Saving The Planet, One Load At A Time
Seventh Generation 2x Concentrated Laundry Detergent
I am, little by little, bit by bit, moving toward a greener lifestyle. I’ve been recycling for years, use vinegar and water or Simple Green to clean most things in my home, replaced my old air conditioning unit with a more efficient one and haul a load of reusable grocery bags (and use them, too) in the trunk of my Prius. There’s still more to be done, obviously. I’m weaning us off plastic storage bags and gearing up to ban paper towels and paper napkins, all of which is harder than it seems. One change that has been very easy has been eliminating harmful laundry detergent and fabric softener from my weekly routine. Several months ago we switched to Seventh Generation 2x Concentrated Laundry Detergent and Seventh Generation Fabric Softener.
I haven’t looked back.
We’ve talked here about making your own green laundry soap, but I’m not ready for that yet. I honestly don’t have time to deal with one more thing to do. Maybe eventually. In the meantime, the Seventh Generation stuff is perfect.
The cleansers are plant-based rather than petroleum-based (they are also biodegradable), and contain sustainable palm oil. There are no dyes or synthetic fragrances. It uses enzymes to clean stains and is safe for standard and HE washing machines. The container is 80% post-consumer recycled plastic (and is also able to be recycled).
But does it work?
Soft Clothes And Soft On The Planet
Yes. It does. I haven’t noticed a difference from my old detergent. At all. Well, except for the smell. I get the Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender scent in both the detergent and the fabric softener (also plant-based, free of dyes and biodegradable), a scent you cannot find in traditional detergents. The scent lasts too. The fabric softener only comes in the Eucalyptus scent and unscented – that might be a drawback to you, but it’s fine with me.
The drawbacks?
Expense. It’s more expensive than what I was buying before, a generic detergent from my local supermarket chain. But it’s an expense I’m willing to bear; the environment is too important. I can budget elsewhere (like all the money I save using vinegar and water instead of commercial cleaners).
If you’re not ready to make your own detergent yet, this is a great and readily available alternative. You can find it Target as well as local supermarkets or you can buy it online through Amazon or directly from Seventh Generation.
They’ve just come out with some new laundry products like an oxy stain remover and a 4x concentrated detergent in a recyclable, compostable bottle. I’m dying to try those as well. When I do, I’ll let you know how it goes.
About The Author: Megan is a professional writer, amateur photographer and an accomplished beauty product crash test dummy. She'll try anything once, especially if it's a free sample. She's still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up, but it will probably involve travel and Colin Farrell. And maybe some writing and photography. You can visit her at onethousandwordsormore.com or follow her on Twitter: msmegan.
Friday Flop: The Tide Bounce Bar. Or, where I look a gift horse in the mouth and say “BOOOO! Hiss!”
October 21, 2009 by Miss Britt
Filed under Friday Flops, Home
Disclaimer: I love Tide laundry detergent.
It’s the only detergent I use to wash my clothes. I adore the way it smells and it is the only laundry soap that my husband’s overly sensitive skin can handle. We’ve tried every product under the sun, and we always come back to Tide.
So when Tide had a booth at the BlogHer conference in Chicago this summer, you can bet your sweet behind I was front and center with outstretched palms gathering up every single free sample they would give me. I got tiny packets of laundry detergent and some new boost packet thingies. I also received a sample of their new product, the Bounce Dryer Bar.
What is a Bounce Dryer Bar?
It looks like a bar of soap stuck in a mounting device. You stick it to the inside wall of your dryer and it stays there for 2-4 months working as a constant fabric softener. In other words, it’s a replacement for dryer sheets.
Oddly enough, this is not my picture. This picture of a Bounce Dryer Bar is courtesy of rockinfree on Flickr. I don’t even think he has a review blog. He’s just taking pictures of his dryer bar.
