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All of the water that runs through your washing machine will eventually make it back to our oceans, lakes and streams, even if it makes a stop at a treatment facility along the way. You can make a big impact on the environment by carefully choosing the laundry detergent you use to get your clothes clean. Where you can, try to use natural household ingredients like vinegar or baking soda to reduce the chemicals you use and release into our water systems.
Treehugger put together this list of top-rated, widely available environmentally-responsible laundry detergents to help you make this simple, positive transition toward protecting our waterways. In general, we’ve chosen detergents that are phosphate-free to protect the environment and fragrance-free for those with sensitive noses and/or skin. But most brands are also available in scented form. We’ve also considered their rating by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG), who ranks products based on the toxicity of their chemical ingredients, and packaging.
As you’ll discover, it is difficult to find a quality detergent whose ingredients and packaging tick all the right boxes, so keep that in mind as you make your choices. If the first detergent you try isn’t a good fit for your lifestyle, try another one until you find what’s right for you.
Ahead, the best eco-friendly laundry detergents.
You can take steps in the laundry room to reduce your carbon footprint while protecting your skin and the planet. Start with Puracy Natural Free & Clear liquid laundry detergent (view at Amazon) that checks all the boxes for performance, health and safety for the environment. Or go back to the simple basics that work with Molly’s Suds Laundry Powder (view at Walmart). No matter what you try, you’ll be taking leaps in the right direction.
FAQs
Can I make my own eco-friendly laundry detergent?
Yes! Before laundry detergents were widely available at grocery stores, our grandmothers made their own from simple ingredients. Many people have found success with those same recipes—or improved with essential oils. Try your hand at making your own powdered or liquid laundry detergent.
Why use eco-friendly laundry detergent?
For many people, taking good care of our skin includes caring about what touches it. Conventional laundry detergents contain a number of chemicals that are not good for our skin, or that may be harmful to our lungs. Some of these same chemicals may be harmful to aquatic organisms in our streams, lakes and oceans.
For example, the phosphates in laundry soaps have been linked to heart disease and osteoporosis, and are disruptive to natural phosphate cycles in the environment as well as being toxic to marine animals. Phosphates are just one of many chemicals found in traditional laundry detergents that are worth avoiding. Luckily, there are a range of quality eco-friendly alternatives on the market, including those above.
Are "eco-friendly" laundry detergents actually eco-friendly?
The term “eco-friendly” can be misleading because it might imply that eco-friendly laundry detergents cause no harm to the environment. In reality, perhaps no cleaning product can ever be completely free of environmental impacts. That’s because no matter what we use to wash our clothes, energy is consumed to make the product and its packaging. Even recyclable or reusable packaging requires energy to be repurposed. The spent ingredients of our detergent, however benign, are being discharged to pass through our water treatment plants and then into our waterways.
Instead, when we use these terms like “eco-friendly,” we’re comparing these alternatives to the traditional products that haven’t typically considered concern for the environment. Perhaps terms like “more eco-friendly” or “greener” are more accurate.
In addition, because the term “eco-friendly” is not a technical term, any manufacturer can claim it. Some products that carry this label actually contain chemicals that are known to be toxic. So it’s important to look at ingredients and choose products that have received certifications from third party nonprofit organizations such as the Environmental Working Group to back up their claims. In the end, the best thing we can do is find new ways to do less laundry, and therefore, impose less human impact on our environment.
If you’ve ever wondered why there are so many ingredients in laundry detergent, you might be interested to learn more about the science behind it.
What are other ways to make doing laundry eco-friendly?
When looking at what you can improve around your home to help the environment, taking a good, hard look in the laundry room is an excellent place to start. At the top of the list for saving time, money and energy is to find new ways to do less laundry. Every load you avoid saves an average of 15 to 30 gallons of drinking water in a high efficiency front-loading machine or 30 to 45 gallons for an older washer.
There are a number of small changes you can make to further cut your water use and increase efficiency. To save time and energy use in the dryer, consider adding a few reusable dryer balls to each load. Or skip the dryer altogether and use a drying rack.
Why Trust Treehugger?
Lorraine Wilde has done more laundry than she’d like to admit over the last 17 years with her twins. She has only the highest of standards for what goes on her family’s skin. Lorraine also holds a Master’s degree in environmental science and is a firm believer that consumers can make healthy, informed and environmentally-conscious choices to protect their families and our planet.
March 10, 2021 at 05:57AM
https://www.treehugger.com/best-eco-friendly-laundry-detergents-5115628
Green Living The 8 Best Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergents of 2021 - Treehugger
https://news.google.com/search?q=Laundry&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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