Soapnut Extract
How to make soapnut extract—a great nontoxic cleaning solution. An alternative to soaps and detergents. Safe, effective and biodegradeable.
Yield: 2 cups of soapnut extract
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
- Glass Jar with lid (mason jars are perfect for this)
- Mesh Strainer
Materials
- 30 soapnuts
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Dump approximately 30 soapnuts and 3 cups of water into the Instant Pot.
- Seal the Instant Pot and set to slow cook for 4 hours.
- Cook for 4 hours.
- Pour the contents of the Instant Pot into a large glass mason jar, using a mesh strainer to strain the fruit out. Squeeze the fruit to get the last bit of soapy extract. When done, you should have about 2 cups of soapnut extract.
- Store the soapnut extract in the fridge for up to a month.
Notes
Make sure to store the extract in the fridge for a maximum of a month, otherwise it will develop mold. If you don't intend to use it for washing produce or windows, you can add a few drops of tea tree oil to it to help preserve it. But you don't want to do that if it will be used to wash food or windows (it may cause streaking).
For laundry, use 1 TB of the extract per load.
The leftover soaked, cooked soapnuts are great for cleaning out garbage disposals. Just toss 2-3 down the disposal and run it to clean it (only do that while they are still waterlogged so you don't damage your disposal). You can also toss some in a cotton or mesh bag and use it for a few loads of laundry, or just compost it.