Allavare oxygen bleach

Allavare Laundry Powder (use code ENGLAND99465 for 10% discount) is made locally, sold in a brown paper bag, with discount subscriptions (it also makes oxygen bleach and stain removal bars, if you want to bundle up).

Made with just 4 ingredients, each bag gives up to 60 washes, sold alongside a coconut oil stain bar (just rub with warm water on fabric to watch stains disappear – also use for hand washing delicate garments).

Choose unscented detergents for pregnancy/nursing, affected medical conditions and for washing baby and pet bedding. Also read how to dry your clothes, naturally.

Launder synthetic fibres (most reusable nappies and sanitary pads have waterproof lining) in a microplastic catcher.

Debate Over ‘Biodegradable Laundry Sheets

There is a lot of greenwash regarding laundry sheets that claim to be ‘biodegradable’, saying there’s no need to unwrap the film, as it ‘breaks down naturally’.

However, Plastic Pollution Coalition says otherwise, and wants a ban on plastic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA or PVOH) being listed a ‘biodegradable ingredient’. It dissolves (but so does salt in water – but the salt is still there).

The law says that if 60% of something degrades into carbon dioxide and water within 28 days, it ‘passes the test’, even if the other 40% of plastic is still present, and leaches out to sea, after wastewater system treatment. Plus of course, plastic is made from oil, an industry it’s good not to support for all kinds of reasons.

The reason given for using laundry sheets (and dishwasher tabs) is convenience. No matter that it’s very easy to put a scoop of powder in the machine, something done for over 100 years.

It’s like the palm oil debate. Companies that make peanut butter with palm oil, say it has to be included as an emulsifier. But companies that don’t (like Meridian) say that no-one minds having to spend 10 seconds stirring the jar. Surely worth it, to save orangutans?

One environmentalist writes that in order to ‘trust items made with PVA’, she would want to know when, where and for how long PVA is coming into contact with such processes, as biodegradation needs certain times and temperatures, in order to safely break down. And as no company can promise this, she avoids them.

Plastic-Free Laundry Detergent

Blueland laundry set

Blueland Laundry Detergent is plastic-free, sold as a starter kit with a blue tin, and then just buy refills (the fragrance is naturally derived, and there’s a fragrance-free version too for pregnancy, babies, pets etc). Along with oxygen bleach boosters and refills. Just add one tablet to the washing machine, or two tablets for heavy loads.

Blueland laundry detergent

Blueland laundry detergent results

A Friendly Washing Powder (from Yorkshire!)

Friendly laundry powder

Friendly Laundry Powder is by a company in Yorkshire, known for making soaps. Now it’s turned its attention to making household products. Each pack gives 25 washes. It’s suitable for hand or machine-washing.

An Affordable Concentrated Washing Powder

Bio-d laundry detergent

Bio-D Laundry Powder (also in a 1kg bag) is an affordable brand of biodegradable laundry powder, which you may also find in local health stores and farm shops. Sold in brown bags (or compact cardboard boxes), this is highly concentrated, so you only need a little for each wash.

If you prefer laundry liquid, choose Bio-D Fragrance-Free. Ideal for allergies, this is also sold in 5 litre and 25 litre versions.

A Refillable Laundry Brand (from Yorkshire)

laundry liquid

Miniml is a fab laundry brand, made in Yorkshire with local water (unscented or natural linen and coconut scents).  Just send empty bottles in bulk (scan the QR code for a returns label) or drop off at your local post office for collection (or enter postcode to find refill stations).

laundry refill

Refillable Laundry Liquids (in glass jars)

Greenscents laundry

Greenscents is a great laundry liquid (in glass bottles, so don’t handle with wet hands). In unscented or natural scents (with essential oils), you can send empty bottles back to be washed and refilled. Not just good for the planet, but also good for your wallet, as you get discounts on further orders.

The company recommends 4 to 5 teaspoons of laundry liquid for a standard wash, meaning that a 500ml bottle will give 22 washes, and a 5 litre container gives 220 washes, and a 20 litre container gives a whopping 880 washes!

For hand-washing, use 20ml to 25ml in a bowl of warm to hot water, this liquid is good for delicate fabrics. You may need a little more liquid for hard water areas (we’re talking to you, residents of Sussex and Kent!)

The company also sells a range of one-time accessories that you can use on the bigger containers, to make use and decanting easier.

A Plastic-Free Laundry Pouch (300 Uses)

Hexawash

Hexawash (use code ENGLANDNAT10 for 10% discount) is an organic laundry detergent that lasts for 300 loads, then can be composted or binned to safely break down. Just throw the pouch in the machine with your laundry, and set to normal cycle.

This is an organic cotton pouch (made from offcuts), filled with magnesium pellets that when mixed with water, form hydrogen gas and magnesium hydroxide to generate an alkaline solution that is the ideal PH to lift dirt and oil from clothes. This is proven to be 10 times more effective than laundry detergent, to remove stubborn stains.

You can use Hexwash in soft or hard water at any temperature, and it’s safe to use with all types of washing machines. Soaking it first is better (in a bucket of water if your machine has no Soak function), and you can also skip the Rinse cycle as there’s no residue to wash away. Soak clothes for an hour in a bucket before use, if hand-washing. And avoid fabric conditioner.

If do a weekly wash, this little invention will last you a year. The magnesium pellets gradually dissolve. You can then bin, compost or even bury it in the garden, where the organic cotton will break down, as will the magnesium which can fertilise the soil.

Natural Pre-Wash Stain Removers

oxygen bleach

Oxygen bleach is the best solution, just add a scoop to laundry or soak for stains (several hours) then launder as normal. This is activated with warm water, then lasts for around 40 minutes.

You can pour leftovers down the drain, to clean them (it just breaks down to carbon dioxide and water). Oxygen bleach won’t affect colours, and is good to remove organic stains (blood, wine, urine, sweat). Read more on how to remove stains, naturally.

A Natural Way to Soften Clothes

cleaning vinegar

Instead of fabric conditioners (some brands can increase flammability of fabrics, in tumble driers), add half a cup to unscented cleaning vinegar to the dispenser or final rinse cycle. The smell dissipates, so your clothes won’t smell like a bag of chips!

You can bin empty chemical laundry containers (don’t rinse). For half-full items, take them to toxic waste at your local refuse centre.

Do You Always Need a Washing Machine?

guppyfriend sink filter

If you do a lot of laundry, then buy an energy-efficient brand (shops must recycle back your old one, by law). Or use a launderette. If you only wash a few items daily, hand-wash clothes with a sink microplastic-catcher for synthetic fabrics.

An alternative is a Scrubba Bag, which is like a modern washboard, giving a machine-quality wash in 3 minutes, for a few items of clothing at a time. If camping, pour used water at least 30m away from the nearest water source (streams, rivers etc).

For people on a budget with small spaces, a portable washing machine is an option, easy to move and economical to run. One man recently invented a grid-free washing machine for developing countries.

To clean washing machines, add 1 cup of unscented cleaning vinegar or baking soda on an empty cycle, run on the hottest setting. To clean the detergent dispenser, mix warm water and dish soap, then clean out with a plastic-free cloth.

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