Hi, I certainly would dump it. The pressure could be from bacterial growth (i.e., botchalism). Any botanical liquid, just like foods, will go rancid unless properly and full-spectrum preserved. Homemade liquids should be thought of as unpreserved food products. It’s really that simple. Freezing is the only way the average person is going to be able to keep a home cooked liquid for extended periods of time. You can make ice cubes from it. I’ve always thought that was a clever method. Refrigeration helps only marginally. I personally use EXTREME 18X for my liquids. A little goes a LONG way, and you don’t have to worry about it. – Chris

No Rick, the bentonite clay will not preserve the botanical liquid. It has no anti-fungal nor anti-bacterial properties that I know of. It alone is basically just clay. It’s very cool for many uses, but botanical liquids are a totally different ballgame. The clay is simply an ingredient of choice – not a preservative. Good luck! – Chris

So here goes make a strong soap nuts liquid. (I use 4 berries to a cup of water. Then buy an old school shaving brush the kind used with mug shaving soap, put a small amount of the liquid in a mug and froth it in to a creamy foam then shave with it. Using this gives me the best shave I have had in years not to mention how much it softens my skin and prevents razor burn. If you have a problem with pimples, look for them to clear up.

Great input, Jason! Thanks!

Thanks again!

Glad to be of help, Rachel! Good story. Enjoy your purchase. You’ll find there are few limitations once you begin to experiment. It’s amazing. I hope you are reading the “BEYOND Laundry…” articles. They do SO MUCH more! I’ll be writing more soon, too. Keep spreading the word! – Chris

It’s easy, Esther. Firstly, when squished about in hand you’ll notice a significant decrease in the lather being produced. Also the soap nuts will noticeably lose their color and become grey. After 5-6 normal loads they will start losing their effectiveness in the washer. Do read Part 3 of “Beyond Laundry” for it discusses making liquid from the otherwise spent shells and optimizing their usefulness. There’s still lots of saponin that can be extracted from them. Simply put those used ones aside. It takes “cooking” them up to get ALL the remaining saponin out. I hope this helps a bit!

Hi Lauren,
Well, there’s lots of ways to use them. You can make a liquid, or grind/buy powder, or simply get a wash bag of them wet and squish it about. It will soap right up. There are a number of posts here about various ways to use them. I’m trying to cover as many as possible in the “Beyond Laundry” posts. The list seems endless. When making your own liquid, it won’t have much of a shelf life. Freezing it into cubes works best. Any botanical liquid that’s not properly preserved or “canned” will have a limited shelf life. It’s good that you have EXTREME 18X for it will last for years. You can dilute it a LOT and make many great liquid cleaners. I usually use about 16-20oz of tap water to 1oz of 18X for an AWESOME glass cleaner! You just adjust according to your cleaning project. You sometimes may want it soapier (floors, carpets, etc.), sometimes not (glass, chrome, dark polished granite, etc.). The soapier you make it, the more tendency it’ll have to leave a soap film or cause streaks. You just adjust as needed. I like using powder for scouring sinks and toilets – it works great! I hope this helps. I think I covered all your questions. Thanks for reading!
Chris

First things first, read some book on soap making. There’s tons of them. Your question is extremely complex – far too much to even attempt to try to answer here.

Thanks for a great resource.

There are two food grade preservatives used in NaturOli’s EXTREME 18X. Potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate are listed in the ingredients. I’ve never seen it marketed as “100% natural, organic, or chemical free”, but frankly, it really could be (per the current labeling standards) given that these are in trace amounts. The preservatives used are in numerous food products you likely eat every day. I think you are confusing it with the language about the raw soap berries used to make it.

I can’t speak to any specific health hazard from an rancid unpreserved botanical liquid for that would be largely a function of the contaminant, and the degree of contamination. Both being variables. Would a contaminated/rancid soap nut liquid still work as a surfactant? Most likely it would still function. But who would ever want to use such??? Not me!

And you are very welcome! I do my best.

Wish I had a nickle for every time I’ve heard that! Soap Nuts are on their way to becoming “household” words! Thanks for visiting! Come again soon!

Thank YOU for visiting!!! Glad to be of service!

Well, we certainly have no affiliation with anyone conspiring against our Asian Indian friends. My friends at NaturOli are the largest importers in the Western hemisphere, and their business is greatly appreciated in India. There is no anti-Asian sentiment to be sure! Only the overseas retail packaging remains questionable. I support sorting and packaging in the USA (especially by USDA Certified Handlers) for it ensures the highest of quality, plus a recent first hand inspection prior to the consumer receiving them. Product packaged abroad for retail will go a minimum of many months before anyone even sees them again. That’s not a good scenario.

I’ve seen soap nuts packaged overseas in absolutely horrible condition with my own eyes. Some I suspected to have been many years old. The articles I presented are factual. They certainly do not apply to ALL product packaging abroad. But the facts are presented to help make a point. Such would never have happened if packaged by a USDA Organic Handler in the US or Canada. If US retailers would take more steps to ensure end quality, I would revisit this issue. As of yet, I have not seen any such efforts.

I do appreciate your input! Thank you!

Hi, Please be aware that “biblical ages” is used in a very broad sense. It basically just means VERY, VERY long ago. Note that it doesn’t even reference WHICH bible (and there are many as you surely know). In all my research about soap berries, it’s difficult to pin down an oldest reference. We were probably all a lot hairier, and hadn’t had fire for long when SOMEONE first discovered them. Thanks for your input!!!! Please feel free to share anything that documents age. I’d love it – and certainly cite you as the source!

Absolutely they will suds up. And not overly like the chemical “sudsing” ingredients. Most commercial products have a plethora of such ingredients – that are specifically for the “suds” show. There is an article here that I wrote specifically on “The Truth About Suds”. It’s rather fascination… We are sooo brainwashed! Saponin is Mother Nature’s non-toxic natural alternative to SLS and all the other sulfates. It sound like a great fit for what you are doing. I’d recommend experimenting with the raw berries, powder and NaturOli’s EXTREME 18X also. You can buy all in bulk at NaturOli’s Warehouse. fyi: The powder actually “fizzes” on its own a little – and you can of course increase that effect with non-toxic additives.

I am leaving your email and web site posted. I ONLY do that when I like the business. Maybe I can send some new folks your way! You can always write me directly at Chris@SoapNuts.pro. Good luck!

Thank you Alexis!

Absolutely they will suds up. And not overly like the chemical “sudsing” ingredients. Most commercial products have a plethora of such ingredients – that are specifically for the “suds” show. There is an article here that I wrote specifically on “The Truth About Suds”. It’s rather fascination… We are sooo brainwashed! Saponin is Mother Nature’s non-toxic natural alternative to SLS and all the other sulfates. It sound like a great fit for what you are doing. I’d recommend experimenting with the raw berries, powder and NaturOli’s EXTREME 18X also. You can buy all in bulk at NaturOli’s Warehouse. fyi: The powder actually “fizzes” on its own a little – and you can of course increase that effect with non-toxic additives.

I am leaving your email and web site posted. I ONLY do that when I like the business. Maybe I can send some new folks your way! You can always write me directly at Chris@SoapNuts.pro. Good luck!

Hi Jim, Thank you! It’s rare that I will publish ones web site. However, you’re an exception – big time. Your work is utterly magnificent. (Plus I agree with your comment of course. lol!) Hope I can send some business your way. No, I don’t do newsletters. NaturOli does from time to time. I hope you will visit there, too. Hey, and cast a vote for them! They’re around 50 votes away from receiving a $250,000 NON-government private grant through Chase and LivingSocial! There’s only hours left to cast votes! Go to: https://store.naturoli.com/offers.php?mode=offer&offerid=60 to learn more. THANKS, AGAIN!!!

Good question! It will depend upon the specific fabric. Saponin will purge fabrics of detergent residue that creates wicking and reduces absorbency. Hence, why fabrics come out so soft. Whether or not your workout gear will like that or not is the question. Klienert’s shields (the largest manufacturer of anti-sweat/ anti odor pads and fabrics) specifically recommends and sells NaturOli’s EXTREME 18X. They sell such materials to film companies, sports / athletic teams, and theatrical companies of all kinds. You will see an ad of theirs in the sidebar. (they previously recommended Woolite, but found EXTREME to work better.) EXTREME is basically an ultra-high soap nut concentrated liquid. My guess would be that it would work GREAT, but I’d test some first. A couple brands of the new-fangled “cloth” diapers have had issues with some of their esoteric materials causing them to leak. It’s rare, but better safe than sorry! Good luck! Let me know!