Switching to an eco-friendly lifestyle can be a daunting task if you don’t know where to start. So why not begin by using an eco friendly laundry detergent?
Eco-friendly laundry detergents not only keep you and your family smelling fresh and great, they also help to reduce your environmental impacts by using eco friendly ingredients and environmentally friendly packaging.
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Summary of the best eco friendly laundry detergent:
- Seventh Generation Free & Clear Laundry Detergent
- Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Laundry Detergent
- ECOS Liquid Laundry Detergent Free & Clear
What Is An Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent?
Safe For Environment
Eco-friendly detergents do not contain harmful chemicals that can harm the ecosystem and contaminate the water supplies.
They also use less water and resources making them greener compared to other regular detergents.
Safe For Sensitive Skin
Common allergen found in regular laundry detergents such as preservatives and parabens can cause rashes in both children and adults.
Eco-friendly laundry detergents can help to reduce your skin’s interaction with harmful chemicals.
List Of All The Best Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergents
With so many choices of detergents on the shelves claiming to be eco-friendly, it is very hard for us to unfold (pun intended) the ones that are truly green for the environment.
If you’re looking for alternatives to your current detergents, here are several lists of laundry detergents to choose from.
It is broken into 3 different categories:
- Most eco-friendly laundry detergents
- Cruelty-free laundry detergents
- Vegan laundry detergents
Most Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent
Eco-friendly laundry detergents help to conserve resources like water and energy. Besides, they also help to prevent air, water, and land pollution.
Since doing laundry is an everyday chore in a household, you should be more conscious of how you utilize your resources.
Here are some of the most eco-friendly laundry detergents that you can choose from:-
1. Seventh Generation Free & Clear Laundry Detergent
There is a reason why this popular detergent has been around for 25 years and is considered one of the best eco-friendly laundry detergents on the market today.
Ranging from diapers to feminine personal care products, this brand promises healthy and safe usage to the people and the environment.
Made of 96 percent plant-based ingredients, this company’s detergent is very gentle to your family and the environment while being incredibly effective at removing stains. They are also free from fragrances thus making them suitable for sensitive skin.
Ecologically conscious buyers do not have to be worried about getting greenwashed by products that claim to be eco-friendly as this brand meets the EPA Safer Product Standard and is USDA certified.
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Safer Product Standard means that the Safer Choice scientific review team has screened each ingredient in a product for potential human health and environmental effects.
While USDA Organic certification means that the handling facility complies with USDA organic regulations. The products should not have been grown or processed or added to non-natural fertilizers or additives.
2. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Laundry Detergent
Another eco-friendly laundry detergent that has been receiving the spotlight in recent years is Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Laundry Detergent.
It is made from a natural, plant-based formula that’s scented with essential oils. Mrs. Meyer offers several scents namely honeysuckle, baby blossom, basil, bluebell, lavender, lemon verbena, and rosemary.
This concentrated laundry detergent contains plant-derived cleaning ingredients with dirt and stain-fighting enzymes thus making it great in removing stains.
The concentration of the laundry detergents also means that consumers can cut down on their plastic waste by getting more washes per bottle.
Mrs. Meyer’s packaging is not biodegradable, but it can be recycled. As for animal lovers, you can shop with confidence because Mrs. Meyer’s products are also cruelty-free.
3. ECOS Liquid Laundry Detergent Free & Clear
What makes ECOS an environmentally friendly laundry detergent? This concentrated laundry detergent is plant-powered, making it safer for people, pets, and the planet.
It is hypoallergenic which means it is kind to both your clothes and your skin. ECOS laundry detergent is made without dye, optical brighteners, parabens, phosphates, or phthalates making it gentle to your skin.
Besides, it has built-in fabric softener to save you money and comes in a recyclable container so you can reduce your carbon footprint when using it.
Cruelty-Free Laundry Detergents
Cruelty-free means that the products, ingredients, and components used have not been tested on animals at any stage during their development.
To look for cruelty-free products, find some accreditation that you recognize such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) or Leaping Bunny (The Corporate Standard of Compassion for Animals).
So, if you’re concerned about animal welfare and are looking for cruelty-free laundry detergents, here are some options for you:-
1. Biokleen Laundry Liquid
This non-toxic, plant-based laundry detergent is free from phosphates, chlorine, ammonia, alcohol, artificial colors, or artificial fragrance.
While all-natural, this detergent is strong enough to clean tough stains and odors leaving no residue or harsh scent.
Besides being cruelty-free, Biokleen laundry liquid also has no negative effects on rivers, streams, plants, or wildlife. So you know you’ll be saving the planet while doing your load of laundry.
2. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap
If you’re looking for a non-toxic, organic, and cruelty-free laundry detergent that also has a multipurpose cleaning option, Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap is your go-to detergent.
Made with over 90% organic ingredients with no synthetic preservatives, thickeners, or foaming agents, this detergent is not only good for your skin but also the environment.
These 3x more concentrated liquid soaps are not only suitable for your laundry, but can also be used for mopping, hand-washing dishes, and washing your pets!
Other than being cruelty-free, Dr. Bronner’s Products are also packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.
3. Method 8X Laundry Detergent
Method 8X laundry detergent is named 8X because it is super concentrated and it comes in a no-mess bottle dispenser.
The bottle design keeps you from overusing your detergent thus saving you money in the long run. When you’ve used it all up, you can recycle the bottle as it is made from 100% recycled plastic.
Its plant-based detergent delivers strong stain lifting power and it is also biodegradable and hypoallergenic.
This cruelty-free detergent comes in three varieties – Fresh Air, Lavender + Cedar, and Free + Clear. It makes a lot of scents (again with the pun) why Method Laundry Detergent is one of the best laundry detergents out there.
Vegan Laundry Detergents
The terms vegan and cruelty-free are always used interchangeably, but do you know that they mean two different things?
Vegan means that the products do not contain animal ingredients or animal-by products. Vegan describes the ingredients rather than the production process.
This means a vegan product may not contain animal ingredients, but could still be tested on animals.
Here is a list of the best vegan laundry detergents and they are cruelty-free too!
1. Dropps Laundry Detergent Pods
Dropps detergent pods come in plastic-free packaging. The cardboard box is fully compostable and recyclable.
If you are looking for a great zero waste laundry detergent, this is your best option.
The pod membrane is a water-soluble, non-toxic film made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). It dissolves completely in your washer, cold temperature included.
This brand uses plant-based ingredients making it a good vegan laundry detergent. Besides, it also does not support animal testing.
2. Meliora Unscented Laundry Powder
First, let’s talk about the excellent packaging. Meliora laundry powder comes in a compact cardboard and steel canister with a reusable metal scoop. This makes your laundry 100% plastic-free.
You can now ditch your unsightly laundry detergent plastic jug that brings nothing good to the environment.
Other than its great packaging, this laundry powder detergent is free from dye, fragrance, and preservatives making it gentle enough for sensitive skin and babies.
What makes Meliora powdered laundry detergent stand out from the rest is the fact that they are very transparent with the ingredients used.
Full ingredients lists for consumers are available right on the packaging. This laundry powder is also 100% biodegradable and Leaping Bunny certified as a vegan and cruelty-free product.
3. Puracy Natural Liquid Detergent
Puracy claims that its detergent can provide enough detergent for 96 loads of laundry per 24-ounce bottle, probably sound a bit bogus to you right?
Well, the formula of this detergent is ultra-concentrated thus making it lives up to its claim. Each load only needs two pumps so you will be using less product.
This naturally derived, plant-based, non-toxic detergent was developed by doctors to help people with sensitive skin.
It is hypoallergenic and biodegradable while able to quickly eliminate stains, odors, and residues, leaving your laundry naturally soft and fresh.
Puracy natural laundry detergent is certified to be vegan and cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny and Peta.
Is Laundry Soap Biodegradable?
Conventional detergents might seem like an easier and cheaper option, but every time you use the chemical-filled detergents, you are hurting the waterways and aquatic life, not to mention your health.
The vast majority of detergents contain chemicals such as optical brighteners, dyes, artificial fragrances, and other non-natural ingredients such as phosphates that are non-biodegradable.
Biodegradable means the ability of things to get decomposed and blend back in with the earth by the presence of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi.
When a laundry soap is non-biodegradable, the toxic chemicals could end up polluting the water systems and killing aquatic lives because non-biodegradable chemicals cannot be eliminated by any kind of water treatment.
Regular laundry soaps are non-biodegradable.
Therefore you need to choose eco-friendly laundry detergents that are biodegradable with low environmental impact.
Eco-friendly laundry detergent companies avoid incorporating non-biodegradable substances in the production of their laundry detergent.
Their products are all-natural, safe, biodegradable, and effective. This also means that eco-friendly detergents are better for the environment.
What Is The Most Toxic Laundry Detergent?
It might come as a surprise to see your favourite laundry detergent in this list of toxic laundry detergents.
Due to the harmful ingredients found in them, these are the list of toxic laundry detergents that you should avoid at all cost:-
- Tide Original
- Arm and Hammer (Clean Burst, 2x Concentrated)
- Purex Plus Oxi Stain Removers
- Gain Original Detergent
- Persil Original Detergent
Here are some of the harmful contents found in regular detergents:
Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLS)
A foaming agent is used to make detergents froth. SLS can irritate human skin and
should be avoided by those with sensitive, allergy-prone skin.
Phosphates
Make detergents more effective but could lead to the growth of algae that decreases the oxygen needed by aquatic life to survive. Phosphates are also linked to cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis.
1,4 Dioxane
Used as a solvent and degreaser. Studies show that exposure to dioxane can cause benign and malignant tumors. The EPA has identified 1,4 dioxane as a probable human carcinogen.
Bleach
Often hiding under the catchy name, optical brighteners, bleach is used in detergent to make clothes (especially white ones) brighter. Bleach can cause allergic reactions, irritate the eye and lung, and is toxic to marine lives.
Formaldehyde
An antibacterial agent used in detergent that is known to irritate the respiratory systems, eyes, and lungs. It can cause cancer to your organs and is also toxic to aquatic life.
Most leading brands of detergents are toxic to humans and the environment, however natural laundry detergents are not.
The next time you are purchasing your detergent, look for the ones that are plant-derived and free from the substances mentioned above.
Eco-friendly detergents are free from harmful ingredients, biodegradable, non-toxic, and gentle to your clothes, skin, and pollution-free for water bodies.
Switching to the best eco-friendly detergents help to improve your health and also the environment!
Other Eco-Friendly Products
If you are reading this article, you are probably on your way to a greener, eco-friendly lifestyle. So why just stop at laundry detergents?
Check out some of these eco-friendly products that could reduce your carbon footprint:
1. Natissy Beeswax Food Wraps
If you’re tired of storing your left-overs using single-use plastic wraps, it’s time you switch to beeswax food wraps.
Natissy Beeswax Food Wraps are eco-friendly, reusable, and compostable. Made from natural beeswax, pine resin, and jojoba oil, these natural alternative food wraps contain antibacterial properties that keep your food fresh longer.
What makes these Beeswax Food Wraps distinguishable? It’s that they are bee-utiful and come in recyclable and compostable tubular packaging.
2. Reusable Batik Facemasks
Who would have thought that face masks would be one of the must-have items during this unprecedented time?
2020 had seen the surge in the use of single-use face masks. However, this has also caused an enormous amount of plastic waste.
These reusable batik facemasks are made of 100% cotton. It is integrated with a filter layer and is machine washable.
Opting for reusable face masks could help to reduce plastic pollution. Besides, the batik design could also brighten up your appearance!
3. Reusable Menstrual Pads
Regular pads are one of the biggest contributors to plastic pollution. Besides being not eco-friendly, some pads contain harmful ingredients that could be dangerous to your health.
If you are making steps towards plastic-free periods, switch to reusable pads that are more eco-friendly and a real money saver too.
These washable pads are handmade and are comfortable to use, without irritating the skin. They also come in gorgeous fabric designs.
4. Honey-Can-Do Square Wicker Hamper
There are so many reasons why you should ditch plastic laundry baskets and invest in a sustainable hamper.
Eco-friendly laundry baskets are sturdier and more durable. They are also made of biodegradable material that is good for the environment.
The Honey-Can-Do eco-friendly laundry basket is made from natural and sustainable materials. The liner is machine washable and can be easily removed for cleaning.
This laundry basket is also foldable and can be carried around easily. The contemporary design is a great addition to your home.
Conclusion
Being eco-friendly means you are changing your way of living by being kinder to the environment. You are choosing to protect this planet from man-made damage.
Although you might think your action of living sustainably might not make a big impact on the environment, if enough people are aware of being eco-friendly, we could make a big change to the environment.
Share this article with your friends and family to help them become more eco-friendly by starting with the best eco-friendly laundry detergent.
Best Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent
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