Behind the Berry…
The ‘That Red House’ story begins with a young man’s devastating cancer diagnosis; not once but twice. Luke Borda was not even 25 when he received the devastating news that he had Hodgkins Lymphoma.
But it was his second diagnosis that was the catalyst for change. Not only for himself but for his wife Talia and their young family.
Talia was determined to change things and eliminate the family’s chemical exposure as much as she could. She began researching everything they were putting in and on their bodies and was subsequently horrified by what she discovered and what the family was being exposed to everyday!
They decided they need to fully embrace change and start a whole new life. They sold their home and moved to the Adelaide Hills to try and live as cleanly as possible. They built an eco-house, established a large organic garden with over 100 fruit and nut trees to sustain the family of six. They desired plenty of space for chickens to roam freely and the kids to run.
After catching the eye of selectors at ‘Open Gardens Australia', and opening their home to the public in 2013…‘That Red House’ was born!
Finding a 100% natural laundry detergent that could be pumped out onto the organic garden, was proving problematic. Talia discovered that laundry companies don’t legally have to disclose what their products contain and even ‘natural detergents’ were laden with hidden nasties!
She was determined to find an alternative to these so-called ‘natural’ products and started researching options. Her search ended in far Western Nepal, with a dried fruit called a ‘Soapberry’, which is grown on the
Sapindus Mukorossi tree.
Soapberries contain a natural soap called ‘saponin’ which is released when it hits water. Saponin is a surfactant which means it breaks the surface tension of the water and draws dirt out of the clothing, leaving nothing behind in the fibres to be absorbed into the body. For this reason, they are great for people with skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and general sensitivities.
Soapberries met all of the requirements of an organic (safe for the garden), 100% natural and effective laundry detergent. The organic/natural element was vital, but Talia also needed this amazing alternative to ‘actually work’; with 4 kids under 8 (3 of them boys), the natural detergent had to work as well as chemicals did. Soapberries ticked this box too!
Talia thought if she needed soapberries, surely other people did too? She couldn’t be the only one on this chemical free journey? So slowly she started buying them in bulk and selling them at markets to gauge interest.
She sold out quickly and consistently and eventually gave up her job as a teacher to work on the soapberry business full time. She could never have imagined that soapberries would change the lives of so many people, including her own.
Four years later, That Red House has grown considerably and distributes soapberries all over the world including Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Mexico, Bermuda and Singapore.
The Products
That Red House Organic Soapberries are 100% waste-free and the product range has expanded to include other complimenting laundry products of Wool Dryer Balls (also waste-free!) and Laundry Tonics. These natural soapberries are available in a
1kg bag providing 365+ washes and a
250gm bag providing 90+ washes.
Wool Dryer Balls are placed in the dryer with wet clothes. They reduce 30% of drying time by creating air pockets in the machine for even distribution of heat. They absorb moisture, reduce wrinkles (not from your face – sorry!) and eliminate static. They last 10,000 dryer loads too, so are good for the environment and your back pocket!
Laundry Tonics are for fragrance and are made of 100% pure essential oils which can be used with both Soapberries and Wool Dryer Balls. Just a few drops on either the soapberry bag before it goes into the wash or directly onto the Wool Dryer balls before they go in the dryer will add freshness to your washing.
There are four fragrances to choose from:
Clean Linen Fragrance - A delightful medley of Sweet Orange, Blue Gum Eucalyptus and Spike Lavender. The crisp scent of squeaky clean.
Citrus Fresh Fragrance - A delicate balance West Indian Lime, Lemon, Eucalyptus and Sweet Orange.
A traditional laundry scent.
Sweet Orange Fragrance - A divine fragrance of 100% Pure Essential 'Sweet Orange' Oil.
A bold and cheeky scent, reminiscent of grandpa's secret jar of boiled lollies.
Earth Spice Fragrance- A hearty blend of Rosemary, Cedarwood, Tea Tree and Clove. This masculine concoction will put hairs on your chest and appeal to those who don't use hankies and don't really like quiche.
Shop the entire organic range of That Red House here.
