Tamil Nadu resident Padma Sankar — or as she is better known in the digital world, Padhu Sankar — was always intrigued by how one’s lifestyle can contribute to several diseases.

She realised through reading up that long-term exposure to chemicals in our everyday products are to blame.

Padhu then decided to make the switch from using regular toilet cleaners, detergents, and dishwashing liquids to natural alternatives.

Through her website ‘Padhuskitchen’, she shares cooking tips, recipes, a healthy lifestyle, tips for an eco-friendly life, etc. Today the channel has 1,25,000 subscribers.

A topic that is a cult favourite is how to prepare soap from soapnuts. Here she shares a few steps.

Step 1: Soak 15-20 soapnuts in six cups of hot water overnight. Step 2: The next day, take these in a large pan and bring them to a boil.

Step 3: Once the mix starts boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Step 4: Take them off the stove and cool completely.

Step 5: Once cooled, remove the seeds from the soapnuts and squeeze them with your fingers to extract the soap. Step 6: Strain the liquid and pour it into a bottle.

Step 7: Use it within 5-6 days or refrigerate.

“Once they have served their purpose, do not throw the soapnuts,” she advises. “Compost them.”

You can even prepare laundry detergent by placing 8-10 soapnuts in an old unused sock. Knot the socks at the top so that the berries do not come out when washing.

Boil a cup of water. Once it starts boiling, remove from heat and soak the socks that contains soapnuts.

Let it sit for 15 minutes. Leave it to cool. Then add the soapnut socks along with the water into the washing machine and wash as usual.

Once the washing is over, remove the socks with soapnuts and dry them.

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