Many people have become sceptical of environmentally friendly versions of products, and it’s no surprise. For years now, manufacturers have flooded the market with “green” products that are either not very good, or not even eco-friendly, which spawned the term, “greenwash”.
Which? tests on two leading “environmentally friendly” laundry detergents resulted in the following disappointing conclusion –
“Unfortunately, they can’t compete with the big brands for cleaning results. Although both are worth considering for lightly soiled loads.”
I can’t say I’m surprised. If you are really keen to use more environmentally friendly detergents then I think it might be a good idea to buy both eco, and standard detergent rather than just swap to only eco-friendly.
It makes sense to use one of the best brands of normal detergent, which is excellent for tough stains and dirty laundry, but also use one of the better quality green detergents for lightly soiled laundry. That way, you are still doing something to help the environment, but without paying the price in unsatisfactory wash results.
Remember, having to wash something twice, because it didn’t get cleaned properly in the first place is not helping the environment.
Which is the best eco “green” detergent?
This is likely to change constantly. So the best thing you can do is to research at Which? who constantly test these detergents and publish the results. Related topics regularly covered include — laundry detergent FAQs, Best Buys (Full test results), biological versus normal detergent, Eco laundry detergents, Dishwasher tablets, 10 products you DON’T need. Choose your Which? package now
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it is rubbish
I’ve used ‘green’ detergents for years and do not see a difference…
Of course it all depends on how you set your standards, but my laundry always comes out clean and fresh.
When clothing is stained I do use stain treatments before washing normally, but then you should do that with ‘non-green’ detergents as well.
What makes “green” detergents different is that they use natural ingredients instead of chemical ones. Because of that, they are hardly a burden to the environment. Imagine using up a packet of detergent only to find out that the suds you emitted were loaded with chemicals that will make the plants in your garden whither. The use of natural cleaning solutions is advisable. If your clothes have stains, citrus solutions like lemon juice can work big time. You just have to make the right choices.
Try Eco-Smart Simply Sensitive (non-bio) – highly recommended by Good Housekeeping magazine (winner 2008 consumer awards) as it gives excellent results at a good price. Available from Waitrose, The Co-op or on-line. Approx £2.99 for 30 tabs or 15 washes (or cheaper if you buy in bulk direct from Eco-Smart). It’s the best ecological wash powder I’ve tried and I’m a self-employed gardener so have particularly grubby work clothes. On the downside there is a slime/mould build up despite a weekly white wash at 60 degrees.