I'm really struggling with laundry detergents. I try to be as environmentally friendly as I can, but I'm getting tired of not being able to get stains out of clothes, and of having my clothes not really smell clean. I don't mean having a perfumey smell, like so many laundry detergents, I mean just smell clean. I am a messy cook, and frequently get things on my clothes, like oils. And the other day I spilled a bit of grilled onion on my pants. I have a four year old and he also spills and gets grass or dirt stains on his clothes. Anyway, my environmentally friendly detergent (Boulder brand) can't seem to handle any of it. I am constantly making rags out of perfectly good clothes. We wear 100% cotton almost exclusively, and I remember not that long ago I could just drop the stained laundry in the wash and presto, they looked perfect. Yes, I know that the removal of phosphates from laundry soaps has something to do with it, but is there any hope??? Also, we have REALLY hard water and getting a softening system is out of the question.
Thanks so much for your responses, ladies. I am going to give these product suggestions a try, one at a time, until I get satisfaction. I appreciate your help. :)
Wow! Even more responses. I feel like maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel now. So again, thank you all for your helpful suggestions.
I don't know how enviornmentally friendly it is, but on stains I use Baby Oxy Clean powder. I just wet the stain, sprinkle some powder on it, rub it in with my fingers and throw it in the wash. It gets almost everything out. Only on the really tough stains do I have to repeat the process more than once. I've had good luck with Seventh Generation dish soap, maybe you can try their laundry soap. I stick with Tide Free.
I use Tide Free and sometimes add a bit of Oxyclean to the wash ( not sure about the environmentally friendly aspect) it helps a lot with stains. You could also try adding a bit of white vinegar to the wash, I know the vinegar helped with odors in my machine as well and helped my towels smell better. Good luck.
Have you tried just good 'ol Borax? In the last year I have converted everything I do to old fashioned cleaning.
Enjoy!
I try a little dab of dish detergent on grease stains just before I toss 'em in the wash. I keep a small bottle of Dawn near the washer just for this. It seems to help a great deal.
Like others, I rely on baking soda or vinegar to help remove odors. Be careful about vinegar, though, it "sets" certain kinds of stains & colors (there's a reason they use it to help Easter egg dye!).
Have you tried Borax as a laundry additive? This helps with the water hardness issue, and is a natural product (and very inexpensive, too!).
I use Method detergent with good results. (You can buy it at Target, and it comes in unscented or scented, whatever you prefer.) It is biodegradable, and you only have to use a very small amount for a big load of laundry.
You don't mention what kind of washing machine you have, but if you have an opportunity to upgrade, try a front-loading machine. They do get the clothes a LOT cleaner in my experience (using less water, which is great). Last year I upgraded to a front-loading steam washer, which sanitizes using steam instead of chemicals - wow, what a difference in terms of how clean the clothes look and smell! Anyhow, just a thought!
I also use Boulder brand detergent, and haven't noticed any issues with stains (this is my first bottle of it). I actually like it. I use vinegar with essential oils in the fabric softener dispenser, which I think helps with the scents nicely. (I use either lemon or lavendar.) Also, I wear aprons everyday. I don't work in the kitchen without an apron because I ruined too many clothes without one. Are you separating your laundry into the appropriate wash loads so that you can use the right temperature for washing? Do you pre-treat stains? Laundry can be one of the most frustrating tasks if we don't get it figured out right!
I have found that Era has been the best for my family my 1yr old has been allergic to other detergents and i swapped to the All free but had the same problem you are having clothes didnt smell clean and it wasnt cutting the stains. Era has worked well for me and its cheaper and you can usually find coupons for it in most sunday papers. Now im not sure about how environmental it is tho sorry im no help there
Hi Dita! Have you tried Charlie's Soap? It makes our clothes so fresh, and now I don't have any trouble getting stains out.
It's very environmentally friendly too!
I don't know if it's environmentally friendly - but All Free & Clear and Purex Free are good at getting stains out of clothes....I have 2 boys ages 9 & 11...
Those are the two I use...hope that helps!!
