The Best Laundry Detergent for a Lower Cost Laundry DayQuestion: Which is the best laundry detergent for the environment and a green lifestyle? And which is the best for your pocket? Answer: A laundry ball! (Except that it isn't really a detergent at all... but it does the same job.) Best Laundry Detergent and Other Money-Saving Laundry Tips: This page looks at some of the best eco laundry options for an inexpensive and effective home laundry day, starting with wash balls or laundry balls. Washballs, laundry balls, eco-balls?
Washballs, or laundry balls (also sometimes called eco-balls) are small plastic containers that you put in the drum of the washing machine. They wash your clothes by ionising the water. Inside they are filled with small clay balls - which do gradually wear away and need replacing but...the good news is that they last for months before this happens, so you just use the same ball over and over again. You save on detergent because the laundry ball simply replaces it. For most washes you can just use a washball, keeping your detergent for really stubborn stuff. Less fabric softener neededYou don't really need so much fabric softener either because the resulting wash is far less harsh. The clothes are not heavily scented with artificial fragrances and there are no harmful effects upon skin as they contain no complex chemicals.Clothes last longer, too and the colours don't fade so much. Best of all, there's no need to worry about the environmental impact of your need for clean clothes. For my money, that makes washballs the best laundry detergent! See here for more on washballs.
Colourful pegs - perhaps not so eco-friendly! Wooden ones generally last longer and are bio-degradable - though many may be imported from the other side of the world!
Do you still need detergent? Best Laundry Detergent and Other Money-Saving Laundry Tips: Yes, it may be necessary for items which are heavily soiled, especially with grease. I reckon that my spending on detergent is about 1/10th of what it was before I started using laundryballs. Why is it good to cut down on detergent?There are many environmental costs to our detergent use. Many detergents contain fragrances which are environmentally damaging. Most detergents contain phosphates which cause algae to reproduce artificially fast in waterways. These "algal blooms" suffocate other living organisms. Phosphate-free detergents are not problem-free either, as other chemicals such as surfactants have to be increased to compensate - and these too need removing at the sewage plant. Environmentally less-damaging detergentsSo, use a good quality, environmentally-friendly detergent such as Ecover Some of the environmentally friendly detergents such as those mentioned above are actually very effective as well as being genuinely less of a strain on the environment. The Magnolia and Lily detergent from Earth Friendly products, for example has received rave reviews See here for more on washing soda.
About Soap NutsBest Laundry Detergent and Other Money-Saving Laundry Tips:Another alternative to conventional detergents that you might want to consider is soap nuts. Soap nuts are natural nuts which have a soapy effect when crushed. They come from trees which grow in India and Nepal. They have a pleasant, mild natural scent. They are quite easy to use. You put a few into a small bag (usually provided) and put them into the washing machine drum. They can be re-used several times. Soap nuts are quite an economical and environmentally friendly way of washing things. I have found them to be very effective and trouble-free so far - well at least until someone threw away the bag! You do need a proper bag for them as they are rather bitty and could otherwise get into parts of the drum where they should not be. Some people prefer them to washballs as there is a little visible lather to prove that something is going on. I'm still more of a fan of washballs as they are so hassle free! If you aren't convinced by washballs, give soap nuts a try. You can even buy them as an extract which cuts out the trouble of the putting them in bags. This way they are just like using conventional liquid detergent - without the chemicals. NaturOli EXTREME 18X For more on soap nuts see here
Ways to cut your electricity use for laundryBest Laundry Detergent and Other Money-Saving Laundry Tips: Cut down your electricity bill by using the drier far less. How? Here are a few ways to save.
More ways to save on laundry costsBest Laundry Detergent and Other Money-Saving Laundry Tips
Best Laundry Detergent and Other Money-Saving Laundry Tips: Other relevant pages are listed below. All about using washballs or laundry balls Using washing soda or sal soda for pre-washing clothes
Return to Green Shift - Living Well on Less from Best Laundry Detergent
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for the stubborn stuff. You can also use washing soda as a pre-wash to cut through grease. 
, for example, does as many as 96 loads. This soap nuts liquid laundry detergent concentrate is suitable for HE or standard washers and it has won green awards.
