Dirt, wine, or food stains on the clothes – no problem…or is it? Our green couple, John & Jennifer Burkhart, put eco-friendly detergents to the test this month. See which one gets washing machine rights.
Earth Friendly Products | 2x Ultra ECOS Magnolia & Lily
Cruelty-free, phosphate- & petro
ecos.com/ecosliquid.html
She Said: “It was love at first ‘sniff’! Magnolia & Lily is a heavenly scent – but sadly, it disappeared after washing. Tough stains, like our testers of ketchup, grass, and mud, would need pre-treating, as they were faded but still very noticeable. Still, with only five ingredients, effectiveness in cold water, and 26 cents per load, this one is the best eco-bang for your buck.
★★★
He Said: I thought the name Earth Friendly was pretty lofty until I read the plethora of ecological claims on the back of the bottle. It does a good job cleaning clothes but it’s not the manliest detergent. If I told the guys at work my favorite laundry soap is made from coconuts and smells like magnolia and lily flowers, they would tease me endlessly. Oh wait, I just did. Doh!
★★★★
Green Shield Organic | Lavender
Cruelty-free, phosphate- and petrochemical-free, USDA Organic
greenologyproducts.com/laundrylavender_60.shtml
She Said: USDA Organic laundry soap? Yeppers! The ingredients are all recognizable, and essentially edible, but please don’t drink it! The lavender scent was great, but faded after washing. Unfortunately, it didn’t get out the smell I really wanted ─ the sweat-funk on my hubby’s work shirts. It was also one of the weakest at stain removal.
★★★
He Said: I was hoping Green Shield meant it would protect against all of my common stains, but unfortunately it did a mediocre job at removing them, at best. Bonus green points for being “made with the utmost concern for people, pets and our precious planet.
★★★
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day | Baby Blossom
Cruelty-free, phosphate- free, 97% naturally derived, biodegradable
mrsmeyers.com/products/laundry/baby_blossom_laundry_detergent_-_64_loads
She Said: It smelled of buttery sunshine and rainbows you’d wanna frolic in. Mrs. Meyer’s knows clean, because her soap did a great job of nearly eliminating all the stains. However, the brand included Sodium Laureth Sulfate & Propylene Glycol, among others, that have suspected health concerns like skin irritation, allergies, and cancer….Yikes! I’d do more research before choosing this one.
★★
He Said: Mrs. Meyers had me very conflicted. The dad in me said it was a good detergent ─ it’s effective and gentle on clothes; it smells great and it’s inexpensive (27 cents per load). A penny saved is a penny earned! But the hippie in me said not to buy it again because the ingredients listed are riddled with gnarly chemicals, dude. Dad or hippie ─ who should I listen to?
★★★
Ecover | Ultra
Cruelty-free, phosphate- free, 97% naturally derived, biodegradable
ecover.com/US/EN/
She Said: Oddly, but thankfully, this soap transformed from a slight lemon Pine Sol aroma to a light, fresh cotton scent on our clothes. The smell was not even close to what it purports to be ─ the label reads: “Plant-based fragrance: lavender.” Regardless, Ecover did one of the best jobs on our tough stains, especially mud. I love that it uses all plant-based ingredients and is cloth diaper safe.
★★★★
He Said: Let me break down the Ecover name for you. Eco stands for ecological, not economical, and Ver stands for…uh…ver. I like the low ecological impact and high biodegradability, and it did an excellent job at removing stains – but at 35 cents per wash load, it was the least economical.
★★★
Planet | Ultra Liquid
Cruelty-free, phosphate-free, biodegradable, hypo-allergenic
She Said: Is that a margarita I smell or is there a hint of lime in this detergent? This soap left a clean smell and noticeably softer clothes. It did an average job at removing mud, but did better with the ketchup and grass. I didn’t like the Sodium Laureth ingredient listed, but it gets bonus points for being cloth diaper safe!
★★
He Said: “By your powers combined!” Sorry, my nerdy-ness has forced me to make a “Captain Planet” reference here. Planet did a great job removing grass, ketchup, and mud stains. However, a couple ingredients are potentially skin-irritating, and this laundry soap doesn’t come with five magic rings and a super hero. :(
★★★
