Eco-friendly laundry: Best chemical-free detergents for your sustainable home
Willingly or not, but we are treating our skin and the environment with harmful chemicals. Only to wash stains off the clothes we are using detergents with harsh chemicals that are not only contaminating the water bodies but are causing allergic reactions to the skin as well.
If the toxic froth over the rivers concerns us then imagine if this anyhow returns to us in our glass of drinking water. This froth is not only the industrial waste but the chemicals we have been using in our homes all in the name of meeting our cleaning requirements.
The thing that concerns me the most is that majority of chemicals used in laundry detergents are not even revealed by the company. In India, no law mandates the companies to print the entire composition of a specific product.
With this concern, I was on a quest to find an eco-friendly laundry detergent. To figure out the same, I decided on three parameters to evaluate how green a specific product is. Those parameters are:
Composition: I ensured that all these companies labeling themselves as natural have printed the entire ingredients on the product label. Also, each ingredient should be natural and free from harsh chemicals like phosphates and surfactants.
Efficacy: Apart from the concern for nature, it should serve its purpose of removing the soils off from the clothes.
Packaging: A bio-degradable packaging? Definitely No. As detergents are available in liquid and powder form, it will be difficult to find an alternate for plastic containers for the liquid detergents. Anyhow my search was concerned with how sustainable the packing is- if the packaging is recyclable or reusable.
And to end the quest, here I’ve compiled a list of eco-friendly laundry detergents that are available in India.
Krya Natural Detergent Powder
- Made from soapnuts, herbs and being naturally fragrant this product needs to be on top for the recommendation.
- Available in powder form, the product comes in a recyclable box along with a cotton cloth. To pack the detergent recycled paper is used.
- Having an all-natural composition, the detergent is biodegradable and compostable. Hence no worries about letting wastewater seep into the ground.
- To use, you need to add the required quantity of detergent in potli/cotton cloth provided and dump it into your laundry load.
Though the package instructs to not to be used on whites or light colored clothes. But I personally didn’t find any issue by using it on lighter shades as well.
To give it a try Check the latest price on Amazon.
The Better Home Laundry Detergent
- Made from plant-based surfactants, bio-enzymes and added natural fragrances, this product is not only eco-friendly but light on your pocket too.
- For the packaging, you will get a plastic can but for subsequent orders, your product will be delivered in paper pouches.
- It is safe to use and being natural has no after disposal effects.
To give it a try Check the latest price on Amazon.
MamaEarth Liquid Laundry Detergent
- Derived from bio-enzymes, plant-based surfactants and anti-bacterial extracts; this product is safe for all kinds of clothing and stains.
- It’s been approved by dermatologists, is detergent safe & gentle for baby’s delicate skin.
- The after-wash water is non-toxic and can be easily disposed-off.
To give it a try Check the latest price on Amazon
Bubblenut Wash
- Key ingredients are Saponin(extracted from soapnuts) and Oil-based cleansers.
- Per the claims, it is hypoallergenic, eco-friendly and biodegradable. Can be used for people with sensitive skin and baby clothes as well.
- The after-wash wastewater can be used for gardening or simply flushed through the drainage.
To give it a try Check the latest price on Amazon.
Sacred Earth
- Another product made from soapnuts and coconut-based surfactants. It also has Aloe Vera which acts as a conditioner for your clothes.
- It is environment-friendly, contains no parabens or toxic chemicals. But this product is priced on a higher side.
- There are no worries about using its wastewater on plants or seeping into the soil.
To give it a try Check the latest price on Amazon.
Rustic Art Biodegradable Power Laundry
- Ingredients: Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Coconut, Neem and Lemon Peel Oil, Borax, Oxy Bleach, Sodium Silicate, Sodium Gluconate (Chelating Agent).
- It can save a lot on monthly water used for laundry as it requires less water to rinse.
- It’s handmade and solar power manufactured. The product comes in eco-friendly packaging too.
- For pure silk, woolen and other delicate fabric, use the bio-liquid laundry.
To give it a try Check the latest price on Amazon.
Mitti Se – Laundry Detergent
- Though I really liked the natural and bio-degradable packaging this product comes in, but the plastic zipper still concerned me.
- I could relate its composition to that of Rustic Art’s ingredient list, but what Mitti Se assured is that they don’t use Borax in their formulations. Borax is believed to be a natural product, but it’s still not recommended as safe to be used for children.
To give it a try Check the latest price on Amazon
Coco Custo
- Ingredients as listed: Saponified oils, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Natural Essential Oils and a proprietary blend of Non-GMO plant-based ingredients.
- The product is shipped plastic-free in a reusable tin. You can further buy the product which will be provided in paper packaging and you can use the old tin to store it.
- It is a vegan, biodegradable product, completely safe for aquatic life.
Pro Tip: As all these listed powder detergents have plant-based composition, it is better to soak them in warm water for 10-15min before using them as it activates all the herbs for better results.
There are other much-hyped products, since I couldn’t find the proper listing of the ingredients, I haven’t listed them here. You can try other products too and don’t forget to share your experiences.
Not to forget, few of these products are served in plastic packaging. Be a smart consumer; don’t dump plastic waste in your waste bin. Send it to recycling centers or if possible contact the company itself to get your old bottle refilled.
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