Comments on: 5 tips - eco friendly laundry products

By: Leah Marshall

Leah Marshall — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 20:51:47 +0000

@Mrs Green: Yes, Saponin is the cleaning agent that’s naturally in the soapnuts. More saponin = more cleaning power and more re-uses.

I find this all so fascinating myself

By: Mrs Green

Mrs Green — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:57:38 +0000

@Leah Marshall: Wow, thank you Leah; I’m learning such a lot from you. I must admit I’d never really thought about it until you mentioned it.
And I’m guessing the saponin content is what makes the product more or less powerful in terms of cleaning power.

Thank you!

By: Leah Marshall

Leah Marshall — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:13:21 +0000

@Mrs Green: theres around 20 different species/varieties of Soap Nut/Soap berry trees. I had a conversation with the company owner about it and was informed how they vary between regions/climates and different soapnut varieties have different saponin content, size, and color, etc. the owner also stressed a triple sorting process for the nuts to ensure quality.

It’s like any other produce item, really.

By: Mrs Green

Mrs Green — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 11:23:53 +0000

@Leah Marshall: Thank you for the link, Leah. I like the compostable factor of soapnuts too. Interesting that you think different brands offer different quality. I assumed they were all the same.

By: Leah Marshall

Leah Marshall — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:40:39 +0000

If anyone is interested in soap nuts here’s a great company: http://www.econutssoap.com

all their recycled packaging is biodegradable with no plastic and their soap nuts are top-quality. I’ve tried a few brands and I think I get more loads of laundry from using these.

@Travis: you should absolutely try these if you want to save water. They don’t leave a residue so you can just stop your machine when it gets to the rinse cycle because it isn’t needed.

By: Mrs Green

Mrs Green — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:17:58 +0000

@Linda Sadler: Hello Linda, welcome to the site. Your products sound impressive and the site is great. How long have you had the site and what sort of people buy your products?

By: Linda Sadler

Linda Sadler — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:07:50 +0000

I wanted to share the environmentally safe cleaning products I discovered. They have 12 products and all contain only 4 ingredients: enzymes, surfactants, natural fragrances and colors, and water. What makes them unique is that each product has multiple enzymes so they are more effective. The company has a proprietary formula to keep the enzymes from eating each other. (They are cannibalistic.) The laundry detergent can be used in cold water and doesn’t take much. The stain remover works very well too. There is also a stain stick which is awesome!
Linda Sadler, WowGreen Independent Distributor

By: Mrs Green

Mrs Green — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:33:13 +0000

@Travis: Hi Travis, the electricity and water usage can be phenomenal. But you’re doing what you can with full loads and maybe you only run a bowl of water to do the dishes.

You could also use your dishwater on non edible plants such as the lawn or flowers or tip it into a rain barell for future use. As long as there is not too much grease in the water and you’re using an eco friendly detergent, all will be well

You can also do washing at 30 degrees or even a cold wash and if you use soapnuts or eco balls, there is no need for rinse water.

@Karissa Jean: Thanks Karissa - Is the greencupboards site your own? You’ve mentioned it three times now, so I’d like to hear more about your business and what prompted you to set it up

By: Karissa Jean

Karissa Jean — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:24:56 +0000

@Travis: Yeah, Ecover is sold in the US. You can find the products online at http://www.greencupboards.com, as well as other eco-friendly laundry products that can really cut down on your carbon footprint.

By: Karissa Jean

Karissa Jean — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:22:30 +0000

I love Ecover products. I would also recommend Nellies and Biokleen, they are both excellent green brands, and I have used all three for different things.

On http://www.greencupboards.com you can find these brands, and I just found them on sale under “Specials,” as well as a bunch of other green brands of household, baby, pet, and personal care products.

As far as laundry goes, though, my family goes through so much detergent, that it really makes a big impact on the environment to switch to a brand that is concentrated and eco-friendly!