Laundry Detergents

100 FL OZ bottle of 2X Ultra Tide Original Scent (64 loads) = about $12.83 at Wal-Mart

100 FL OZ bottle at HerbTrader.com (40 loads) = $13.81

Rapid biodegradation, plant-based ingredients and environmentally-conscious washing.

$0.98 and an extra 24 loads.

Traditional detergent companies have started switching to concentrated formulas, thereby cutting down on packaging. Unfortunately, they did not cut down on chemicals that can damage the immune system, disrupt hormones, irritate skin, cause cancer and even effect drinking water and aquatic life.

Finding out the lowdown on your detergent can be tricky. Many companies make claims such as “biodegradable” and “natural”. Don’t be swayed, instead, look for eco-friendly facts and full ingredient lists. Ecover has all this information easily accessible on their website along with detailed information of their environmental policies.

There’s a laundry list of environmental impacts from detergents. Various chemicals can kill fish, hinder the growth of plants and emit toxic fumes. Most laundry detergents are also made from petroleum, tapping a rapidly depleting resource.

If you’re worried about whether natural detergents will get the grass and mud stains out of your best outfits, relax; Consumer Reports found that detergents with environmentally-friendly surfactants worked better than many of those with toxic chemical surfactants.