How to Green Your Laundry
Laundry is an area that can be full of unknown toxins and chemicals. Here's how to green your laundry routine so that you can keep your family AND the environment safe and healthy.
A Note on Laundry Strips/Pods
For awhile, I was all over the laundry strips trend - so little waste and so easy to use! But then…I found out that virtually every laundry strip contains polyvinyl alcohol, a plastic known as PVA or PVOH. This includes cleaning pods or tablets that are encased in dissolvable plastic pouches. So that means all these eco-friendly touting companies like Tru Earth claim their products are plastic-free even though they contain plastic that dissolves and ends up in waterways. This can actually be even MORE harmful to marine life than purchasing liquid detergent in a plastic bottle. So ultimately, I refill my existing plastic bottles with liquid detergent, or I use laundry powder.
Powder Laundry Detergent
I never used powder laundry detergent until I came across a former Edmonton maker, Plantiful Apothecary who made soap bars and used the scraps in her laundry powder. (Unfortunately she no longer does this!) Laundry powder makes a lot of sense though, because you’re not paying to ship things in plastic containers full of water as an ingredient. I’ll refill on laundry powder at Re:Plenish, my favourite local refillery. They carry their own branded laundry powder made from simple and clean ingredients.
In the US, Meliora laundry powder comes highly recommended by The Reduce Report.
Liquid Laundry Detergent
Not all liquid laundry detergents are created equal, so be careful about reading the ingredients when you're trying to go for a greener option. If I’m purchasing a new bottle, I like to use Young Living's Thieves laundry soap. A little bit of this liquid detergent goes a long way, because it comes super concentrated! When I'm in a bind and have a nasty stain to get out, I'll put some of this detergent directly on the stain before throwing it in the washer, and 9 times out of 10 it is gone when it comes out.
When I’m at Re:Plenish, I’ll fill up on liquid detergent if powder detergent isn’t available. They carry brands like The Unscented Co and Pure Organics. You can get big refill boxes of The Unscented Co online as well.
Soap Nuts
I had the opportunity to try Soap Nuts through a samples program. "These all-natural soap berries are fragrance-free, eco-friendly, quality-tested and strong on stains and odour while still being gentle on fabrics."
Soap Nuts are a perfect green and healthy choice for doing laundry. Eco-friendly, biodegradable, natural, hypoallergenic, economical - how can you go wrong?? The only question is - do they work as well as regular liquid or powder laundry detergent?
My answer is yes! Our clothes came out just as clean and fresh as when I use my liquid natural soapberry detergent. The only downside to using the soap nuts is that you need 1 extra little minute to soak the nuts in warm water before you throw them in the washing machine. Time well spent to save some money, the environment, and your health! There are several soap nut brands out there - I really liked the ones I got from Green Virgin Products. Other brands include Ecoideas and Ecozone.
Laundry Tabs
Here I’m talking about powder-based products that are compressed and free of PVA/PVOH. These are often pricier than straight powder but the convenience factor would be why people like them. Blueland in the US was a huge advocate for bringing awareness to the PVA/PVOH issue in laundry strips, so I feel safe using their products.
Stain Remover
I was excited to discover a stain remover bar that worked wonders when my daughter was still an infant and had to deal with poonami stains. Buncha Farmers Stain Remover is a soap bar that you wet and rub into stains. I find that it helps to let it soak for a bit before throwing it into the wash. The bar lasts for a long time so it's definitely worth the few dollars it costs!
When I bought my tub of Pink Solution at Costco, it also came with a Laundry Bar. It contains borax and I find it to be equally effective at fighting stains when I wet it with warm water, rub it into stains and let it soak before putting it in the washing machine. You can get it at Costco, and from the Pink Solution website.
Oxygen Brightener is powder product I started using when it was introduced at RE:Plenish. I love that is made from simple ingredients and I can bring my little jar to fill up whenever I visit.
Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets
I have never used fabric softeners because I was also worried about the chemicals and unnecessary fragrances. (If you don't already know about the dangers of fabric softeners and conventional dryer sheets, it's pretty bad. Like toxin-carcinogen bad.) I often use just laundry detergent by itself, but if I feel like I need to use something, I’ll use good old fashioned white vinegar. The vinegar smell does not linger after the clothes are dry, so don't worry about that! It is very economical, and I find that it does add some softness to our laundry. If you really want a fabric softener, there are tons of DIY fabric softeners out there with essential oils.
Conventional dryer sheets - definitely do not use them! Apart from the fabric softener side of dryer sheets, the other function is to reduce static. I read about how simply putting a safety pin on a bit of fabric or even onto a wool dryer ball can help to reduce the static. I sewed 2 little dryer sheets out of scrap cotton that I put several safety pins in - seriously - no static! I use wool dryer balls as well, which I find really reduce drying time. If you want your clothes to smell nice coming out of the dryer, just add a drop or 2 of an essential oil of your choice (Citrus Fresh, Lemon, and Lavender are some of my favourites) directly onto a wool ball and throw it in! Again there are lots of wool dryer ball brands out there: Moss Creek Wool Works, Smart Sheep, and Ecoigy are just a few options. My only word of caution with dryer balls is to buy ones that look smooth on the surface, not ones that look more like a ball of yarn - the ball of yarn ones haven't been felted and I find that little strands of wool get into my clothes.
UPDATE: I've had a lot of questions about how to combat static. Safety pins aren't the only thing that helps. I've found that it's the combination of safety pins, and a few other things. Taking out synthetic fabrics is a key factor - I make sure to hang those. Actually I hang most of my clothes to dry to reduce using a dryer - so socks and underwear are really the only things I put in the dryer. Overdrying also contributes to static, so don't run the dryer longer than needed - take your clothes out right when they're dry.
I hope some of these natural laundry tips are helpful! What are some of your go-tos for non-toxic laundry?
(Disclosure: I received a sample of Earths Berries Soap Nuts through ethical Deal's samples program. I purchased the other products on my own. No compensation was received for this post and the opinions expressed are purely my own. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Amazon.com.ca, Inc. Associates Program, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com & amazon.ca. This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase products via these links, a small percentage of the sale will be given to me at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting juicygreenmom.ca!)