Say Goodbye to Harsh Chemicals: The Future of Laundry Detergent Is Eco-Friendly

Everyone has to wash their clothes one way or another. The most common method is using a washer and dryer, which typically employ detergent from major brands like Tide and Gain as the cleaning agent. However, these have deceptively notable impacts on the environment and biodiversity. Instead, you could choose an eco-friendly laundry detergent to make your clothing happier and healthier. Discover how this switch could help the planet recover from pollution.

Why Isn’t Normal Laundry Detergent Eco-Friendly?

Throwing a pod or pouring a liquid into a machine feels harmless enough. When you pull your clothes out of the wash, nothing is left behind to show that it has a negative impact. In reality, chemical-laden detergents leave these marks on the planet.

Damage to Aquatic Ecosystems

The machine’s water, now polluted with ingredients like phosphates and surfactants, drains somewhere after the cycle ends. These pollutants enter waterways in your local environment as they travel through pipes and into rivers or lakes. They cause eutrophication and hurt organisms, ruining their immune systems and exposing them to disease.

Contributions to Air Pollution

A detergent’s chemicals also enter the air. They compromise indoor and outdoor air quality. Research shows 22% of cleaning products contain ingredients that could trigger asthma. Other products can include hard-to-detect contaminants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can lead to other health side effects, including headaches.

Adding to Landfills

Most detergent packaging ultimately ends up in landfills. They are mostly plastic, but many opaque-colored containers are not fully recyclable due to colorants that affect the recycling process. Consider this alongside the fact that a significant amount of plastic is not repurposed, and much of it contributes to the ever-growing plastic waste problem.

Reliance on Petroleum

The ingredients and packaging of laundry detergent do not naturally break down or biodegrade. This is because they contain a lot of fossil fuel-based ingredients. As they sit in waterways or soils, these materials seep into other habitats, increasing their toxicity, ruining their pH balance, and leaching contaminants into wildlife.

How to Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent

Many reviewers have pitted brands against each other, like the famously accessible ECOS or Seventh Generation. Numerous so-called sustainable brands are on the shelves of the largest box retailers.

However, many eco-conscious shoppers are also aware of the extent of greenwashing associated with some of these products. It can be overwhelming to conduct extensive research before visiting Target when all you want to do is find something that will keep your clothes clean without harming the planet. 

Instead, you could make your own detergent that works just as effectively, using ingredients you likely have on hand. Here is what you need to make a nearly zero-waste, eco-friendly laundry detergent, according to the David Suzuki Foundation: 

• 1 cup of baking soda
• ⅓ cup of coarse salt
• 1 cup of liquid castile soap
• 7 liters of hot water

Simply mix all the ingredients together and pour the liquid into your machine. You can also add a few drops of an essential oil to add some fragrance. 

What Are Other Eco-Friendly Ways to Do Laundry?

Switching to a greener detergent alternative is one of the best ways to make a significant positive impact on your clothes-cleaning routine. If you want to level up your washing, here are a few other ways to reduce your carbon footprint on laundry day.

Wash in Cold Water

Heating water for washing machines consumes a considerable amount of electricity. Telling your equipment ot pull less energy can save you money and the planet more resources. You may occasionally need to use warmer water to clean the machine itself, but using cold water by default will significantly reduce consumption.

Air-Dry as Much as Possible

Hang a drying line or use a small, foldable drying rack to air dry some of your clothes. You don’t have to do all of it this way if time is a constraint or if temperatures are too cold to make this not viable. Live your eco-friendly life in a way that suits your needs and abilities, but even hanging some of your laundry to dry will use fewer resources than an energy-intensive dryer.

Only Wash Full Loads

Doing tons of tiny loads wastes an unnecessary amount of water, and it uses more detergent. Sometimes, you may justify it because you want to wash a specific outfit or blanket, but have nothing else to wash. If you’re in this situation, pick something else, or wash things in your home that don’t get as much attention to fill out the load, such as:

• Window curtains
• Throw blankets and pillows
• Table settings and runners
• Pet beds and clothes
• Washable shower liners and curtains

Wash Fabrics Smartly

Many fabric types should not go in the washer anyway because they are made from a blend of synthetics that actually produce more contaminants. Materials like polyester should be worn sparingly or not at all anyway. If you need to wash these fabrics, try spot cleaning, hand washing in small amounts of water — and disposing of the water in a safe manner — or taking them to a dry cleaner.

Try Another Spin Cycle

It may seem like it uses more energy, but you can add another short spin cycle to the washing machine to reduce the time in the dryer, which uses more resources.

Wear Clothes Multiple Times

Save for undergarments, some clothes may not need to be washed after every wear. If you wear a pair of jeans for a few hours to run errands or a shirt to a restaurant for a little while, you have likely not soiled these garments enough to warrant immediate washing. Save some water and detergent by storing them in a location where you can easily access lightly worn clothes when you need to throw something on. Many people use their bedroom chair or a small shelf.

Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent Tips and Tricks

Your laundry routine is one of the most effective and accessible ways to make your home and life a little bit more sustainable. A green life can take many forms, and it takes years to perfect, but cutting out chemical-laden detergents is a simple switch. Making this small change and letting others know about its impact can help save your air, water, and wildlife from contaminants.