How non-eco is laundry powder?

[TheTwirlyPoos]

Im trying to make our household a bit more eco aware. I've switched to a reusable deodorant and gone to refillable cleaning products.

We use Persil non bio powder. I've had a look at the sheets but the reviews are all very mixed. How bad is powder?would be grateful for any insights please!

Define "eco".

Do you have a car?

Petrol, diesel, electric?

Sorry I don't understand what you mean by petrol etc?

I'm just trying to work out if it's a substantial issue and worth changing

It depends what you want to reduce. The plastic waste of the bottle, the impact of chemicals in the water?

I moved to Dr. Beckmann sheets and really like them but not for everything. They replace my non-bio liquid but I still have bio washing powder as nothing else really deals with the sweat smell in synthetic sportswear/school uniform.

You can move to eco-brands like Ecover etc for laundry but do check as several aren't the best for stains or keep whites white as they don't contain stain removers.

You can research home-made stain remover, water softener etc to reduce the chemicals. If you use it, ditch the fabric softener, they are one of the worst offenders and really not necessary.

it kills fish

I’ve dabbled with so many eco washing products over the years and I just don’t think they work properly at the basics of getting stinky gussets and clothing armpits clean. I’ve been changing other daily things, like tins rather than pouches for cat food, etc.

Far better than liquids or plastic coated tabs.

No, laundry powder is not a significant problem- you'll always need soaps! Minimising the number and temperature of washes is the thing.
Rather than generic 'eco aware' (which makes you very vulnerable to greenwashing from various companies) it might help you to focus on carbon footprint. And usually, not buying the new thing at all is best.

How does any of that help with the marine pollution issue?

In terms of pollution, I don’t use fabric softener or any of those things like tumble drier granules. In fact, I don’t have a tumble drier.

What specifically can we do if we want properly effective laundry cleaners?

I'm interested in this too. And for the benefit of the weird eco-police poster above, no I don't drive a petrol car - I drive an EV...

Looking at Smol for laundry, dishwasher and refillable cleaning products. Looks like they will reduce plastic/packaging but can someone tell me about water pollution please?

I can vouch for smol's effectiveness - nice clean washing and dishes - but not the pollution element.

Thanks @GatherlyGal - I might switch anyway as reducing packaging is important and do some more research on the pollution side of things myself in the meantime.

None of this is easy or made easy for consumers.
My best guess (based on some knowledge) is that powder in a recyclable cardboard box is better than liquid in a plastic bottle. The less scent the better. Use a small amount at a low temperature. No fabric softener.
Smol is good from a packaging and carbon perspective but I don't know if their laundry tabs contribute to marine pollution to the same extent as other detergents.

The main problem with laundry powder used to be phosphates. They fertilised rivers causing excessive growth of algae that reduces oxygen. I understand phosphates have now been replaced by phosphonates, which are supposed to break down more slowly so don't cause this problem. On that basis I've decided more expensive Ecover powder isn't worth the eco-benefit, I'll stick with ordinary detergent. I always use powder, not liquid detergent in plastic bottles, and wash at 30C to reduce carbon footprint.
I think you can't do everything and we should think about the changes that will make the most difference, e.g. not flying, eating less meat, buying less new stuff. Though sometimes small changes are worth doing too as the 'eco' way of doing things is actually easier or nicer, e.g. I think bar soap washes much better. Also I put leftover food in reused plastic pots now, which means I don't have to faff around with bloody cling film!

If you have an ecover refill station near you that would be better. We have a big 5 litre plastic bottle that we've been using for this for years.

Persik doesn't have phosphates in I don't think

We use the Ecoegg. So much cheaper than buying washing powder all the time, it save us a fortune (and is better for the environment). Also doesn't have that nasty cheap chemical 'perfume' of washing powder.

Check out Nancy Birtwhistle on Instagram or her other media (or her books), she has some great and inexpensive eco ideas for washing and cleaning.

I always use Bio washing powder. I heard it being discussed on the radio and they said that it's the best way to get an effective, stain removing wash at a lower temperatures . And that the no of people whose skin will be irritated is so minimal.

What are the eco implications of 'Bio.' washing powder?

Smol dishwasher tablets are very effective. I didn't like the tabs for clothes and I don't use liquid as it gunks up the machine. I wish Ecover did their biological powder in large boxes.

I've recently started using these soap flakes for laundry, the jury is still out on the efficacy but their eco credentials look good and they are very cheap per wash. https://www.frenchsoaps.co.uk/collections/soap-flakes/products/natural-soap-flakes-from-the-natural-washing-company

Great post.

@DdraigGoch (great name!) the OP didn't specifically ask about marine pollution, just 'eco'- thinking about marine pollution would be another way of prioritising- although no pollution is as damaging as breaking the Earth's climate.

And if you are prioritising marine pollution its important to think more widely than what you personally put in the water supply. Buying intensively farmed chicken or eggs supports an industry dumping huge amounts of pollution into our rivers, which ends up in the sea. Sewage also a huge problem. You'd be better off campaigning than buying a different laundry powder.

Don't the Smol ones come in those pods ?
I've always seen pods as bad for the environment and your washing machine .

I'd like to know this too. I was listening to a piece on the radio recently about dishwashers v hand washing, and the expert pointed out that the enzymes in dishwashing detergent work in cooler water too, so those long eco wash programmes mean the enzymes are working for longer. I presume the same applies to clothes washing.

We've been using the 5 litre Faith in Nature laundry liquid. Have found (with the dosing pump) it lasts absolutely ages and smells lovely.

I switched to powder several years ago when reducing single use plastics. I don't like laundry "scents" and the least scented I could find was the "saver" brand at Morrisons. It's cheap and very effective. No plastic & works well at cold or 20/30 degree washes.