Washing clothes is an activity that humans have always engaged in. Over centuries people have found different ways and products to wash their clothes with. As things advanced, chemical laundry detergents gained popularity. Laundry was suddenly an easy task, but for convenience, we have compromised on the quality and damaged our environment simultaneously.
Going old-school, entrepreneurs Mona Weiss and Scott Sheilds launched their laundry soap business called Eco Nuts. It is a line of all-organic laundry soaps. These soaps draw the power of soap berries, also known as soap nuts. Eco Nuts source these soap nuts directly from the Himalayan lychee tree.
When mixed with water, these berries produce natural soap called saponin. This natural soap from dried berry shells has been popular in Asia for a long time.
Unlike other laundry soaps, Eco Nuts laundry detergent does not ruin the quality of your clothes because it cleans your clothes without any harsh ingredients. These laundry soaps by Eco Nuts are incredible because they also work as a natural fabric softener.
Eco Nut takes great pride in being a green business. All-natural ingredients are utilized to their full capacity, and packaging material is recycled.
Weiss and Sheilds have consciously created these laundry soaps. The entrepreneurs are pioneers in the process of removing the seeds from the soap nuts. This process prevents stains and germs.
Before participating in Shark Tank, Eco Nut was achieving plenty. In 2011 and 2012, they earned $250,000 in sales.
The partners participated in season four of Shark Tank. They pitched the idea of reusable tree nuts used as organic laundry soap. They asked the Sharks for $175,000 for a 15% equity in their business.
Despite being a unique business and product, the Sharks were not impressed enough to make a deal. Some reasons for this were the valuation and the marketing strategy of Eco Nuts. Robert Herjavec liked the business but wanted 50% of the company. Weiss and Sheilds disagreed, and the partners left the Shark Tank without a single deal.
Eco Nuts experienced considerable popularity from their appearance on Shark Tank. Eco Nuts was voted the “Best New Green Product” at the Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore. They also bagged a NEXTY Award in the Natural Living category.
Over the years, Eco Nuts consistently sold laundry soaps. They also launched new products and a skincare range, among other products.
As of July 2021, Eco Nuts had earned$1 million in sales. But as of June 2022, Eco Nuts has shut down, and the founders have ceased all operations.
Our Review of Eco Nuts
Eco Nuts is an incredibly effective brand of laundry soap. Eco Nuts sourced its ingredients directly from Mother Nature, but with consideration and responsibility. It created products that did not harm the environment.
When it first launched, instantly Eco Nuts caused ripples in the market and hit a chord with its consumers. Customers loved the brand and its values. Although the business is shut down today, the relevance of such an eco-friendly brand would have increased tremendously and also their profits.
Washing clothes is an unavoidable task. In a market that produces laundry products with chemicals, Eco Nuts remained unique and true to its values. This led to the immense growth the business experienced early on.
Eco Nuts was rooted in nature. Their products were a great initiative to spark a discussion on why eco-friendly products are important. The business and its owners encouraged people to opt for eco-friendly alternatives to their day-to-day products to reduce their carbon footprint.
People are used to chemical laundry detergents. Organic options for laundry soaps were although unique, people were still skeptical about the effectiveness of the soap berries. Once customers used Eco Nuts soap berries, they unsurprisingly loved the product.
Pros of Eco Nuts
Customers loved the laundry soaps by Eco Nuts. These laundry soaps have plenty of pros.
- These laundry soaps help in minimizing the environmental impacts of chemical accumulation and the residue from chemicals.
- Eco Nuts are not heavy, considering you can wash multiple loads of clothes with only one box.
- These laundry soaps, unlike other laundry products, are biodegradable products.
- Each soapberry can be used up to 10 times easily.
- These laundry soaps can be used to wash any kind of cloth, even baby clothes, without worrying about chemical reactions on the skin.
Cons of Eco Nuts
While Eco Nuts products were a favorite among people, there were few cons regarding the laundry soaps.
- These laundry soaps are non-returnable.
- After a few months, the laundry soaps start leaving an odd musty smell in the clothes.
- Once your laundry is started, it is hard to locate the bag of soap berries inside the machine.
- Eco Nuts is not an active business anymore.
Who Is Eco Nuts For?
Eco Nuts is for customers who prefer environmentally friendly products. People who want to create less waste with their everyday activities.
The product is lightweight, so it is incredible for elderly or college students who prefer not to carry such heavy boxes of detergents for washing every time.
Are There Any Alternatives?
There are numerous environmentally friendly products on the market. However, not many businesses sell soap berries. There still are few alternatives. These include the following:
- NaturOli
- HomeCraftz
Our Final Thoughts
Although the Sharks were not convinced or impressed enough by Eco Nuts to make an investment deal with them, the Shark Tank appearance in itself was enough to give the business publicity.
Before Shark Tank, Eco Nuts was already making great sales and these sales only increased afterwards. The business expanded its product range, introducing different types of products, while staying true to their values of being a green business.
Eco Nuts had a great potential and initiative to drive the market had it still been in business.
