When using soap nuts, there are a few things to remember:

 

1. Temperature - Soap nuts need warm/hot water to activate. However, once activated, they will continue to work until discarded.

2. Hard and Soft Water - Is your water hard or soft?  If it's hard, try soaking the soap nuts in a water solution first. (Use the same process as cold-only washes.)

3. Cold Water Wash - soak the nuts in the muslin bag in hot water first for about 3-4 minutes and then throw water and muslin bag of nuts into the laundry.

4. Fabric Softener - Soap Nuts work as a softener, making it unnecessary to add another chemical to your wash.  Soap nuts do collaborate well with other products, such as essential oil.  Try adding this for extra fragrance.

5. Pretreating Stains - To pre-treat stains or soften water, add distilled white vinegar.  Or pre-spot with either liquid soap nuts or another pre-spotter.  Soap nuts can get stains out but do not stain themselves, despite being dark brown in color.

6. For sparkling whites - Add to soap nuts, a scoop of oxygen bleach to brighten fabrics.  Be sure to separate whites from other colors.

7. For heavily soiled clothes - Use four or more soap nuts, presoaked in a hot bowl. Pour the entire mixture into the laundry.

8. Oils - Perspiration leads to the release of more skin oils.  Be aware of this when preparing a wash. Use hot water and soap nuts to loosen grime (and consider spot-treating stains)

9. For Delicates - Add soap nuts to a basin of warm or hot water and allow nuts to soak. Apply the resultant solution to your clothes as you would any cleaning agent.

10. Use in A Controlled Applicator - Consider adding the solution to a spray bottle for controlled application and pre-spotting stain remover.