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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters replace their bleach- or ammonia-based cleaner with a biodegradable alternative for one year, we'll keep 400 bucketfuls of toxic chems from begriming our planet.
COCKTAIL FACT
Wi-fi washing: Worcester Polytechnic Institute has a website that allows students to check the progress of their laundry via the internet.
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home › tip library › Apparel Cleaning
Are all laundry products as clean as they seem?
The Bite
We wish. Many contain ingredients you don't usually want anywhere near your personal affairs (animal tallow, anyone?). Try our fave goods to keep your clothes - not to mention your eco-reputation - as clean as a whistle.The Benefits
- Safety first. In the United States, 25,000-plus kids "are exposed to" (that's EPA code for "have accidents involving") chlorine bleach each year.
- Saving oil. If every U.S. household replaces one box of 48-oz, petroleum-based powder laundry detergent with a vegetable-based one, we'll save enough oil to heat and cool 5,300 homes for a year.
- Avoiding irritation. Fragrances and harsh solvents like ammonia contained in some typical detergents and fabric softeners can trigger your allergies and asthma, and cause skin irritation.
- Scents you'll wanna sniff. Not reeking of chlorine is always a plus.
Personally Speaking
We wish the whole iSmell thing had panned out, just so you could smell these detergents and fabric softeners through your computer screen.Wanna Try?
Bleach- Ecover Bleach - make your whites even brighter with this nonchlorine bleach ($5/14 oz).
Detergent
- Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Laundry Detergent - liquid that really works. Comes in five scents; geranium's our fave, but we don't reco mixing fragrances between washer and dryer ($12/32 oz).
Dryer Sheets
- Shaklee Get Clean Dryer Sheets - biodegradable and made with none of the vegetarian-unfriendly animal tallow found in regular dryer sheets ($10/80 sheets).
Fabric Softener
- Mrs. Meyer's Fabric Softener - essential oils (instead of tallow) fluff your fabrics right nice; in four scents, here in sweet geranium ($8/32 oz).
Stain Remover
- Laundress Stain Solution - we love this whole line of biodegradable, upscale cleaning products - especially this hardworking stain remover that gets out even nasty pit stains ($6/2 oz).
Wool Wash
- Kookaburra Wash - liquid tea tree oil wash that works great for delicates and even washes wool, so you can skip the dry cleaner ($11/16 oz).
Apr 17,2008
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All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Cash-more Cardigans
The problem with buying nice things is that you continually fear losing them or ruining them (one of the reasons Coco Chanel advised wearing costume jewelry over the real thing). My "nice" things include several high-maintenance cashmere cardigans (one of them just had its seventh birthday last week) -they pill, buttons pop off, they consistently endure wine and chocolate stains, but I love them and in the end, it's worth it to me to wash them by hand, comb them, and repair pulled threads.
I've used lots of gentle cleaners, including baby shampoo, but my favorite so far is the cedar-scented Wool and Cashmere Shampoo from the Laundress. It's not cheap, but you don't need to use much, and unlike dry-cleaning, which can disintegrate fibers, a gentle wash-and-lay-flat-to-dry preserves the fabrics' integrity so it lasts longer and stays softer - which, well, is kinda the point with cashmere. It also, of course, saves me the $10 dry-cleaning fee.
If you've got any amazing natural laundry tips that the world needs to know about, please share in the blog!
-Jenifer Morgan...off to chuck my less-nice things in the washer...
Biter Comments...
A review of 6 green laundry detergents:
http://www.grist.org/advice/products/2008/02/26/
I found it interesting, anyways.
Instead of using dryer sheets, we use these dryer balls:
http://www.gaiam.com/product/eco-home-outdoor/household/laundry/dryer+balls.do?gcid=S18376x028&keyword=dryer%20balls
They help soften clothes, are reusable and supposedly shorten drying time.
Tennis balls also work, so I have heard.
Until I can line-dry my clothes, I will be dryer balling.
Soap Nuts come direct from mother nature. Although I have not yet tried them, they seem to have a "vitamin smell", so I'd probably add a few drops of lavender essential oil.
Rumor has it they are uber gentle, non-toxic and fantastic stain removers. I haven't tried them yet, but my local nature store sells them in a small bag, so I think I'll give 'em a whirl.
Check 'em out here:
http://www.maggiespureland.com/
I am using Maggie's Soap Nuts and am delighted with the results. I have not noticed any fragrance, but that may be because instead of fabric softener I use white vinegar in a "downy ball". My clothes come out of the dryer soft and fresh.
I'm surprised there is no mention of making your own laundry detergent. It is WAY cheaper than store bought "green" laundry soap. Here is a link to 10 different recipes to choose from. It's fast, it's easy, go make some!
http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/
The product suggestions you offer all seem good; however, they are all in different places, require high shippng prices (the Method Omop is $30, plus $10 shipping) or high-priced gas to buy locally, if available.
I use a line of green products that work for bath, body and home that I buy online or over the phone at wholesale prices with 5% shipping to my door. Everything is in one place!
Ecover Bleach in my varied experience does not work worth a darn! I have tried it in every way you can imagine. Soaking full strength,using the amounts suggested,spot cleaning,soaking for days,etc. Doesn't work. I know some like it,but I don't understand why. It works terrible on diapers,stains on other clothes that have just occured,blah blah...
For diapers I have found that I just rinse them three times first. Then wash in hot water,sometimes I repeat the wash. I have a commitment not to use bleach,I loathe the toxic bleach!
This is great stuff - Thanks Biters!! I'm curious if anyone out there has checked out the Melaleuca brand laundry detergents? I realize that they aren't 'required' to list their ingredients but if anyone knows someone who sells the stuff they can buy a catalog of all their products with all of their ingredients. I haven't yet as I wouldn't know how to compare most of the ingredients I can't pronounce ... :-)
At my house we love a product we just discovered called Charlie's Soap. It's not really soap-based, that's just the name; it's this really great laundry detergent. The amazing thing about it is it rinses totally clean, and has no perfumes, so your clothes smell amazing because they smell like nothing but clothes and clean. The more you wash your clothes and towels and whatnot in it, the softer they get, without fabric softener of any kind. You only need fabric softener because your detergent leaves residue on your clothes that make them stiff--even so-called eco-friendly detergents. Charlie's Soap is eco-friendly, and you only use like a tbsp per load, and its great for baby clothes and diapers because it's so gentle and doesn't leave anything behind. They do have a liquid form available, but the powder works amazing and is cheaper. It's very reasonably priced, and the shipping is free. It's a great company, too. I really can't stop raving about it to people I know, especially sensitive skin types, like my husband.
The smaller bag they sell is priced about the same as an Ecover or Seventh Generation type laundry detergent, but they sell huge buckets that, when you work out the per load price, is cheaper than ANY detergent, especially with free shipping! http://www.charliesoap.com/
I'm looking for soap-based (rather than detergent-based) laundry soaps--if anyone has any ideas. (It's for a baby with eczema; am trying out the theory that detergents are harsher on permeable skin than soap.) We're currently using Charlie's, although as noted above it is actually detergent.
Michelle and I are on the same page. It's a customer referral system and anyone wanting more info can contact me at asbwilkinson@yahoo.com.
I second the 'dryer balls' comment above. They're reusable, unlike liquid or sheet fabric softeners. We have two or three sets of balls, because they migrate all over the house when a load of laundry is removed from the dryer.
I hope people in hotter climates will be line-drying this summer. (It's hot enough already, why make more heat by running a dryer!) Unfortunately hanging things outdoors to dry is tough to do here in Seattle, because it rains so frequently.
I'm afraid most of us have weather-related challenges to line-drying clothes, in addition to bird droppings, no matter where we live. Most dryers have an air-dry setting.
Has anyone heard of Pink Solution? I know that it's been around forever and I've been told that it's "green", but I don't know anything else about it...any thoughts?
I'm surprised Trader Joe's laundry detergent wasn't mentioned. It's cheaper than many grocery-store versions and vegetable based!
(A note about dryer balls--I used those for a while, but stopped because they were wearing out my clothes and towels and adding to static cling. Maybe tennis balls would be better, but I find no fabric softener to be a fine solution.)
Living in California, weather isn't often a deterrent to hanging laundry--time is, and so is how stiff the clothes end up afterward. Anyone have a way to soften line-dried clothes?
There are lots of alternative products out there that are safer than the typical grocery store brands, but none that I know of offer their customers the opportumity to share in the company revenues except the line that I use. I've found the line of green products that I want to use and they reward me for telling others about them. I know they're free of toxic chemicals and safer for my family and the environment, so why would I look elsewhere? For those of you still searching for the perfect products, contact me at asbwilkinson@yahoo.com
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned using cold water to do laundry. The most significant environmental impact associated with laundry is the use of enrgy to heat the laundry water. Everything else pales by compariosn.
Right on for cold water to do laundry! I use cold water for my laundry,except when I do the final wash on diapers. Cold works great,even on the dirtiest work clothes!
Good ideas, I guess, but they're way too pricey for my meager budget. (Besides, I don't want my clothes smelling like geraniums! I HATE the smell of geraniums!) I'd be interested in trying the Laundress Stain Remover, though. (I wonder if it gets out rust stains.)
As for dry cleaning, the only piece of clothing I wear on a regular basis that needs to be dry cleaned is my winter parka. As for other clothing, if it can't be tossed into the washer, I don't bother with it. I can't afford dry cleaning bills.
I've been washing my clothes in cold water before it was the PC, eco-thing to do.
Dawn, hven't you ever heard of fabric softener? Softens clothes beautifully whether you dryer dry or line dry. I would NEVER do my laundry without fabric softener! If fabric is going to touch my skin, it has to be SOFT!
I agree w/the Trader Joe's, soapnuts, and cold water suggestions. Also, a warning: the Melaleuca co. is not against animal-testing. It took some time for me to wrangle a statement out of them but what I got explained that they do condone it when they think it's reasonable [insert a rasberry from me here -- there's absolutely no reason to do it, there are plenty of non-animal ways to check safety!]
When we bought our first house (just a few weeks ago), we bought a front-load washer and then found out it requires special soap. Though I haven't heard all the ins and outs, my understanding is so that it doesn't produce the mass amounts of suds a la funny movies/TV shows. Of all these suggestions, do any/all of them work with front loads?
Katie, in response to your inquiry, most phosphate free laundry detergents tend to create less suds, but I don't want to suggest something that isn't right for your new machine.
Linda, I'm wondering what type of "green" fabric softener you use, because most of the one's I've found contain animal tallow...that's why I don't bother with the stuff.
In response to Angie's comment on April 21:
Just to set the record straight,
no wrangling is necessary to get Melaleuca's statement about animal testing. Dogs were used to test Provex CV, a grape skin and seed extract dietary supplement containing a cardiovascular component which keeps blood platelets from sticking for people who would like a natural alternative to statin drugs. The lead researcher on this supplement is Dr. John Folts, University of Wisconsin, who developed the "aspirin a day" theory. There is no animal testing of personal care or cleaning products.
To expand on Melaleuca's animal testing history, they also paid for a test of a competitor's product which was tested on rats. To quote Melaleuca's President and CEO, "The rats died a horrible death". The fundamental issue here is that there are many other ways to test and prove dangers of products without testing on animals. Saving human lives: good! Most people agree with that. Not everyone agrees on how to test/prove safety though. I don't agree with Melaleuca's decisions. From the CEO's letter, I can see he doesn't connect how compassion to animals is a much deeper impactful issue than just how one animal feels. As Ghandi once said, "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Everyone may not agree or "get" that. That's OK; it's my choice not to buy their products anymore. Believe me, I was sad to make that decision because there were so many other reasons to like the Melaleuca company and its products. I was really pulling for them, but when I found out about this, I made a decision since there are other companies who also have great products and missions and make different decisions when it comes to testing. You're welcome to feel however you'd like about it, but I wanted to make sure anyone else who is against animal testing knew about Melaleuca's stance on it. If anyone would like me to forward the CEO's letter to them, just let me know. To bring it back to topic, there are thankfully lots of choices for how we choose to clean and be green and I appreciate Ideal Bite bringing this topic up for discussion!
Yes, I would like a copy of the letter. Send to asbwilkinson@yahoo.com
What a fantastic website....just found out about it today.A little green laundry tip...instead of bleach,I add white vinegar and baking soda to my wash.Good w/ whites, darks ,colors.I put Ecover soap in as the water fills(no clothes at 1st).Then I add the vin/bs...the combo of these 2 creates an enzymatic effect.It especially keeps whites really white. Good day to all!
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: KC | April 17, 2008 at 06:25 AM