A Closer Look at Organic Laundry Practices

By Asquith Williams

You buy organic produce and seek out the least toxic beauty and personal care products, so it only makes sense that you would like to go organic with your laundry practices. After all, you spend all day and night wearing clothing up against your skin. Perhaps you’ve already made that decision but you are wanting to learn more about how to find the best laundry care practices and products without the harsh chemicals. Below, learn why organic laundry care is so important for reducing your environmental footprint and making your home healthier—and cleaner, too.

Choose detergents that are good for the earth.

Laundry detergent is one of the household chemicals that most frequently finds its way back into our water system. Laundry detergents can seep through your drainage system back into groundwater or wells, depending on the age and quality of your drainage system. That’s why it should be a priority to eliminate those chemicals that are harmful to the natural environment from your laundry care routine. Traditional laundry detergents go heavy on some of the more environmentally harmful substances like phosphates, sulfates, chlorine, ammonia and other petrochemicals. Additionally, many of the synthetic chemicals found in traditional laundry detergents have been known to compromise the effectiveness of septic systems. Septic systems rely on organic bacteria to break down race, but when synthetic detergents are introduced to that organic environment, those natural processes are inhibited. Choose a USDA certified organic laundry detergent, it goes easy on the environment, your groundwater and septic system. 

Choose detergents that are not toxic to your health.

Traditional laundry detergents often do more than simply clean your clothing. They claim to brighten clothing, too. Unfortunately, that means the detergent may contain chlorine and ammonia, which have been found to increase risks of asthma and other respiratory problems, and are common irritants to the eyes, nose and throat. Organic laundry detergents that contain naturally occurring ingredients tend to focus on properties that focus on cleaning your laundry, rather than “brightening” it. ALLORGANIC® Laundry Detergent contains organic soapberry, which is an ancient, naturally occurring cleaning agent that surrounds dirt, and then removes it from your fabric. With ALLORGANIC® Laundry Detergent, your clothes are truly cleaned, rather than treated with chemicals to look brighter.

Skip the synthetic fragrances.

Traditional laundry detergents rely very heavily on strong synthetic fragrances to make laundry smell “clean.” In reality, clean doesn’t have a fragrance. Plus, synthetic fragrances can cause skin irritation and trigger headaches. We use only naturally occurring scents derived from organic, food-grade lavender, rosemary and sage to provide clean clothing with a soothing scent that does not cause irritation and is not harmful to the environment.

Take it easy on your clothes

Harsh chemicals can be rough on clothing, causing fading of colors (despite claiming to brighten them), or wearing out fibers. All natural and organic laundry detergents clean gently, taking better care of your clothing. And that’s what laundry care is all about anyway, isn’t it?

Check your ingredient lists

Now that you know why you want to seek natural, organic laundry detergents, how can you find the right product? Beware of many brands that claim to be “natural” or “green” or even “eco-friendly.” Without backup to prove that their ingredients truly are naturally derived and better for the environment than traditional chemicals. Manufacturers can easily mislead consumers into making the wrong choice. 

USDA organic certification means that the manufacturer of the product follows production methods that foster responsible resource use, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity, plus never uses synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, or ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). 

You should also look for a laundry detergent that has a complete ingredient list on its packaging so that you can trust that your laundry detergent is truly healthy and organic.

We provide full ingredient disclosure. We’re happy to tell you that our products are made without 1,4-dioxane, chlorine, diethanolamine, formaldehyde, glycol, paraben, phosphates, phthalate, propylene glycol, optical brighteners, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, sulfates, synthetic dyes, or synthetic perfumes.

ALLORGANIC® LAUNDRY DETERGENT is a mild detergent and may be used for the whole family. Our ingredients include:

Purified Water, 

Potassium Carbonate, 

Organic Sapindus Mukorossi Extract (organic soapberry)

Organic Glycerin

Organic Potassium Sunflowerate (organic sunflower oil soap) 

Organic Potassium Olivate (organic olive oil soap) 

Xanthan Gum

Organic Arugam

Potassium Hydroxide

Organic Fragrance (lavender, rosemary, sage).

Learn more about our ALLORGANIC® Laundry Detergent, including where and how to find it, here.