Why Having a Natural Laundry Detergent is Essential to Your Sustainable Home

Unlike non-toxic laundry detergents, many common detergents are full of chemicals like bleach, dioxanes, formaldehyde, phosphates, and ammonium compounds. These ingredients can be harmful to the environment when they come out in the wastewater from your home. 

They are not just bad for the environment in general. They may also impact your health and home.

How a Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent Can Impact Your Skin, Health and Home

Using a natural laundry detergent is not only more sustainable but is also better for your skin, health, and home. Other detergents include ingredients that irritate the skin, worsen allergies, and can have other adverse health effects.

By choosing an organic laundry detergent, you won’t have to worry about your skin getting dry or irritated skin when you handle it. Natural laundry detergent is a safer option for washing baby clothes or cloth diapers since babies are more sensitive to harsh chemicals and irritants.

Plant-based laundry detergent is also friendlier for houses that rely on septic tanks since it is totally biodegradable.

What are Soap Nuts and Why are They a Laundry Detergent Alternative?

Soap nuts, also known as soapberries, are nature’s laundry detergent. They come from small trees or shrubs native to the Himalayas and have a shell that contains saponin, a natural soap. When the shell meets water, this substance is released and creates a lathering effect just like soap. 

Soap nuts are a great natural laundry detergent because they can be used for a few wash cycles and then composted. They are also wild-harvested so don’t require any inputs to grow, which makes them an eco-friendly option.

This zero-waste laundry detergent option is also gentle on the skin since it doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals in commercial detergents. You can either make yourself liquid detergent out of soap nuts or simply put a few of the husks in a thin cloth or laundry bag. Our convenient soap nuts and pouch come ready to use so all you have to do is throw it in with your load.

5 Tips to Make Your Entire Laundry Cycle Eco-Friendly

1. Wait until you have a full load

Even a small load of laundry uses energy and water resources. By ensuring you do a full load, you can maximize the efficiency of the wash cycle. Consider washing your clothes only when needed instead of tossing them in the laundry after just one wear.

2. Use cold water 

Unless you have very stubborn stains in your clothing, hot water is not necessary for cleaning your clothes. A huge amount of energy goes into heating water for laundry. You can lower your energy footprint just by choosing a cold wash cycle.

If you use soap nuts, you will be able to reuse them for more cycles when you use cold water. 

3. Choose an eco-friendly laundry detergent 

Choose a plastic-free laundry detergent that is good for you and the environment. We recommend Tru Earth Laundry Strips, which are hypoallergenic, work in all washing machines, and are completely biodegradable. Not to mention, incredibly convenient and mess-free. 

Worried that a natural laundry detergent won’t cut it for stubborn stains? Before you reach for the bleach, try an all-natural option that is just as effective on stains. Buncha Farmers All Natural Stain Remover cleans tough stains from your clothes and works great with soap nuts. 

4. Invest in an energy and water-efficient laundry machine

Since it is an appliance you will use regularly for a long time, it is worth selecting a machine that uses less water and energy to clean your clothing.

5. Use a rack or clothesline to air dry your laundry

Dryers use a lot of energy. You can reduce the amount of energy you use and extend the lifespan of your clothing by drying it on a line or rack.

Now you know why a zero-waste laundry detergent is an essential part of any sustainable home, and a few ways to make your whole laundry cycle more eco-friendly.