Laundry adventures

I named my blog ‘this green adventure’ because I aim at giving our live a greener, more sustainable twist. Discovering new ways to do so is an ongoing challenge and an adventure.

Today, let’s talk laundry. In a household with 3 kids, the laundrypile is an ongoing nightmare…a never ending story.

Laundry detergent is used, well, quite a lot as you can imagine, and for some time I’ve been wanting to step away from the regular stuff sold in the local supermarket. So, I started using vinegar as a softener, and decided to make my own laundry detergent. I collected empty bottles to store my homemade detergent in, looked up recipes on the internet and.that.was.that. Somehow I never got round to actually making the stuff. Was this to be the end of a greener laundry pile?

Well, no. Luckily I discovered Seepje, a laundry detergent made of the shells of the Sapindus Mukorossi fruit. The Sapindus trees grow in abundance in the Himalaya area, and the organic shells sold by Seepje are harvested by local Nepalese farmers who receive a fair price for their produce.

The shells contain saponine, a natural soap which is released once the shells get in contact with water. You simply put some shells in a cotton bag and add it to your laundry in the machine. You can even use these when washing by hand, and each batch can be used up to three times. For an extra scent you can add a few drops of etherical oil. just pick your favorite smell!

There is also a  liquid version available which contains 70% sapindus shells, and is just as easy to use as your regular liquid detergent.

I am a big fan. I usually use the shells, and today I tried the liquid version for the first time. Probably not the last though!

Maybe one day I might still try making my own, but for now Seepje enables me to wash in a more sustainable way.

In The Netherlands, Seepje is available through the website and in stores like WAAR.

If you live outside The Netherlands, you can check at Seepje if one of the websites listed also ships outside The Netherlands. Or look for products containing Sapinus Mukorossi or ‘soapnuts’ near you.