Green Laundry Detergents

Biodegradable and non-toxic laundry soaps

The Green Guide website provides an excellent examination of the environmental impact of many laundry detergents. Perhaps the most surprising find is that most regular detergents are made with petroleum. They also contain other ingredients that can be harmful to the environment when dispersed into the water supply. Linear alkylate sulfonate, alkylphenol ethoxylates and the bleaching ingredient sodium perborate are three ingredients that are harmful to aquatic life, but you probably won't find them listed in the ingredients on the label. Detergent manufacturers are not required by law to list all ingredients, so most don't. According to Consumer Reports, many of these ingredients are characterized as nonylphenol ethoxylates, also known as NPEs, and have been proven to be harmful to marine life by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Interestingly, you don't really need to look for a eco-friendly laundry detergent to avoid NPEs. According to Consumer Reports, many standard laundry detergents no longer contain these ingredients. The organization's chemical analysis of detergents demonstrates that almost no major-brand detergents -- including those from Tide, Cheer, All, Gain and Purex -- contain NPEs. However, they may contain other controversial ingredients, including petroleum. Because detergent manufacturers aren't required to list ingredients, advocates at The Green Guide suggest using warning labels as a guide: "If laundry product labels don't list specific ingredients, you can learn something about a product's hazards by a signal word, such as 'Danger,' 'Warning' or 'Caution,' which appears on every label and provides some indication of a product's toxicity."

Many detergents claim to be organic, natural or non-toxic, but The Green Guide notes that there are no standards regulating such language. Even the term "biodegradable" on its own isn't much help, because most agents will break down eventually. Most "green" laundry detergents use oil made from plants, such as corn, palm kernel and coconut. In addition, they avoid use of ingredients that can be harmful to aquatic life. Because standard laundry manufacturers don't have to list ingredients on packaging, you might consider a laundry detergent that voluntarily lists its formulation and advocates environmental responsibility. Many aren't any more expensive than Tide.

Seventh Generation laundry products are the most popular eco-friendly detergents, and a favorite with reviewers. Seventh Generation Free & Clear (*Est. 26 cents per load) liquid receives average scores in comparison tests, cleaning as well as many other standard detergents. It is very good at cleaning and keeping dye off, though just fair at keeping dirt off. In a test of six eco-friendly detergents by Sarah Van Schagen at Grist.org, Seventh Generation Free & Clear does the best job at removing stains made from ketchup, balsamic vinaigrette, blueberries, red wine and dirt. Van Schagen also appreciates that Seventh Generation Free & Clear is the only detergent in her test that lists all of its ingredients.

On Drugstore.com, Seventh Generation Free & Clear detergent is the best seller (to be fair, Drugstore.com does not carry many mainstream detergents). On Amazon.com, the powdered version of Seventh Generation detergent receives a very high average rating among nearly 40 reviews. Many reviewers appreciate the lack of fragrance and dye. One reviewer cautions that the powdered version of this detergent must be dissolved in the washing machine water before clothes are added to avoid residue stains, but this is recommended practice for all powdered laundry soaps. At the very least, Seventh Generation detergents appears to work about as well as detergents from Cheer, Gain or Tide, but cost more. Seventh Generation detergents are low-sudsing, so they can be used in regular or high-efficiency washers.

Bi-O-Kleen Premium Plus Laundry Powder (*Est. 18 cents per load) contains no known carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens or pollutants, including petroleum. It receives enthusiastic reviews on Amazon.com. Many reviewers reportedly first try it for the environmental benefits and then are impressed by its cleaning power. It can also be used in regular or HE machines. In Sarah Van Schagen's test, Bi-O-Kleen Free & Clear Laundry Liquid (*Est. 15 cents per load) does a good job against stains made by dirt, ketchup and balsamic vinaigrette, but it does not remove stains from blueberries and red wine.

In a test by Good Housekeeping of eco-friendly cleaners, Arm & Hammer Essentials 2X Concentrated (*Est. 15 cents per load), which uses plant-based ingredients, does the best job of the nine laundry detergents tested. It is "particularly effective at washing in cold water, with top scores for removing ink, mascara, wine, gravy and grape juice stains." However, in other professional comparison tests, Arm & Hammer liquid detergent doesn't stand out for cleaning ability, but it does cost less.

Another eco-friendly detergent made from plant-based ingredients is Ecover Ecological Laundry Wash (*Est. 49 cents per load). On Drugstore.com, scores from 15 reviewers average out to five out of five stars, although a few reviewers complain about cleaning ability. Many reviewers say this detergent works very well for people with sensitive skin. One reviewer notes that she uses less detergent than the bottle recommends, so the price per load could be reduced. We haven't seen Ecover compared to other detergents in formal performance tests.

Method HE (*Est. 26 cents per load) receives good owner reviews at the environmental website Green Home. Many of the nine reviewers comment that this detergent is safe for people with sensitive skin, and that it gets out stains, too.

The best deal might be Country Save HE Laundry Detergent Powder (*Est. 9 cents per HE load), which gets good reviews from users. Country Save lists all of its ingredients from the box; the powdered detergent is dye-free and phosphate-free with no perfume. Country Save's packaging is made of recycled cardboard; the plastic liner and scoop are also made of recycled and recyclable materials. We did find some isolated reports from users who thought that Country Save aggravated eczema, but we found far more compliments than complaints. Be aware that the liquid version of Country Save detergent is not fragrance-free.

Laundry detergent for sensitive skin

People with skin sensitivities can choose from a variety of laundry detergents intended to reduce irritation caused by dyes and perfumes in detergents. Choosing a fragrance-free product may be enough for those with mild sensitivities. Be aware that detergents for baby clothes may still contain fragrance. The Method baby laundry detergent (*Est. 40 cents per load), for example, has a scent that is too strong for many reviewers posting comments at Drugstore.com.

Almost all of the major brands offer a fragrance-free option. Tide 2X Ultra Concentrated has a formulation (*Est. 39 cents per load) that is made without dyes or perfumes. There's also Cheer Free & Gentle (*est. 20 cents per load), which receives a favorable, detailed user review on AssociatedContent.com. Country Save powder is fragrance-free.

All Small & Mighty Free Clear (*Est. 19 cents per load) is hypoallergenic and contains no dyes or fragrances. The All website states that the detergent will remove two common allergens, cat dander and dust mites. However, this attribute is not unique to All; according to scientific studies, these allergens can be removed by using any laundry detergent in hot water. At Grist.org, Sarah Van Schagen uses All Small & Mighty Free Clear as a control in her test of green laundry detergents. She finds that All Small & Mighty Free Clear does a fair job: it removes stains made by dirt and ketchup and improves a red wine stain, but it leaves stains from balsamic vinaigrette and blueberries. All Small & Mighty Free Clear was the only detergent Van Schagen tested that had virtually no fragrance.

A web search will uncover many lesser-known detergents that claim to minimize allergic reactions. Without any unbiased reviews or scientific data, it's hard to know which will work, however. Those with sensitivities may also want to read the section above on biodegradable and non-toxic laundry detergents, many of which include no fragrance or dyes in addition to using fewer polluting chemicals.

Laundry soap for special uses

Woolite is a brand promoted as a "mild detergent for fine washables." Woolite original detergent (*Est. $6.50 for 16 ounces) has been joined by formulas for all colors (*Est. $10 for 50 ounces), dark clothes (*Est. $10 for 50 ounces) and HE machines (*est. $10 for 50 ounces). In a short review of gentle detergents on RealSimple.com, Woolite is described as offering "fine results and a good value." These products can be used to wash clothes by hand or in your machine's gentle cycle. A Good Housekeeping study tests detergents for fine fabrics. It compares Ivory Snow (*Est. 37 cents per load), Woolite and All (*Est. 31 cents per load), along with a few other products that have since been discontinued. Silk, wool and polyester swatches stained with petroleum jelly, lipstick, make-up and perfume are hand washed. Ivory Snow, Woolite and All are the best at removing stains; Ivory Snow even removes the smell of the perfume. However, none of the detergents harm the fabrics.

Detergents specially formulated for dark clothing are usually more expensive than regular detergents. In testing, Cheer Dark Formula (*Est. 49 cents per load) does not maintain darkness better than regular detergents. Perwoll Black Magic Laundry Liquid Soap (*Est. $1.45 per load) receives four out of five stars based on about 20 customer reviews on Amazon.com. Reviewers conclude this detergent helps black clothing look blacker; some compare it favorably to Woolite Dark Laundry. Others don't like the smell, however, and it's very expensive.

Win High Performance Sport Detergent (*Est. 57 cents per load) is a detergent specially formulated for washing sports clothes. It receives very good reviews on Amazon.com and Drugstore.com. Many owners say they were ready to throw away some of their smelly running and biking clothes until they tried this detergent. Win is expensive, but might be worth a try if you have lots of sports clothing to wash.