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!

One person changing one thing will not change the world but less is less and better is better.

DH says it contains a chemical which is toxic to aquatic life but it's easily processed in a sewage processing plant. So if your waste water is processed properly it's harmless. If it's dumped straight into the environment then it's toxic, although only in large quantities.

DH is a chemistry professor.

Detergents are very polluting and difficult for water companies to remove from waste water. They have a significant negative impact on the environment. Unfortunately, they get clothes clean so maybe just use them for stained or sweaty clothes, and whites.

The best alternative is a biodegradeable product which will is soap based, not detergent. It will clean your clothes but they aren't so great with whites. For stains and sweat, you can pre treat with Biotex, which is also biodegradeable but it involves a pre soak. If you have trouble finding it, look in the nearest International store (Asian supermarket) or bulk buy on Amazon.

Replace fabric softener with a table spoon of white vinegar.

It’s important to do your research and work out what your values are to decide which one is better.

I have seen Ecover mentioned a few times and while it is better for aquatic life, the company sold out to S.C Johnson who still very much use animal testing for their products.

Soap nuts are good but no good for strong smells or stains. I also like plant based sheets but again only good for gentler washes.

There are also other things you can do such as lower the temperature to 30 degrees. It is also better to run on a longer gentler cycle than a fast, vigorous one.

I use a free app called Earth Hero, it gives you an idea of your carbon footprint and gives helpful tips to reduce it. Also use Ecosia as a search engine m.

Ok, I have done a blitz of ordering:
Wild - lip balm and shower gel, already use their deodorant
Donieli - laundry sheets
Smol - dishwasher tablets, washing liquid, cleaning spray
Naked Sprout - toilet paper

Recommendations for shampoo/conditioner that won't strip my hair dye out please?
Toothbrushes and toothpaste?

@TooMinty youre looking at all the same stuff I am. I'm tempted by Neat for cleaning and dishwasher

Neat cleaning products are lovely, but I’d give the glass/mirror cleaner a miss, we found it smeary compared to normal glass cleaning spray.

I do a few loads with 'eco' products (or sometimes just water!) for things that aren't soiled/smelly. Then a load a week with persil for things that I think need a bit more oompf.

I use persil or Ariel bio powder. Only bio is sold where I live anyway so non bio doesn’t exist ( I think it’s only in uk).
I always buy the largest boxes of the powder.
It’s used for us at home, I used to wash all Ds washable nappies, and I use it on holiday let bedding and towels. Because it’s so good at stains, I figure it’s far more eco, as I it’s very rare I throw away stained guest bedding for example as it always comes out white white. Ds washable nappies washed in bio powder were far more eco, than someone using an eco egg and then disposable nappies.

I wash only what’s needed, we don’t wash excessively, and I dry all clothes on rack all year around, and just tumble dry bedding and towels in winter (line in summer).

I’ve been using soap flakes for a couple of years now and have had no problems with getting things clean. The trick though is to use your eco cycle which is longer - a quick wash doesn’t do much. No nasty chemical polluting the water through and no plastic waste.

I find this so tricky. You want to do the 'right' thing, but there's always something else. Ecover laundry liq - 'yeah but what about plastic bottles', looking at better eco products in general "define eco, do you have a petrol car", buy loo rolls claiming eco credentials 'oh what about xyz, these ones are better '. And then half the time your reusable communal natural eco marvellous eg bathroom cleaner doesn't actually, y'know, clean the bathroom 😆

We buy ecover liq (I have bio and non bio for added excitement) and keep the temp down wherever possible and it works well. We have a great refill shop nearby and tried out the laundry liq - I can't remember the brand now but it was so thick it was really difficult use and I don't think rinsed out as well. So back to ecover.

Naked sprout loo rolls.

Variety of brands shampoo bars, I like the gruum ones best. But the conditioner is useless for my thick hair. Dh uses bars for everything, but I stick with just shampoo.

Those black electric toothbrush heads you send back for recycling.

There's other small swaps we've tried to make, but each takes a disproportionate amount research and trial and error it annoys me, companies could definitely make this easier!

All soap is toxic to fish and amphibians. The same chemical properties that make soap and other detergents effective at cleaning also make them toxic to aquatic animals. They strip the waxy/lipid coating off of the animals skin and they mess with fish gills in some way too. We have to be careful that water with soap in it goes through the waste water system before it goes make into the environment. This is why you should never use soap or detergent in a lake or river while camping and why we have to be careful with things like washing cars and storm water drains.

@SabertoothKwazi true, but if it’s being used through the washing machine I’d hope it’s okay!

@TheTwirlyPoos I will report back when I've received them and tried them then! I'm also thinking about refillable toothpaste dispenser and bamboo toothbrushes.

I don't the answer but unfortunately I found smol didn't dissolve properly and my wash had bits of the wrapper on.

Those posters using Naked Sprout might be interested to know that in a recent test their loo paper had a very low % of bamboo so isn't really eco friendly. Cheeky Panda and Who Gives A Crap both came out at 100%.

We switched from WhoGTAC to Naked Sprout because of a similar claim about WHAC's eco credentials.... I'm not saying you're right or wrong, but this is why people give up and go for (usually cheaper) convenience when 'doing the right thing' becomes so hard - companies make this really tricky! Who has time to constantly fully research the whole life impact of everything in their lives down to the paper they wipe their arse with!? 😩

Yes it's all the claims and counter claims and research that's driving me mad! I chose Naked Sprout because I thought they were better...

Im so glad it's not just me. I was feeling a bit thick.

There are two main things to consider when you want to reduce your environmental impact;
Biodegradable vs persistent toxins and
Carbon footprint.

Bamboo has to be transported halfway around the world, so that increases its carbon footprint compared to crops grown in the UK. See if you can get beechwood products made in the UK. Beechwood can be grown as a crop and made into paper and wood products. It is coppiced so they aren't cutting down full grown trees for the wood.

I get good results from this (note: it's the bio one). It came out high in some independent tests, think it was Which.

Ecover Biological Concentrated Washing Powder Laundry lavender end eucalyptus, 750 g https://amzn.eu/d/2g6if5f