbial and naturally
biodegradable. Further being a natural product they do not cause any allergy or roughness on the
hands. They are also not harsh on clothes, there is no need for fabric softeners with their use and
are easy to use. They can be used either in powder form, liquid form or simply in their natural
form. The outer shell of the nuts is hard when dry and they last a long period if kept away from
moisture. For washing, the dry soap nuts when in contact with water release its Saponin content,
which is used for washing.
With all these features, it can be expected that the cost of soap nuts would be high. However,
surprisingly soap nuts are very reasonably priced. In fact they are often cheaper than some
detergents. There is, hence, little reason why detergents should not be condemned in favor of
soap nuts, leading to better cleaning as well as reducing a part of the pollution that we are
causing to our environment.
For More Info: http://ecologicalsurfactants.com/