Buying Guide - Laundry Supplies

Laundry product manufacturers fill advertising images with mountainous landscapes, wildflowers and clean white sheets flapping in prairie winds to sell the idea that their products will leave your clothes feeling fresh and clean. These images also suggest that detergents clean clothes "naturally," yet manufacturers of laundry products rely on unnatural ingredients, like non-renewable petroleum, synthetic fragrances and chemical whiteners that can pollute your laundry room and nearby waterways.

What to Look for:

Always buy products that disclose ingredients on product labels, as most environmentally preferable brands do. Aside from that, here are a few more product-specific things to look for.

Laundry Detergents

Choose vegetable oil-based products that are free of all the problematic chemicals outlined in The Backstory. And if your water allows for it, choose powders over liquids. Powders are more efficient to ship and require less water.

Fabric Softeners

You can usually soften fabrics with vinegar or baking soda, but if you choose to buy a commercially made product, buy one with a vegetable, rather than petroleum, base that is free of synthetic fragrances.

Bleaches and Stain Removers

These, too, you can make from simple ingredients, like washing soda and vinegar, but commercial products should be free of chlorine. Look for bleach alternatives with either hydrogen peroxide or sodium percarbonate, an environmentally benign mixture of washing soda and hydrogen peroxide that breaks down into oxygen, water and soda ash.

To reduce packaging waste, buy the largest size available. Select products in bottles made with at least some recycled plastic or in cardboard boxes made with 100 percent recycled content. And choose concentrated formulas, which require less packaging and fuel for shipping.

Shopping Tips:

• Avoid unsubstantiated claims like "non-toxic," "hypo-allergenic" and "natural." These claims aren't verified by third parties and are therefore meaningless. Use of the term "organic" on a cleaning product's label or in its title doesn't guarantee a safer product, either. There are no defined organic standards for cleaning products, and the term is only meaningful on food and some personal care products.
• Look for specifics. For example, "biodegradable in 3 to 5 days" holds a lot more meaning than simply "biodegradable," as most substances will eventually break down if given enough time and the right ecological conditions. And claims like "no phosphates" or "plant-based" are more meaningful than vague terms like "ecologically-friendly" or "natural."

DIY Detergents, Softeners and Bleaches

• To make your own laundry detergent, combine either liquid castile soap or plain soap flakes with either washing soda to cut grease (it is caustic, so always wear gloves when handling) or borax to remove stains (keep away from pets and children, as it can cause vomiting if ingested).
• If you need fabric softener, you can make your own by adding 1/4 cup of baking soda to the wash cycle. Adding 1/4 cup of white vinegar will also soften clothes, as well as remove stains and eliminate static cling.
• For stain removal, try soaking fabrics in water mixed with either borax, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar. Or scrub stained areas with a paste of washing soda and water; just be sure to wear gloves when using washing soda.
• Eliminate static cling in the dryer by drying natural-fiber clothes and synthetic-material clothes separately. Better still, line dry the synthetic clothing, as those materials tend to dry faster than cotton.

A More Energy-Efficient Load

• Launder clothes on the warm or cold water setting for washing, and always use cold water to rinse clothes. Washing clothes in cold water can cut CO2 emissions down by 100 pounds and save you up to $64 a year on your energy bill.
• Clean your lint filter with every load and check your dryer exhaust frequently to make sure it's clean and that the flapper on the outside hood opens and closes freely. This will help improve its energy efficiency.
• Irons can consume up to 1,800 watts of energy, and if used for two hours, one iron emits 4.8 pounds of carbon dioxide. Line drying clothes, drying with cold air or removing them promptly from the dryer will keep wrinkles to a minimum.
• See our Washing Machines Buying Guide for tips on selecting the most efficient washer.
• If time allows for it, line drying is the most ecologically safe alternative to energy-consuming appliances. Furthermore, sunshine works better on whitening whites than bleach.

Eco-Friendly Laundry Supplies >>