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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters switch from 1x to 2x concentrated laundry detergent, in a year we'll recycle or toss 120,000 fewer plastic detergent bottles.
COCKTAIL FACT
The world record for fastest Rubik's Cube solution belongs to France's Edouard Chambon: 9.18 seconds in February 2008.
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home › tip library › Concentrated Formulas
Been thinking long and hard about new ways to scrimp and save?
The Bite
It just takes a little concentration. Concentrated formulas (of laundry detergent, window cleaner, juice) not only save you cash, but also mean less packaging and energy use - so you can turn your focus to finally solving that Rubik's cube that's been haunting you since the '80s.The Benefits
- A cash-saving formula. A regular, 50-ounce bottle of Tide costs about $6 at Walgreen's. But for just $3 more, you can get the 2X concentrated bottle and wash twice as many loads - effectively saving you three bucks.
- Thoughtful packaging. If the entire "consumer liquids" market changed from unconcentrated to double-concentrated formulas, annually it'd keep 141.1 million pounds of plastic out of production. Plus, smaller bottles means more room under your sink.
- Seriously considering the fuel crisis. Since bigger bottles and more liquid take more energy to transport, if we changed over to double-concentrate we'd save 19 million gallons of diesel fuel per year.
Personally Speaking
It took Hilary just one load to make sure to never put in more concentrated dishwasher liquid than needed - resulting in suds busting out of all orifices.Wanna Try?
- Look for 2x concentrated or higher on the label of the products you buy, and follow the directions on the back (sometimes you gotta dilute the stuff with water).
Jun 12,2008
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Concentrate on the Directions
I was reading about concentrated detergents in Consumer Reports the other day:
A 2003 poll by the Soap and Detergent Association, a trade group, showed that only 49 percent of Americans had ever read directions on detergent packages...
Apparently, many people buy concentrated detergent but put in the same amount as they would with non-concentrated detergent, potentially leading to the type of overly sudsy situation that Hilary is all too familiar with (and wasting detergent, besides). If you're reading this blog, my guess is that you're smarter than the average consumer, but a little reminder never hurts.
-Toshio...off to read some labels...
Biter Comments...
Why aren't we talking about eco friendly powders that come in a box? Then we can remove all of the petroleum out of the equation...and recycle the box at the end. Seventh Generation makes a great one and I am pretty happy with the trader Joe's version as well. The old issue used to be that they didn't dissolve as well, but that really isn't the case any more.... Just a thought.
Also, if you buy your Tide, Purex, etc., at the Dollar Store you would be saving even more money. Three more dollars.
Concentrated formulas do indeed cut down on packaging waste and also eliminate unnecessary "fillers" in the ingredients. However, mainstream brands like Tide, Cheer, etc, are made with petroleum-based surfactants with a whole host of synthetic additives making up the the other 50% of the bulk - some of which are toxic to aquatic life and irritating to humans with skin and inhalation sensitivities. Some of the worst offenders are optical brighteners, fragances, dyes, fabric softeners and bleach. Why not buy brands that have eliminated unnecessary additives, like Ecover, Seventh Generation, Planet, and Charlie's Soap.
This is a question, more than a comment: I would really like to know how you arrived at the 141 million pounds of plastic saved as well as the 19 gallons of diesel fuel? I have been seeing these attempts to quantify our actions quite a bit lately, but rarely is there a source mentioned. So, I am beginning to wonder how credible these numbers/calculations really are in measuring the impact/sustainability of a product?
Do the 2X detergents work as well as regular strength? Is it really concentrated so that all you have to do is use half (or whatever the label prescribes) ans clothes are just as clean?
2 things. 1, Reading the lable is a good idea, as is the 1/2 method. Try using 1/2 of what they say to use and see if it's as effective. If it is, 1/2 that again and again, until it's not effective, then go back up to the most recent amount. I've found that 1/2 of my already small recommended amount of eco friendly "Ecos" deterg. is enough (approx 1/8 C/LARGE load). 2, The alternative to so much packaging might be to talk to a smaller, local store who'd entertain the idea of bringing in a detergent bulk. This allows for both the store and the consumer to save money, and the jug can be reused again and again.
i agree with Laura. It's important for a green newsletter to talk about biodegradable detergents. I like Trader Joe's as well as Ecos, and Seventh Generation.
I'd just like to reiterate that it is VERY IMPORTANT to read the labels. I am a preschool teacher, and I sometimes serve juice to my students. My school switched suppliers and got a new kind of apple juice. I did not read the label, and did not dilute the apple juice concentrate. The results were hyper poop-tastic. Please, learn from my mistake.
While this is a nice idea and it saves plastic I think you should have at least mentioned that maybe we shouldn't be buying concentrated harsh detergents at all and be buying the ones that are all natural, biodegradable, non-harming to wildlife and better for the environment.
Keep up the good tips!
Elaine, I can't speak to the "141 million pounds...", but I know on the 7th generation box the explanation is that the millions of gallons of savings is based on every household using one eco friendly version of detergent v the petroleum based type just once. It's a pretty powerful notion and makes me realize the difference I can make. I try to add one eco item a week and then try varieties of something... Some stuff isn't very good and I am still desperate to find something to clean the shower that really works, but so many items are really great and the slight lack of "power" or small upcharge is well worth the benefit. (Now if I could get my teenage son to turn off the computer all the time we could save the world!! :) Hey - b.joy - thanks for support :) !! Have a great night everyone..
I'm surprised no mention of All Small & Mighty, which has been out with 3x for quite some time now? I've been using it and it works great and I love how it's small to store and easy to carry. I had talked to an All person at one point and they said that once all the detergent brands moved to 2x (which they are finally doing), they were hoping to be able to get them to move to 3x more quickly by already having All Small and Mighty already on the market. Having said that, ditto others on using the more biodegradable kinds; Method brand has a 3x version. I've sent a consumer request to Seventh Generation to follow suit.
Shower cleaner: AHA! This is also one I can help with. I, too, have had trouble getting the shower clean. Harsh chemicals bugged me (breathing it and rinsing it down the drain), so I tried all sorts of things to get the soap scum and iron stains off of tile, plastic and glass. After trying so many different things, I finally found Citra Solv. Concentrated, biodegradable, made from renewable resources and is cruelty free (bonus!). It's a citrus based cleaner that cuts grease and smells wonderful! (double bonus!!) My advice is to mix with baking soda (I asked about safety, and it's OK) so that it'll stick to the walls, leave it on a while and use a soft cloth to rub it down. Works like a charm.
Its obviously an individual choice but please try CountrySave or Seventh Generation or one of the several alternative detergents available. Many, many persons are sensitive/allergic to Tide,Cheer,All-the brands we know so well. Take care.
You greenies with the green can go right ahead and keep on buying your pricey, eco-friendly Seventh Generation, Trader Joe's, et. al, detergents. The rest of us, myself included, who are trying to be as green as we possibly can on our very limited budgets will just have to continue getting the El Cheapo Wal-Mart and supermarket brands, and these new 2X and 3X concentrates just might be the way to go.
My daughter used tide and Ecos in her science fair project. In this controlled setting Ecos won out for cleanliness and cost effectiveness. In my humble opinion, Ecos doesn't have as near as much harsh chemical "prettifying" smell.
I have a front-loading washer, which uses less water and less detergent. Glad to see these regaining popularity. I use high-efficiency detergent formulated for front-loaders, so it's not as sudsy, and I always use a tad less than the measuring cap indicates. As Roger said, doing the best I can to stay green on a budget that doesn't have a lot of incoming green ($$).
Hi,
Love your newsletter. I have a frontloader washer and had to have a repairman come last week. The first thing he did was run it without anything in it to see how many bubbles were formed in the window. He told me that these machines only need a tablespoon or LESS of detergent!!! I use alot less now and get better results. AND with the new really concentrated ones even less!! He also said to put a teaspoon of baking soda in with the detergent. It makes the clothes smell so clean. He said the biggest repair jobs can be prevented if we used less detergent. It builds up in the pumps and causes alot of damage. He also said to make sure that I ran a HOT water wash at least two times a week. You can wash towels or whites. That disolves the little soap residue you have in the tub and the pumps. He said if I did that my expensive machine would last alot longer than most!!
Hope that prevents someone from costly repairs!! Keep up the good work!
Although I don't use it very often, when I buy fabric softener, I buy it in the cardbord cartons that are meant to refill the plastic containers.
Also, I have a fairly new front loading washer that takes the High Efficiency detergent. I was warned by the salesman that I must never put anything else in it. I'm having a hard time finding an eco-friendly detergent that's HE and also contains no dyes or perfumes for my son who's very sensitive to them. Any ideas?
I asked the salesman about the HE detergents and he said that they have more surfactants so they don't produce alot of bubbles.(More chemicals!) You can use the regular detergents just only use a tablespoon or less. You can tell when your clothes are clean. Also if you do that hot water wash a couple times a week (the machines only use 3 gallons of water!) that should help keep down the build up.
I personally don't use fabic softeners at all and my clothes come out fine from the dryer. Just don't over dry them. The baking soda that I put in the washer gives them a clean scent. Think of all the money you can save by not using softener!
Thanks! I don't use much fabric softener either because of my son. It's mostly for static. Someone recently told me that she puts vinegar in the fabric softener compartment and that takes the static out and doesn't leave a nasty smell - like you'd think! I'll try it and report back!
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Glen Graffam | June 12, 2008 at 04:58 AM