Image courtesy of Mantas Ruzveltas/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I shocked myself this week when I discovered that my homemade laundry detergent I had thought was oh so safe wasn’t safe at all. I also was pretty surprised to find that eighty percent of laundry products are considered dangerous. That’s ridiculous.
But just like my laundry detergent contains hazardous ingredients, yours probably has too. It’s time to find out.
This week’s Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to check how your laundry detergent stacks up, safety-wise. This isn’t a time to be afraid of what you might find – just face the music. The sooner you know how safe – or unsafe – your products might be, the sooner you can make healthier choices.
Are you with me? Head on over to the Environmental Working Group’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning. Check out the products you own and use. (Remember … if only twenty percent of products are rated OK, chances are you’re using some sort of product of concern.)
Find your products? Good. Dealing with the results? Good. Now find safe products you can add to your shopping list. And go throw in a load of laundry!
Talk back
Talk to me … please! I would love to know what you’ve found with this challenge. How were your products? What did you decide to do? Please comment below or share your experience on Facebook.
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Today I’m linking up with:
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Wow – surprising indeed. I was using Honest, which advertises as an eco-friendly and hypoallergenic detergent, but on EWG it scored a C – as a teacher, this is not exactly a grade I’m striving for. Better than a D or F, but not good for one advertising as eco-friendly. So, I’m going through the list of A scoring detergents (and there are a lot of economical choices, which is nice) and am going to choose one of those! We do a lot of laundry, so it is a place where I feel like I can make a difference. Thanks for the info!
I found Seventh Generation powder in a good scent and it scored an A on Amazon with a subscribe and save option. Looking forward to seeing how it works! Thanks again!
Yikes! I have been using Kirkland Signature laundry (and hand dishwashing) detergent that’s supposed to be plant-based and eco-friendly. Its scores are very poor!
I’ve had good results in the past from Seventh Generation laundry powder, Ecover, and Earth Friendly Products, all of which score pretty well. I think I’ll be seeking coupons and sales on those instead of buying the cheap Costco stuff.
Thanks for publicizing this very useful database!
Oh my gosh! I typed in all the products I’ve been buying because I thought they were safe alternatives. Everything except my Dr. Bronners, washing sods, baking soda and vinegar got C or below!
So enlightening, thank you!
Hilary, have you ever checked out the website http://www.goodguide.com?
It has similar information like the EWG’s website. What’s confusing is the difference in ratings I find between the two sights. I switched all of my products (except my homemade cleaning products) such as laundry detergent, hand soap, dish washing detergent to Method years ago because they score an 8-10 (out of 10) on Good Guide’s scale. EWG rates Method pretty low.
I wanted to get your thoughts on this. I love these informative websites as I try to keep my home as non-toxic as possible; however, I find it confusing that there can be such a difference between the 2 sites.