As much as we may find fresh scents alluring in our clean laundry, it comes at a greater cost of using dangerous chemicals that end up harming both the ecosystem and even our own skin. That’s why more than ever people are turning to eco-friendly laundry detergent.
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There are many alternative options to choose from. We are here to hopefully shed some light on how to make a well informed decision to find the best eco-friendly detergent for your family, the volume of laundry that your household needs done, and how to avoid making a bad decision for yourself and the environment.
Let’s start with the most commonly asked question.
Why should I choose an eco-friendly laundry detergent?
There are two main reasons to choose a natural and eco-friendly detergent:
1. Laundry detergents and their chemicals are carried out by the water in the wash and can be devastating for wildlife and any waterway it may contaminate.
2. The clothes we wash and wear on a daily basis end up absorbing the same damaging chemicals, leading to chemical exposure on our skin. Certain chemicals may also make the color of your clothes fade more quickly.
How do laundry detergents affect the environment?
Laundry detergents are introduced to the environment through waste water, which is the solution of water and laundry chemicals after the washing process. The following chemicals have a negative effect on the ecosystem:
1. Petroleum or petroleum-derivatives — used in artificial fragrances. These chemicals not break down in the environment and prove to be harmful to wildlife.
2. Phosphates — algae feeds on phosphates, so the more of this food source is introduced to water, the more food algae can consume. With an all-you-can-eat buffet always in effect, this increase the algae population and create an imbalance in the ecosystem. Too much algae leads to oxygen depletion in the surrounding environment, which then harms local plants and marine life.
3. Alkyl Phenoxy Ethanols and Linear Alkyl Sodium Sulfonates (LAS) — these are used as water softeners which disrupts the pH levels of water. They are often used as spermicide in other industries, unleash reproductive toxins into the environment and degrade very slowly.
4. Acetaldehyde & Benzene — don’t be fooled by the big names! These two chemicals help make our regular laundry detergent smell so great, but they also contribute to air pollution.
5. Sodium Laureth Sulfate — this is a foaming agent that is a known carcinogen that causes cancer in lab animals. Some agencies claim it is safe in small amounts, but considering how often we wash and wear our clothes those small amounts will add up quickly.
Are laundry detergents regulated in any way?
Unfortunately there is no regulation on the use of these chemicals in our laundry detergent.
However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grew wise to the dangers that traditional detergents represent. As of the early 2000s, the EPA gives a “Safer Choice” Label to laundry detergents that are considered safer for the environment. This helps out a bit, but it’s by no means a solution to make chemical laundry detergents totally eco-friendly.
Is the fragrance or perfumes used in laundry detergent bad for you?
The chemicals they use for fragrances can be bad for our health. Studies have shown that they can induce asthmatic reactions, headaches, nausea and skin allergies in people.
The use of perfumes in detergent is not regulated in the United States, and many companies hide the harmful substances under the label of artificial fragrance. Therefore it is up to us to be smart consumers, and know what it is we are bringing into our homes and onto our families skin.
What should I look for in a natural and eco-friendly laundry detergent?
When choosing an eco-friendly laundry detergent, look for these three items:
- Plant-based ingredients.
- Compostable or recyclable packaging.
- Transparency in the ingredient list. If the company doesn’t provide information about the ingredients they use in their detergent mixture they are probably hiding something.
What ingredients should I avoid in laundry detergents?
Here are the top five things to watch out for when shopping:
- Parabens
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Perfumes
- Triclosan
- Propylene Glycol
What type of laundry detergents should I use?
Plant-based laundry detergents with no synthetic chemicals are considered the best green laundry detergents for your health and the environment.
We also recommend to avoid laundry detergents that were tested on animals.
Which natural and eco-friendly laundry detergent brands do you recommend?
The top recommended eco-friendly brands include:
- Earth Friendly Products
- ECOS Liquid Laundry Detergent
- GreenShield Organic Laundry Detergent
- Eco-Me Liquid Laundry Detergent
- Zum Clean Laundry Soap
- Molly Suds
- Meliora K.
Click the images below for our top picks!
Here are a few more picks:
Other resources
Want more in depth advice on eco-friendly and health conscious products? Visit our post about deodorant!
- https://organicdailypost.com/choose-best-natural-cleaning-products/
- https://www.happy-mothering.com/05/beauty/natural-soap-ingredients/
- http://www.healthywomen.org/content/blog-entry/whats-hiding-your-soap-four-toxic-ingredients-avoid
- https://www.oldmanmurrays.com/blog/dangers-of-synthetic-fragrances
- http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/documents/Laundry%20Detergents%20technical%20report.pdf
Health concerns of fragrances
- Kumar P, Caradonna-Graham VM, Gupta S, Cai X, Rao PN, Thompson J (November 1995). “Inhalation challenge effects of perfume scent strips in patients with asthma”. Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol. 75 (5): 429–33. PMID 7583865.
- Frosch PJ, Rastogi SC, Pirker C, et al. (April 2005). “Patch testing with a new fragrance mix – reactivity to the individual constituents and chemical detection in relevant cosmetic products”. Contact Derm. 52 (4): 216–25. doi:10.1111/j.0105-1873.2005.00563.x. PMID 15859994.
- Deborah Gushman. “The Nose Knows”. www.hanahou.com. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
- Apostolidis S, Chandra T, Demirhan I, Cinatl J, Doerr HW, Chandra A (2002). “Evaluation of carcinogenic potential of two nitro-musk derivatives, musk xylene and musk tibetene in a host-mediated in vivo/in vitro assay system”. Anticancer Res. 22 (5): 2657–62. PMID 12529978.
- Schmeiser HH, Gminski R, Mersch-Sundermann V (May 2001). “Evaluation of health risks caused by musk ketone”. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 203 (4): 293–9. doi:10.1078/1438-4639-00047. PMID 11434209.
- Steinemann, A. C., Gallagher, L. G., Davis, A. L., & MacGregor, I. C. (2013). Chemical emissions from residential dryer vents during use of fragranced laundry products. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 6(1), 151-156.