Many detergents have ingredients that have an impact on the environment. Avoid certain detergents if you want to conserve energy and water. Instead, choose other products. You could also make your own remedy. You can find out more about Eco-Friendly Detergents in this article.
Table of Contents
1. Eco-friendly washing with modular detergent
Modular detergents are considered to be particularly eco-friendly. This system has the advantage that you can mix and match components or eliminate them all together. This is determined by the soiling level of laundry and the water hardness. These are the three basic building blocks of a modular detergent:
- Compact basic detergent
- Softener
- Bleach
Combining them in the wash cycle reduces the environmental impact. You only need to add softener to water that is hard. Bleach is usually only used for heavy stains. This is typically only necessary every fourth or fifth wash cycle.
Each manufacturer has a different dosage. Some manufacturers focus on hardness, others distinguish between white and colored laundry, and adjust the dosage according to soiling. It is crucial that you follow all packaging instructions.
Below is an example of how the dosage amounts for one supplier are summarized. It can only help. The laundry detergent can wash 4.5 kg of laundry, both for white and colored clothes. This bleach can be used to clean white or colorfast clothing starting at 50 degrees C.
| WATER HARDNESS I. | WATER HARDNESS II | WATER HARDNESS III | |
| powder | |||
| laundry detergent | 50 to 90 ml | 90 ml | 90 ml |
| Softener | 0 | 30 ml | 50 ml |
| Bleach | 50 ml | 50 ml | 50 ml |
| laundry detergent | 50 to 100 ml | 100 ml | 100 ml |
| Softener | 0 | 0 | 40 ml |
2. Three types of detergent to clean your laundry
- They can be washed more environmentally friendly if certain ingredients are only used when absolutely necessary. One compact detergent with heavy duty, one detergent that is colorfast, and one detergent that is mild are all sufficient.
- Use compact, heavy-duty detergents when washing heavily soiled fabrics. Because of their hygienic qualities, they can be used to wash lighter-colored towels. However, this product does not contain any bleaching or brightness agents that can be used to color.
- A compact color detergent does not contain bleach. This is why colored laundry can be used, but not silk or wool.
- Delicate don’t contain any bleaches, optical brightness or enzymes. These can be used to wash silk and machine-proof wool.
Tip
Organic foods usually do not contain synthetic enzymes or micro plastics. Organic ingredients make up the majority of organic foods, and many surfactants are either mineral or vegetable-derived. You should still be careful about the ingredients.
3. Fabric softener, and special detergents, are unnecessary
These detergents can and should be avoided for eco-washing:
- Fabric softeners They may contain fragrances that could trigger allergies or harm allergy sufferers. They can also pollute waterways and have no cleaning effects.
- Special detergents: These are products that can be used to wash black laundry, such as dye- or dirt-trapping fabrics or products that trap dirt. These products will only make your wallet less secure.
- Hygienic detergents: They may also contain allergens that can cause allergic reactions in people. Except in extreme cases of compromised health, such detergents are not recommended.
- Wool detergents are often made without bleach or enzymes and sometimes contain softeners that make clothes fluffy and soft.
- Caps and pods: According to tests by, these detergents clean whites more effectively than powdered detergents. Although the products do not contain bleach, they can still pose a danger to children living in homes. They are attracted to the brightly colored detergents.
- Jumbo Packs Larger packages of heavy-duty detergent can contain as much as 30 percent fillers. These salts have little cleaning power and are mostly salts.
4. Making your own detergent has its advantages and disadvantages
It sounds like you could make your own environmentally-friendly laundry detergent. You can control the ingredients and make sure that it is all-natural and fragrance-free. This can help you save a lot of money. Only two components are required: water softener (e.g. A combination of sodium bicarbonate (washing soda or borax), curd or bile soya soap and washing soda are the only components. This is how you do it:
Nevertheless, homemade detergent does not contain surfactants. These substances are responsible for washing power. The washing machine doesn’t effectively remove soiling like soap. This means that textiles lose their quality due to poor cleaning. Also, hygiene is often neglected. Also, soap can clog your washing machine.
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5. Which detergent is better: powder or liquid?
Tests showed that both versions have similar environmental effects. High-quality liquid detergents perform as well as powder detergents in terms of cleaning performance. Here are some other considerations to make when weighing the pros and cons for each type of detergent.
Liquid detergent
Advantages
✔️Avoid white residues in your laundry
✔️It’s easier to store
✔️Bleaching agents are not allowed
✔️Use for color laundry and low temperatures
Disadvantages
❌effective against germs at higher temperatures
❌Temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius
❌It is well-suited for light and white textiles
❌Preservatives are not required
Advantages
- Avoid white residues in your laundry
- It’s easier to store
- Bleaching agents are not allowed
- Use for color laundry and low temperatures
Disadvantages
- effective against germs at higher temperatures
- Temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius
- It is well-suited for light and white textiles
- Preservatives are not required
Powder detergent
Advantages
- Powder contains more surfactants and preservatives than powder.
- It is not suitable for whites as there are no bleaching agents.
Disadvantages
- If the dosage is incorrect, it can leave residues on the clothes and in the washer.
- Contains bleach
6. Concentrated detergent with few fillers
You should be careful about what ingredients you use if you are looking to avoid causing harm to the environment by buying a detergent. Here are the top ten most important ingredients:
Antibacterial and preservative ingredients can be difficult to breakdown and are therefore considered allergenic. Biocides can also cause microorganisms to become resistant in water bodies.
Fragrances can trigger allergic reactions if they are not removed from sewage treatment plants. These fragrances include cinnamon. These include cinnamon.
Surfactants can be either synthetically or naturally derived. They are responsible for the detergent’s washing power. Surfactants must be degraded and broken down within 28 days. They can pollute the environment in a different way depending on the surfactant.
The sodium sulfate in fillers and trickling agents pollutes the wastewater. These salts are plentiful, especially in XXL packaging.
Tip: The Federal Environment Agency states that you can tell if a detergent is environmentally friendly by its lack of fillers or chemical additives, and the high concentration. It should have a low sodium content and be sufficient to wash 70 grams per cycle for normal soiling. Find out more about it here.
What should you consider when purchasing “ecological detergent?”
Use only the detergents that you need to protect the environment.
Does the decision between powder or liquid detergent have an impact on the eco-balance?
Yes, we can also make an impact by deciding whether to use liquid or powder detergent.
What else should you look for when buying laundry detergent?
Don’t forget to also check the detergent’s fillers and chemical substances when buying.