Laundry detergent seems like a small part of the cleaning supplies that you purchase. But in reality, it has a big impact. Knowing this, it can be a much more difficult task to pick the right laundry detergent.
Some laundry detergents claim to be soft on the skin. In reality, they're harsh and can irritate sensitive skin. It can be frustrating, time-consuming, and expensive to search for the right laundry detergent.
But now, there is a wider variety of laundry detergents to choose from.
Did you know that the plant-based market is growing? The plant-based product economy is estimated to grow to $11.6 billion by 2029! Everybody is starting to make the switch to more naturally derived household products.
If you're struggling to find a good laundry detergent, you should consider a plant-based laundry detergent. It might be exactly what you're looking for.
If you're thinking about making a change, it's important to know why you should switch up your detergents.
Knowing exactly why you shouldn't be using normal laundry detergents will help you understand your options. Here's what you should know about laundry detergents.
What's Wrong With Normal Laundry Detergent?
It can seem like laundry detergent is practically harmless—especially if you've never had issues with a detergent before. But that doesn't mean it's good for you to use.
Although there are benefits to some detergents, there are also a lot of problems with average laundry detergents. Especially when it comes to your skin and the environment.
The problems heavily outweigh the seeming "miracle" workings of a laundry detergent.
It Causes Serious Environmental Issues
The main issue with laundry detergents is their serious negative impact on the environment. The runoff detergent water that comes from your washing machines creates an issue with water pollution. This negatively affects local water sources and the animals that depend on it.
Laundry detergent is a type of soap that isn't biodegradable. This means that the products inside the detergent don't fully break down, which can affect local aquatic life.
You may be wondering why this is a problem, or how it affects aquatic life. Laundry detergent contains phosphates that produce algae in water runoff.
An overproduction of algae will then begin to grow more rapidly, leaving less sunlight and oxygen for aquatic life. This can cause a serious imbalance in the food chain.
Additionally, the surfactants used in the detergent can lower the surface tension in the water. When this happens, the water is more likely to absorb pollutants in the air. This negatively affects the quality of the water and harms the aquatic life.
Water pollution damage can deeply affect our clean drinking water and the aquatic life living in these natural bodies of water. This can lead to further environmental repercussions if it isn't handled.
In addition to the water pollution, the packaging they come in cannot always be recycled. Because of this, the bottles end up in landfills and never break down into the soil. This creates even more negative environmental consequences.
It's Bad For Your Skin
Since the ingredients in a regular laundry detergent aren't natural, they're harsh against your skin.
Harsh chemicals, dyes, and other ingredients, can cause rashes and skin irritation. This is especially concerning for adults and children who already have sensitive skin or skin conditions. It's also concerning for a newborn or young child, whose skin is extremely sensitive.
It's important to know what these toxic chemicals are that create irritation. You'll know what to avoid when shopping for laundry detergent.
Chemicals like phosphates, ammonium sulfate, and dioxane are important ingredients to avoid. These are all toxic and harsh chemicals that are found in most laundry detergents.
Many laundry detergents will have up to 20 or more toxic ingredients listed on their bottles. However, there may be traces of other toxic chemicals and ingredients that aren't listed.
Even if you aren't prone to any sort of skin conditions, these harsh chemicals are not good to use continually. The harsher the chemicals within a laundry detergent, the worse they will be for your skin and the environment.
It's safer to switch to a natural laundry detergent. The more natural the ingredients, the less it can harm you, your family, and the environment.
What is Plant-Based Laundry Detergent?
The main difference between plant based laundry detergent vs regular detergents is that a plant-based laundry detergent uses natural ingredients.
The ingredients are derived from plants. The fragrance in a natural detergent can be from essential oils or flowers.
Some popular plant-based detergent ingredients are naturally derived from plants like corn, coconut, and palm. They're most likely going to be sodium gluconate, and sodium lauryl sulfate. Since they're natural, they're softer and gentler on the skin.
You may be wondering if these natural ingredients are able to get rid of dirt, grease, and odor. Many natural laundry detergents use alkyl polyglucoside to effectively remove dirt and odor.
This specific ingredient is naturally derived from natural alcohols and sugars. It is completely safe to use to wash clothes and it's effective in fighting stains. These plant-based ingredients will bind themselves to the dirt and odor on your clothing and effectively remove it from the fabric.
So, now you may be asking the benefits of switching from your go-to laundry detergent to an all natural, plant-based laundry detergent.
What Are the Benefits of Switching?
Before you purchase a new laundry detergent, it's important to know why you should ditch the normal detergents for an all-natural detergent.
It's Better for Your Skin
The main benefit of swapping your laundry detergent for natural and plant based detergent is that it will be kinder to your skin. Since natural detergents contain ingredients from plants, there are no harsh chemicals to cause skin irritation.
When you swap for a more natural laundry detergent, you are protecting you and your family from skin irritants and rashes. This is especially important if you have a newborn child or young children.
Reducing Water Pollution
By using natural laundry detergent, you're also helping the environment. The runoff from your washing machine into local rivers and lakes won't affect the aquatic life. It also won't add to the overproduction of algae in these lakes and rivers.
Overall, switching to natural laundry detergents will be better for you and your family. And it benefits the environment.
The best part is, you won't be compromising the effectiveness of a laundry detergent by switching to a plant-based detergent.
How to Make the Choice
Now you may be wondering—how do you know what plant-based detergent to use?
Always check the labels of the detergents you are looking to buy. Are the ingredients naturally derived? Or do they include dioxane or different kinds of phosphates?
With the plant-based product industry growing, it may be difficult to know what to look for. How will you ensure that you're buying a safe and effective laundry detergent?
The box or jug of detergent should state that it's plant-based and non-toxic. Sometimes it will say that it's biodegradable. Check the ingredients to see if they are naturally derived.
To ensure that a laundry detergent will be soft on sensitive skin, always look for phrases like "no dyes" and "no artificial fragrances".
These phrases are important to know with certainty that the detergent is good for sensitive skin. The best natural laundry detergent will be free of artificial dyes and fragrances.
A laundry detergent that specifically advertises its plant-based ingredients, it shouldn't contain artificial dyes or fragrances.
Even so, it's always important to double check the labels for anything a detergent might not be telling you.
Finding a plant-based and natural laundry detergent is easier than ever now, with the growing plant-based market. You will not regret making the conscious choice to switch.
A Kinder Laundry Detergent
Changing laundry detergents can be a simple step in the right direction. By switching from run-of-the-mill detergents to plant-based laundry detergents, you're making a conscious choice to ditch harmful chemicals in your household products.
Choosing a natural detergent will make certain that you and your family are safe from harsh and toxic chemicals. You won't have to worry about compromising tough stain-fighting ingredients, either.
Purchasing a plant-based laundry detergent will make a huge difference. You will protect you and your family from possible skin rashes. It's also a safe and effective way to help the environment and local water sources.
So, what are you waiting for? Make the small change. You'll notice a big difference.