Soapnuts - do you need to use fabric conditioner as well??

[theUrbanDryad]

Or does washing come out soft enough if you use dryer balls? And do soap nuts smell? And will they get ds' nappies clean?

I thenk you

It varies.

I have very hard water and line dry my stuff,and still need to add conditioner to socks and tshirt type washes,

They have a very mild smell,Nappies are fine. I always use a fresh batch of nuts for nappies. Obv. no conditioner then

How much does it actually cost to use soap nuts then? if i do a nappy wash every other day and use fresh nuts each time, won't it be very expensive?

I don't know I only do a nappy wash every 3-4 days, and do at least two other loads a day.
An £8 pack has lasted me 6 months of nappy washes, plus two or three loads of lightly soiled stuff per batch.

They are definitely worth it for the nappies though. There is no build up at all, so they are softer, and don't smell when wet.

well i've just ordered some - we'll see how it goes! thanks for your advice!

I've switched to soap nuts and it's working out fine. Tomato's the only issue really, but that's the case with non-bio detergent too.

I use them about 5-6 times on 30 degree washes. If you use them on 60 degs, you can only use them once or twice.

Leaving them to soak in a bit of water & essential oils (lemongrass or orange is fab) makes the wash smell lovely.

We use dryer balls, although benefit yet tbd. For whites, I add laundry bleach from Ecover.

white vinegar makes a good fabric softener- I usually add a few drops of essential oils to get that nice laundry fresh smell. I do find that certain items (vests etc) are pretty soft on their own tho. Good luck!