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Your weekly laundry routine is an important thing to consider if you aim to live an eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle. Like most modern conveniences, machine-washing your clothes comes with a high material and energy cost. Choosing a more energy-efficient washing machine is one way that you can help minimize the water and energy consumed by your laundry routine. Your choice of laundry detergent matters, as well. Choosing eco-friendly and natural laundry detergents can help you reduce your environmental footprint. That is why we have put together this guide to help explain why your laundry detergent choice matters and help you choose the best organic laundry detergent that you can feel good about using.

Why You Should Choose Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent

Several aspects of laundry detergent can have an environmental impact. When picking the best organic laundry detergent you need to pay attention to the detergent’s ingredients and packaging. Once all the detergent is used, it is common to discard the detergent’s container. Consequently, you should look for detergent packaged in a biodegradable container to lessen the amount of stuff accumulated in the landfill. The ingredients in the detergent end up washed down the drain of your washing machine and can end up in groundwater. As a result, any toxic or harmful chemicals in your detergent can result in water pollution and ecological harm. Unfortunately, many conventional laundry detergents contain compounds that are toxic to both humans and wildlife and can also harm vegetation.

Ingredients You Should Avoid

1. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate-These surfactants are common main ingredients in laundry detergent. It commonly causes skin irritation and is toxic to vegetation.
2. Chlorine Bleach- Chlorine bleach is incredibly toxic to humans, marine wildlife, and vegetation.
3. Dioxane- This carcinogen targets several organs in the human body and should be avoided at all costs.
4. Artificial Fragrances- Listing “fragrance” as an ingredient is a common tactic that allows companies to put virtually anything into their product without specifying it to you. Artificial fragrances don’t improve the detergent’s cleaning ability and can include carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.
5. Phosphates- Phosphates are a common ingredient in laundry detergent. When phosphates build up in natural bodies of water it causes a process called eutrophication that kills marine wildlife.

4 Best Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergents You Can Trust

• Dropps Stain and Odor Laundry Detergent Pods, Clean and Crisp– These detergent pods eliminate the need to measure your detergent before using. The pods come in recyclable and compostable cardboard packaging. This detergent is made from plant-based ingredients and is free of artificial fragrance, dyes, phosphates, phthalates, and parabens.
• Pur Home Laundry Detergent– This laundry detergent is scented with essential oils. It comes in a recyclable plastic container. It is both non-toxic and bio-degradable and Leaping Bunny certified. This means that it was made without animal-testing and is 100% cruelty-free.
• Tru Earth Laundry Detergent Strips– This laundry detergent comes in a convenient form that eliminates the messiness and waste associated with liquid detergent. In addition, it is hypoallergenic and free of toxic chemicals. Despite being very gentle on your skin, its heavy-duty formula will thoroughly clean your clothes no matter how dirty they are.
• Molly’s Suds Laundry Detergent Pods- These laundry detergent pods contain only non-toxic and natural ingredients such as sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and organic peppermint oil. The pods come packaged in biodegradable and plastic-free packaging. In addition to the standard laundry detergent pods, this brand also sells a natural laundry detergent tailor-made for washing athletic wear and industrial uniforms.

Your Laundry Routine

In addition to choosing one of the best eco-friendly laundry detergents listed above, there are several steps you can implement to make your laundry routine more eco-friendly and sustainable. To reduce your energy and water usage you should strive to limit the number of loads of laundry you wash to whatever extent is possible. When buying a new laundry machine, you want to make sure you are buying an energy-efficient one. Line-dry your clothes as much as possible. By implementing these steps and using an eco-friendly laundry detergent you can reduce your ecological footprint and help make the world safer for future generations.

Have you tried one of these eco-friendly laundry detergents? Get in touch with us or let us know if they got the job done by leaving a comment down below.