Cradle to Cradle Dishwashing

Step 11 Dish-Water Your Plants

Water your most needy houseplant.

I'm looking into growing my own soapnut plant next -- then it will truly be cradle to cradle dishwashing.

Comments

[megmaine]

As I understand, Soapnuts grow in hot climates, but amazingly, berries that saponify naturally, grow in about every region of the world! Soap-berries grow in Texas and similar climates, the Canadian Buffaloberry is also high in saponins, and whereas these may not have as a high a saponin content as the soapnuts from India, they are local to the USA and don't come at the price of either introducing an exotic plant to this ecosystem, or else long-distance shipping. Nearly everyone everywhere can grow a berry that saponifies! Nice instructable!

[porcupinemamma]

I'm really intreaged. Can you suggest what kind of berrie I could find in Ontario Canada? ((my spelling is Way off tonight sorry)

[blodefood]

The Big Carrot on the Danforth in Toronto stocks these.  You can do mail order.
thebigcarrot.ca/

[porcupinemamma]

"I N T R I G U E D" (I knew I had spelt that word wrong-lol.)  "The Big Carrot" haven't thought of that place for ages (I grew up in T.O)  Thanks :0)

[blodefood]

Oops, should have said "soap nuts."  They come in a cotton bag.

[megmaine]

I am not sure if Canadian Buffaloberries, also called Soopolallie, grow in Ontario, but they definitely grow in parts of Canada, and in Maine as well. http://www.mountainnature.com/Plants/PlantsLatinNameResult.asp?ID=69
Here's a link to info about them!
 

[porcupinemamma]

Thanks for the link :0)

[HellaDelicious]

Hey thanks for this info, great to hear about buffaloberry, I will have to look it up, I used to use the roots of the plant that is called bouncing bet, it also produces saponins and the hummingbird hawkmoth really loves the flowers of this plant which is an extra bonus.

[terribug]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I rinse my dishes to avoid the intestinal consequences of ingesting soap products.  Is there something in here about rinsing?  I guess if you had two basins, you could put clear water in the other one to rinse with, and just pour it all in your organic garden.  BTW, pouring soapy water in the garden or on the plants will also make the water more absorbable, since it's a surfactant, which makes water wetter.

[HellaDelicious]

Oh yes, rinsing is fine, but it isn't as dangerous to consume a bit of soapnut detergent as it is to get some of that nasty commercial dishwashing detergent into your intestines. I find that commercial soap is a big problem for me, even the smell of the perfumes and whatnot in them can make me feel sick!