How to Choose the Best Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent

Posted by Patricia Spencer on March 06, 2023

When it comes to the products we use to wash our clothes, we tend to overlook the impact that they have on the environment. But, when considering the number of harsh, artificial chemicals in most commercial laundry detergents, and how many Americans do loads of laundry every day, it’s easy to see how there could be some serious cumulative effects that impact on our planet.

Reality Check: Most of the products we use around the home are not eco-friendly. But, the good news is, an influx of manufacturers are emerging onto the laundry scene with environmentally friendly solutions, and that includes laundry detergents and other laundry products that are designed to be just as effective, without causing environmental harm.

Here's the 411: If you don’t have a basic understanding of what goes into producing a truly eco-friendly product, you may not know how to choose the best detergent that’s available.

Things You Should Look for When Buying Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent

Maybe you’ve noticed that lately, when you’ve gone shopping for household products, you’ve seen all of the buzzwords on full display: “green”, “organic”, “all-natural”, “environmentally friendly”, and so on. We’d love to believe that every company using these labels has the best intentions in mind, and is being fully honest with us. But, the reality is that this just isn’t the case. Companies can slap on these labels despite failing to deliver in the end.

Best way to know whether or not you’re truly looking at an eco-friendly formula is to simply read the ingredients. Companies can get away with putting all kinds of buzzwords on their label, but they’re legally required to be honest about their ingredients. And, this is where you will be able to recognize, without a doubt, the nature of the detergent.

Still, to make matters more confusing, companies are not required to list every ingredient on the label itself, so you may have to look at the website of the brand to get the complete breakdown.

The key is understanding which ingredients to avoid. With that said, here’s a list of ingredients commonly found in commercial laundry detergents that have been proven to be harmful to the environment.

Phosphates: Found in all kinds of household products, including food items, phosphates serve the purpose of helping the cleaning agent in a product spread itself evenly to fully coat the item that it’s cleaning. Laundry detergents often use synthetic phosphates, which can lead to a high buildup of phosphorous in lakes and streams. Algae consume these phosphates, and in turn, they release toxins into the water.
Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs): Nonylphenol ethoxylates are a type of surfactant, meaning that they help decrease surface tension so that water and detergent can better permeate materials. These ingredients are highly toxic to aquatic life, which can have serious consequences to our ecosystem.
Petroleum Derivatives: Petroleum is ultimately toxic to most forms of life. Besides that, the production of petroleum, through extraction, is considered to be a major contributing factor to climate change.

Also, remember, the packaging is just as important. Plastic materials are not eco-friendly, and there are companies that use environmentally friendly and biodegradable alternatives.

Luckily, there’s a better way to know right off the bat what you’re getting. It’s looking for the EPA Safer Choice logo on the product’s label. This means that the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States has determined that the product is environmentally friendly, based on their very strict standards.

Note: A company applying for this logo is voluntary, so some companies that make eco-friendly laundry detergents may not actually have one on their product.

What is the Best Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent?

At Grab Green Home, our life’s mission is to provide eco-friendly solutions to just about every household need. We offer a large selection of laundry products, including a variety of detergents, all of which are certified eco-friendly. We’re transparent about our ingredients, and even go further to use almost exclusively natural ingredients proven to be safe for the environment.

If you’re looking to switch over to eco-friendly laundry detergent, explore our top-selling detergent products, including:

As you check out these products above, you’ll be able to learn all about how much work we put into making our environmentally friendly products. We don’t just talk the talk, but we walk the walk by making sure that every single step of the manufacturing process complies with environmental standards.

Why the Ingredients Matter

If you’ve never considered the impact that your laundry routine has had on the environment before, it may be time to consider switching over to eco-friendly products. Every load of laundry that we do makes its way into our sewage treatment plants before ending up in the environment. But, because of poor water infrastructure, a good portion of that water actually ends up in the environment before getting treated.

Now, this wouldn’t matter so much if not for the fact that the average American does hundreds of loads of laundry each year. When added up, you can understand why environmentally damaging chemicals in commercial laundry products can really damage our soil and water sources.

Feel the Difference with Grab Green Home!

Grab Green Home has your eco-friendly laundry needs covered! All of our products are environmentally friendly, while boasting natural ingredients without chemical dyes or artificial fragrances. They’re also gentle and free of common allergens, all while being extremely effective, with tested formulas proven to keep your clothing and other areas of your household as clean and fresh-smelling as possible.

Given the impact that our laundry has on the environment, it’s time to switch to eco-friendly solutions. Explore our eco-friendly laundry products today, and just know that you’re making a positive difference.

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