Making Soapnut Liquid (Cook and No cook method)

Here's how you can prepare the All Purpose Cleaner aka Soapnut Liquid

The various uses of this All Purpose Cleaner (!!) are:
  • All Purpose Cleaning (If you can imagine it, you can clean it!!)
  • Laundry 
  • Floor Cleaning (without Bio Enzyme, especially for Marble, Cuddapah and other such surfaces)
  • Hand wash
  • Fumigation/Pest repellent

There are three ways again in which you can prepare Soapnut Liquid.
  1. Method 1: Cook with Water 
  2. Method 2: Steep in hot water and let soak overnight 
  3. Method 3: Soak in water and Bio Enzyme and let soak for 5-7 days
The last method is by far the easiest and will give you a long shelf life.

Let's look at each of these methods in detail:

Method 1:
  1. Take about 1 cup of Soapnuts (with or without seeds). Soak it in 3 -4 cups of water for 30 minutes.
  2. Cook them for 15-30 minutes till the water turns completely dark and the Soapnuts release all their surfactants.
  3. After the solution cools down, smash the Soapnuts in hand and ensure all the juices are extracted.
  4. Let it sit overnight (with the Soapnuts)
  5. Next day morning, filter out all the solids. The resulting liquid is your All purpose cleaner.
  6. You will need to use it up in 3-5 days. Or simply refrigerate it and use it as and when you need it. You may also prepare a large batch and freeze it.
  7. For about 6 kgs of laundry, you will need 100-150 ml of Soapnut liquid.

Method 2:
  1. Take about 1 cup of Soapnuts (without seeds)
  2. Soak it in 3 -4 cups of HOT WATER.
  3. Close and let sit overnight.
  4. Next day morning, filter out all the solids. The resulting liquid is your All purpose cleaner.
  5. You will need to use it up in 3-5 days or refrigerate.
Method 3 (No cook):

  1. Take about 1 cup of Soapnuts (with or without seeds)
  2. Soak it in 2 cups of water + 2 cups of Bio Enzyme. Ensure the entire Soapnut batch is completely covered by the liquids.
  3. Let sit for 5 – 7 days.
  4. On 7th day, squash all the Soapnuts well such that the seeds almost come out. If possible, you may remove the seeds.
  5. Let sit overnight.
  6. Next day, filter out the liquid. You will get three layers
  7. Layer  1 – Clear Soapnut liquid meant for Laundry and All purpose cleaning spray
  8. Layer 2 – Thick Soapnut liquid meant for shampoo (if using for Shampoo, reduce amount of Bio Enzyme to half a cup while soaking) and vessel, chimney and toilet cleaning.
  9. Layer 3 – The leftover fruits, seeds, and pulp. You can remove the seeds and simply pulse in a mixie. You will get the Soapnut paste. Use as you would the Soapnut paste. Alternatively,
    retain the soaked up Soapnuts in another 2-3 cups of water + bio enzyme mix and use in a sock for washing laundry. 
  10. This will stay for a long, long time – the Bio Enzyme will act as a preservative. So the Soapnut liquid need not be refrigerated – you should however try to store in dark color bottle or in a dark place. 
  11. This also serves as a Fumigation solution (along with Neem oil) for repelling Mosquioes, houseflies, etc.

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13 Comments

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Yipee mixing bio enzyme with soapnut can help me preserve the soapnut liquid..thank u loved your tip...like your detailed writing the science behind, recepie to make n troubke shooting.

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  3. Yipee mixing bio enzyme with soapnut can help me preserve the soapnut liquid..thank u loved your tip...like your detailed writing the science behind, recepie to make n trouble shooting.

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  4. I soaked soapnuts in bioenzyme for a week n took the soapnuts out and grinded in mixer,filtered and added back to bioenzyme.what will be the shelf life of this? It smells different after 2 weeks..

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    1. If Bio Enzyme is added, it will have a very long shelf life - provided you store in dark bottles and keep away from light. How does it smell? It should smell slightly alcoholic/soapnutty

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  5. Hi,
    I tried method 3. I want to add alovera as well in the same process. Can you please share the details if you have experimented with alovera, soapnut and bioenzyme? I want to make a shampoo.

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    Replies
    1. Hi, No I havent tried adding Aloe Vera. Usually, Aloe Vera gel must be used as soon as its cut/extracted to get the maximum benefit. If you want to use as shampoo, you could integrate the gel into the Soapnut mix on the day you are planning to use it. I am guessing adding fresh aloe vera gel into this mix will restart fermentation or may spoil over time

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  6. Hi, I am from Malaysia, import soapnut from India to make floor cleaner. I cooked the soapnut before adding into enzyme water, this is because I found that adding soapnut raw into enzyme can alter the smell of enzyme. Do you know any different of cook and no cook soapnut? May I know how long you can keep for your method no.3? Appreciate your reply. You are so great!

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    Replies
    1. Hi, if you soak Soapnuts in water + Bio Enzyme (in the ratio of 0.5:1:1 - i.e. say 500 grams soapnuts, 1 litre water, 1 litre clear bio enzyme) and then use that filtered soapnut liquid, it's shelf life is very long (even upto two years) if stored in a cool, dark place. Unlike cooked soapnut methods, this wont spoil at all. Just adding/Soaking Soapnuts to bio enzyme may also be possible but we have found that the increased acidity doesnt lead to full water absorption by the soapnuts and consequently lesser surfactants are extracted into the liquid part of the solution. By making bio enzyme closer to neutral pH with equal water, soapnuts get soaked better while also being preserved.

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  7. Hi... Please tell how to make a thick shampoo with bio enzyme pulp

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  8. Hi mam is there any difference between citrus and ordinary bioenzyme and in the power of cleaning

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  9. can i just add soapnut powder instead of soaking it?

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  10. hi, thank you for the most comprehensive post on bio enzyme on the internet, i suppose! you were the only one who could answer all the queries in my head. so i need just one little clarification. i want to use bioenzyme with soapnuts as shampoo. so i need to soak 10-15 soapnuts + 2 cups of water + 1/2 cup bio enzyme for a week. right? then i need to strain out the liquid from the solid for the shampoo to be ready. hope i am right. thanks in advance.

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