Hi Shannon!
Just leave them wet. Just allow them to dry out between washing sessions. It’s not a major deal one way or the other. By presoaking them it simply helps them to start releasing saponin faster. It’s mainly a matter of the machine and cycles used as to whether a presoak matters. I usually use a presoak cycle, so I just toss them in (wet or dry). If you do a “quick wash”, presoaking would be good. Make sense? Thanks for the compliment! Glad to be of help. Sorry to take so long to get back to you. (I somehow overlooked your comment.)
Chris

The “thank you” is for YOU, Lisa! Am just glad we can help! I’ve been seeing some incredibly hyped-up stuff online lately. Good for you for having the smarts to do your homework! We’re always here to help!
- Chris / SoapNuts.Pro

Hi Valentin,
I’m sorry, but there is no fee-based general advertising on SoapNuts.Pro. Space is purely reserved for “Preferred Sellers” who have become part of the “Preferred Seller Program”. The criteria is outlined on the page about it. Thanks for asking! Btw: I can be emailed at chris@soapnuts.pro.

Hi Chris,
Two soap nuts in an HE washer using a “quick” wash cycle would probably never work. It may if you pre-soaked the soap nuts very well first, but two is too few. You should always use at least 4 or 5, and be sure they are seedless. Breaking them into pieces will help to quicken the release of the saponin. That’s the problem. Too little and too quick. It’s not good to try to hurry doing your laundry when using soap nuts – particularly with HE washers. I never even try to use the quick wash cycle with my HE unit anymore. Even with conventional detergents, the laundry never get rinsed thoroughly, hence it comes out loaded full of the detergent.
Chris
P.S. Using EXTREME 18X would be your best bet to get decent results given what you are doing. Hope this helps!

Shalom,
Beatrice

Hi Beatrice! The best advise I can give you is to directly call NaturOli. They make MANY natural soap bars using soap nuts in many ways. I love ‘em! They have cleansing bars, shampoo bars, even soap bars for pets! You can call 1-877-Oli-Life toll free. Super nice folks. Ask for Jess or Donna (both are master soap makers). Tell them I sent ya’!
Chris

Should I change anything? Let the soap nuts soak longer to soften them up or is that not necessary?

Hi Matthew,

Glad to help. You actually shouldn’t need to pre-soak them that long… I don’t know where you got your soap nuts, and there are very significant differences. Be sure that they do NOT have seeds. “Whole” soap nuts with seeds will tend to stay hard because they don’t allow good water flow. Often the brands with seeds are also trifoliatus (regardless of what they STATE they are. i.e. Mountain Rose still won’t get that issue corrected.) Trifoliatus are, by nature, harder and drier. I will usually use trifoliatus only for making powder or liquid. Stick with mukorossi for best results when raw and used in the wash bag method.

Mukorossi should become softer (more pliable) easily within 15 minutes. If there is a seed in it, nothing softens the seeds. They are like little rocks. You don’t want to use those. They cause spots.

Water temperature is actually not a big deal either way. Once moistened the soap nuts will work in cold to hot. I wash in cold all the time with no difference in effectiveness.

Has this helped a little????

We appreciate that! Thanks!
Chris

Hi Rebecca! Please don’t hold it against us… Wish you could see some of what other BIG sites and magazines have sent…even “Cosmopolitan”. This was subtle by comparison. They are really not “advertisers” per say. No $$$ is exchanged, and I have no at all control over their editorial staff. I’ll take full responsibility though. I alone approved it. – Chris

Hi Paula,
No you can’t buy soap nuts on SoapNutsPro. This is for data only. The site is more like that of EWG and Skin Deep, but for soap berries and saponin only. Obviously it is not database driven. It’s a compilation of my research, articles, and third party tests and reviews. Our goal is to educate, not sell. Any seller who has a banner is a “Verified SoapNutsPro PREFERRED Seller”. Soon we will also post a list of sellers who meet our sales practices criteria. That will be a geographical list in support of our “Buy Local” program. ALL in due time. Thanks for your patience!
Chris