HERE IT IS!!!

Only the longest-in-coming giveaway in the history of blogdom, right? Sorry about that. You guys should see my to-do list lately...it's just plain scary.

Anyway.

I was recently sent something very interesting...I had heard of it and was intrigued by it, but probably would have never bought them for myself. I mean, it's just a little counter-intuitive to wash your clothes with something called Soap Nuts.


And I'll admit, seeing them in person didn't do much to ease that "what the heck" sensation. They arrived from Greener Living in a canvas drawstring bag - very eco-friendly looking (which, after all, they are.) Inside were several smaller drawstring bags (like the one pictured above) and, inside a ziploc bag, a big pile of sticky brown nuts that smelled a bit like vinegar.

My first impressions were:

1. I don't want my laundry to smell like vinegar.
2. I don't want to touch those things!
3. They're supposed to get my clothes clean how?

Well. I'll address #3 first. You throw a few of the soap nuts into the little drawstring bag and toss it in the washing machine. No other detergent, now - these are your detergent. You won't see suds while the washer is filling, but agitation in the water causes a soap-like substance to be emitted from the soap nuts. Not as much as with regular powder or liquid detergent, but enough to clean your clothes. Or so they say.

On to #2. I really didn't want to touch them, as they actually looked sticky. But I did it anyway - I was too intrigued not to at least give them a try. So I reached in and gingerly picked out a few near the top...and they really weren't very sticky after all. Just shiny, which I suppose I equated to sticky. So I threw a few in the little bag, tied it up, and tossed it into a small load of laundry. Probably some of the kids' clothes, since they're not as picky about the scent of their clothes as I tend to be.

And in the end (I'm really going backward here - here's #1), they came out of the wash smelling...clean. Not like vinegar, not even a hint of it. Not flowery-springtime like most detergents either, just...wet and clean. It defies description, really, until you try it - and here's why you should.

Not only are these things mega cool because they're so different, but they're also environmentally friendly (USDA certified organic, even.) No added dyes, fragrances, etc., means they're a safe bet for people with eczema, allergies or sensitivities to regular detergents. Not to mention that they last forever. You can use each tiny drawstring bag of soap nuts several times - I use mine about four times, on average. The Greener Living website says that at a rate of one load of laundry per day (and who doesn't have that much?), one bag will last you six months. Yes, one bag is $22 - but do the math. One bottle of Tide is $9 or so, and might last a month if you're lucky.

Sooo, you can click here and buy all the Soap Nuts you want (as well as other cool things like the Soap Nuts Bath Bar that they were also kind enough to send me to sample - once again, it doesn't have dyes or fragrances and doesn't leave me smelling as girly as I'd otherwise like, but man did it leave my skin soft!)

OR, you can WIN some Soap Nuts of your very own! How do you do that, you ask? Well, here you go.

To enter: Visit Greener Living Soap Nuts and comment here, telling me one thing you learned about Soap Nuts that I didn't cover in this post. I really did leave out a lot - they're fascinating little things. Go forth and learn! And be sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you win.

That's the mandatory entry, but here are some ways to earn extra entries as well. Each one is worth one additional entry unless otherwise noted; please leave one comment per entry, and don't forget your email address!

Additional entries:

• Follow June Cleaver Would Be Shocked via GFC. (+2)
• "Like" Greener Living Soap Nuts on Facebook. (+2)
  
• "Like" June Cleaver Would Be Shocked on Facebook.
• Follow me on Twitter. (+2)
• Follow Soap Nuts on Twitter.
  
• Snag my button (top right of this page) and add it to your blog. Leave a link in your comment! (+5)
• Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link! (+3)
• Tweet about this giveaway - may be done once per day.

Contest ends: 11:59 PM EST on Wednesday, October 20. Winner will be chosen by random number generator and emailed immediately. Please contact me within 48 hours to claim the prize, or a new winner will be chosen.

Good luck! :)