I have been using soap nuts to do our laundry (post coming soon) so I figured that these amazing little nuggets of nature could be used for more! Guess what? I was right! I found sooooo many household uses, including pet (and people) friendly shampoo!
First of all, What is a soap nut? These are not nuts at all, but actually a dried berry. They are the fruits of the soap nut tree and the dried shells contain Saponin,which is a 100% natural alternative to chemical laundry detergent, soaps, and cleaners. When mixed with water, they create mild suds, which is similar to soap.
The recipe:
15 soap nuts
6 cups of water
Bring the water and soap nuts to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour, or until the shells turn white and soggy.
After cooling, I poured a cup of the soap nut liquid into a small spray bottle (labeled). I poured the remaining liquid in a mason jar and stored in the refrigerator to use later.
Bath Time!
I filled the bathtub with warm water and bathed olive as usual, substituting the soap nuts liquid for her normal pet shampoo (making sure to keep it out of her eyes to prevent the stinging that would occur). In the end, she was clean and her smelliness was neutralized. Great success!
Side note: We have been brainwashed into thinking that there has to be a rich, sudsy lather to get clean, so do not be disappointed when this mixture is lacking in the suds department. I assure you, it is doing its job!
She got a haircut on Monday, so she isn't quite so fluffy. I should also note that her beard and front paws aren't dirty, they are stained from digging around in the back yard.
The recipe:
15 soap nuts
6 cups of water
Bring the water and soap nuts to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour, or until the shells turn white and soggy.
After cooling, I poured a cup of the soap nut liquid into a small spray bottle (labeled). I poured the remaining liquid in a mason jar and stored in the refrigerator to use later.
Bath Time!
I filled the bathtub with warm water and bathed olive as usual, substituting the soap nuts liquid for her normal pet shampoo (making sure to keep it out of her eyes to prevent the stinging that would occur). In the end, she was clean and her smelliness was neutralized. Great success!
Side note: We have been brainwashed into thinking that there has to be a rich, sudsy lather to get clean, so do not be disappointed when this mixture is lacking in the suds department. I assure you, it is doing its job!
She got a haircut on Monday, so she isn't quite so fluffy. I should also note that her beard and front paws aren't dirty, they are stained from digging around in the back yard.
OH My poor little Olive!
ReplyDeleteThis may be the way to go with our "children" It might keep them from scratching from dry skin that they seem to get after useing pet shampoos. Keep me posted
~mom~