If you are looking for a way to green your laundry routine, you've got to check out soap nuts. When I first heard about this natural laundry detergent, I was really skeptical...a soapberry tree? Yeah, right! Except, I kept hearing that they were real and that they really worked, so I finally ordered some just to see what they did.

Imagine my surprise when I got them and they really worked. Soap nuts actually grow on a tree. The fruit is what's used to wash clothes, after it's been dried. To use them for laundry, you put them in a small cotton bag (which you usually receive with your purcahse) and throw the entire thing in the wash.

They are completely scent-free, and are the most natural laundry detergent on the market - in fact, they have only one ingredient! You will notice that they don't sud like you would expect soap to do, however the sudsing that you see in most soaps is a result of phospates and other chemical ingredients.

I was completely amazed at how well these worked at cleaning my clothing, even things that were really dirty.

The best part about soap nuts is that they are really cheap. For about $44, you can get enough to do approximately 800 loads of laundry!

If you really like to have a little scent in your soap, you can fix that problem by simply adding some essential oil to your wash - I use a drop or two of lavender all the time and my clothes come out clean and smelling great.

You can also add a bit of vinegar in Downy ball, and you'll end up with the softest laundry you've ever had.

This natural laundry soap sounds funny, but it's actually a miricle of nature. Consider using soap nuts and know that you are doing yourself and the environment a "load" of good.