Giveaway - Getting Zen on wash day!

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I bring you...SOAPNUTS!

  

Some people have fears of buttons or heights, quite normal, rational fears I hear you say. I had a fear of soapnuts. Now, being a vegan, a traveller, a Gemini, I'm usually quite forward thinking. Heck, I love science and nature and love to see how things work. But the very concept of soapnuts...I just didn't understand the crusty looking nut. So I turned away fro them for years. 
Firstly, how can a nut not be edible? It's a nut for goodness sake! How dare it not be capable of turning into a nut butter and be slatherable on a cracker?! Second, how can a nut make clothes clean? Ridiculous!  Hey, I can accept crazy concepts about string theory or 3D printing, but a nut making my smalls clean?! Until last weekend, when I decided to face my fear head on at the London Green Fair, my mind had been closed to the concept.  I spotted a stall holder displaying them and my knee jerk reaction was to walk in a large arc around the stall to avoid any contact, but I didn't, instead I boldly walked up to the Soapnut guy and demanded an explanation. I found out they are actually dried fruit shells that contain lots of natural soap. No chemicals, no parabens, no Frankenstein fragrances, foaming agents or bleach.

One of the most sustainable cleaning products on our pretty little planet!

Mr soapnut patiently explained the concept of nature, producing suds. He even produced a clear plastic cup of agitated nuts and their pillowy foam. Wow! so soapnuts CAN clean clothes. In fact nature came first! Way before 1950's house wives were promised 'a bluey whiteness their husbands would love!' and artificial smells and chemicals were added that pollute the environment and caused chemical induced rashes and allergies! He also pointed to a beautiful woman with thick glossy hair and skin that looked peachy soft. 'She washes in the stuff', he declared.

Apparently, this shell has been successfully washing smalls for thousands of years!  Now I've stopped watching telly I'm leaving room to put my faith in nature and not be brain'washed', into thinking a factory pumping out chemicals has my best interests at heart!

I was so impressed by the sudsy goodness of soapnuts that I talked the squeaky clean Mr soapnuts,  into giving a box away for free (55 washes) and twisted his arm to throw in a bottle of lavender essential oil to make your clothes smell happy too! ..... That's OK. I do it because I love you!

Scroll down for the giveaway or click here read a paragraph carried from the halls of Wikipedia with a few more interesting facts about natures 'wash day' companion. Like, its potential for contraceptive use or the studies to evaluate its potential to treat migraine.

To enter the giveaway:

The more times/ways you enter the better chance you have of winning. Here's how;

•  leave a comment in this post
• LIKE me on my Facebook page AND leave a comment on my WALL.
• Post a TWEET mentioning this GIVEAWAY and @aveganobsession. You could say something like 'I want to get clean' from @aveganobsession & @soapnutshells
• like LivingNaturallySoapnuts on Facebook and leave a comment.

Comment/entries must be made by 8pm GMT on , Friday June 22nd 2012.

One winner (UK resident only, sorry) will be randomly selected (using random.org) from the entries/comments received. The winner will be announced on 23rd June in a new blog post. If you are the lucky one. Please email me your address. The Winner will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be randomly chosen.

Official Rules:

Open only to U.K residents age 18 and over. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received