Protect the earth by choosing sustainable laundry options

Whether your motive is saving the planet or improving your family’s overall health, eco-friendly laundry detergent can be a great first step.

But it can be tough to sort through all the marketing gimmicks, such as products labeled as “natural” or “eco-friendly.” Add to that the worry of whether the product will even work. And, since eco-friendly products are often more expensive then their synthetic counterparts, if you purchase something that doesn’t do what it claims, it can be a huge disappointment and waste of money.

Another concern when shopping for eco-friendly detergents: if you live in a suburban or rural area, you’re probably aware of the difficulty in even finding these types of products. What good is eco-friendly if you’ll waste 30 minutes of time and gas just to purchase it?

As with other good intentions, there are so many variables that come into play, which is why sometimes our goals never come to fruition. But these what-ifs don’t have to become roadblocks- you just need to know where to start! Here’s our top tips when shopping for eco-friendly laundry detergent.

Keep it Simple

An easy, foolproof way to ensure that you always have eco-friendly detergent on hand is to purchase it online, through a subscription service. Starting at around $16 for a 4-month plan, services such as Dropps deliver eco-friendly pods right to your door. And pods are a great way to reduce plastic laundry bottles cluttering up the landfill, as the detergent is enclosed in small, one-time use pouches that are biodegradable.

Going the subscription service route has several advantages. First, you never have to worry about making a special trip to find eco-friendly detergent. If you don’t live in a large metropolitan area, the home delivery option is something you’ll really want to consider.

Another advantage, you’ll never run out of detergent, since you’re on a subscription plan. Gone are the days of woefully throwing your final pod into the washer, when there’s still a pile of laundry left in the hamper. Just sign up once, and the company takes care of the rest.

Shop Online

If you live in a rural area but don’t want to commit yourself to a subscription service, you’ll want to check out Amazon or other websites for eco-friendly laundry detergents. If you’re a Amazon Prime member, the detergent will ship for free, without tying you down to a monthly subscription service (although many eco-friendly detergents on Amazon do offer a subscribe and save option).

A plus to purchasing your detergent online- you can usually read reviews of the products before you purchase them. A lot of eco-friendly detergents come from small, unknown manufacturers, which don’t have hundreds of years’ worth of reputation as, say, Clorox.

Not only does this clarify exactly what you are buying (pods, powder, laundry balls, etc.) but you won’t end up purchasing a detergent that is ineffective. Online reviewers have no qualms about calling out products which perform poorly. So, you’ll have the assurance that, yes, that strange looking bucket of soap nuts will in fact clean grass stains from your son’s football jersey.

DIY It

If you still feel iffy about purchasing eco-friendly detergent or you just don’t want to spend the money, consider making it yourself. The easiest recipe to follow is by mixing one box of washing soda (not to be confused with baking soda) with one box of Borax. Then, take a soft, gentle soap such as Ivory and grate it into your Borax/washing powder mixture, and store in a plastic container.

The great thing about making it yourself is, not only is it cheaper, but it’s very convenient. All ingredients can be found at any drugstore or local grocery, even if you live in a small town. Plus, since your plastic container can be reused with each batch of detergent, this eliminates packaging waste and saves money. And, since you’ve made it yourself, you know exactly what ingredients you’re using to wash your family’s clothing.

Overall

We hope these tips have been useful in sourcing and purchasing eco-friendly laundry detergent. The best way to go about realizing your desire to be green and healthy is to simply make a plan of action and go for it. Always have reasonable expectations and consider what works best for your family and budget, and you’ll be able to translate your goal into reality.

Resources— Dropps, Instructables 

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