Carbon tiptoes looks at eco friendly Soapods

Soapods online

Ethical Superstore
Selling a wide variety of products for you and your home, helping you reduce your carbon footprint.
Free delivery on all case orders over £75. Enter FS456X as your promotion code when you check out.

Soapods at Ethical Superstore
Soapods are an effective, and completely natural and environmentally friendly way to wash your laundry.

A washing detergent that grows on trees…literally! Soapods are nuts that are native to India and Nepal, where they have been used for centuries as a washing detergent. Soapods also grow in Afghanistan, China , Florida, Africa and the Caribbean

Harvested from the Soapnut tree, the nuts contain the active natural washing ingredient saponin. Saponin is very similar to soap, when the shells of the soapnut come in contact with water the saponin is released and suds are produced. Soapods are sourced directly from India and have rigorous quality control procedures in place to ensure their product is of the highest standard.

Soapods are 100% natural.
Unlike commercial washing products that add numerous chemicals,that can harm our health and pollute our environment

Organic and biodegradable Soapods are also a sustainable, renewable primary product and a valuable contribution to the fight against environmental pollution. There is sometimes, the inaccurate perception that "Eco-products" are not as effective as their mass-produced chemical equivalents, Soapods breaks down these barriers.

Instructions for use: Simply place a few soap pods in the bag provided, and put in with your normal wash. Once finished, remove the bag, leave to dry, and then use again for your next wash. Can be used for consecutive washes.

Each pack contains roughly 25 washes. Costs £4.95
This is no dearer than conventional washing powders or tablets which cost about £4.50 for 20 washes.
They contain no perfumes or additives so there is no risk of irritation or allergy as there is with some washing powders. You can scent them with essential oils if you wish.
They are simple to use. You put some in the special cloth bag and bash them gently and then put them in the washing machine. You can dry the bag and reuse the nuts several times and then compost the leftover shells. This is easy to do, requires little extra effort and will give you an immense sense of satisfaction at using a natural product to wash your clothes.

About soapods - Soapods are nuts that are native to India and Nepal. They contain the active natural washing ingredient saponin. It is this natural product which creates suds and washes you clothes.
Soapods are shipped by boat in huge containers every few months so have a smaller carbon footprint than you might think. The carbon footprint calculation is being carried out at the moment and we will post details as soon as possible.

Soapods are sustainable, renewable primary product and a valuable contribution to the fight against environmental pollution.
They are easy to use. You get a small sack to put them in into the washer and then any remaining shells can be composted, The bag is reusable.
if this sounds like too much hard work then you can by liquid soapods below

Soapods Organic Laundry Liquid is a great option for those who are concerned for the environment, and still want fresh and scrupulously clean clothes. Soapnuts are the ethical choice for a laundry cleaner, as they are biodegradable and efficient. This is 1.1KG and costs £9.95

* 100% ORGANIC - Soapods grow on trees, are 100% biodegradable and compostable.
* It saves money - Up to 50% cheaper than conventional and other eco-products!
* Allergy Free - With no added perfume or chemicals Soapods are kind to your skin and suitable for all allergy sufferers.
* Good for your Clothes - Colours remain bright and soft, so there's no need to add fabric conditioner.
* Sustainable - Soapod trees live up to 90 years and the wood and the foliage of the trees are also cultivated. No waste. No de-forestation.

Washing in a more environmentally friendly way

Always wait til you have a full load before you put the washing machine on.

Avoid tumble drying. Get a washing line or a rotary dryer in the garden if possible. If you find you can't do without tumble drying then buy a spin dryer that spins the clothes really fast as this will extract more water and this means the clothes take a lot less time to tumble dry.

Spin Dryers - are small units that are either gravity or pumped. These spin dryers are easy to use - they're great for getting excess water from heavy items like jeans or towels which sometimes just never seem to spin properly in a washing machine. They can remove lots of water from clothes and leave them virtually dry. You'll be impressed at how well these work on laundry straight from your machine and also have the advantage that they can be used for spinning clothing you've hand washed.

Of course a washing machine with a higher spin speed will also leave clothes dryer.
If you use the dryer then check on the clothes regularly to see when they're dry - or buy an autosensing dryer to be efficient.
Comet sell BEKO DRVS62W, BEKO DRVS62S and HOOVER HNV380 are all sensor drying - this is a search for sensor drying
These switch off when your clothes are dry. This saves you money and helps reduce your carbon footprint.

Don't put damp clothing on a radiator to dry as it stops heat entering the room and makes your room damp which can encourage mould. Dry clothes on a clothes rail in an unheated aired room.

Wash at a lower temperature. New washing powders are being designed to be used as low as 30'C and still give outstanding cleaning. Even washing at 40'C can help.
Tea towels and bath towels may need washing at a higher temperature - but read the packet of washing powder for more information.
I have heard of people boiling tea towels briefly in a cooking pot on the stove. Perhaps not something everyone might want to do, but it involves heating less water and ensures that bacteria are killed by the exposure to heat.

Eco Washing kit from Natural Collection
Comprises two T-Wave Laundry Discs and, for more heavy-duty laundry, a 947ml bottle of super-concentrated stain remover (replacement bottles of stain remover also available separately). Simply add a capful of this enzyme-based (biological) cleaning booster – the natural, biodegradable alternative to harsh detergents, bleaches, and chemical stain removers.