August 29, 2021

DELICATE WASH : OUR PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION.

N.B : This post is not sponsored by any brand or laundry detergent agent industry.

We created this article as a consumer & brand owner concerned by our impact on the planet.

If you’re here it’s because like us : you love to support small businesses, eco-friendly products, and you want to learn more on how to take care of our planet in your daily routine.

First let’s start with the facts.

When it comes down to washing your clothes (delicate or not) two things are important to keep in mind :

1 - Micro-plastique release. Did you know that 60% of the water pollution in the ocean is from shreds of microplastic ? Sight… Well that’s quite the sad news, but we wrote about it, so you can find out how to minimize your impact.

2 - The toxicity of laundry detergents. Detergents can be really harmful for yourself and the environment. This is what we’ll focus on today.

A bit of context. You need to know that unlike soap, detergents are hardly naturally made. Most of the popular commercial brands actually contain synthetic chemical components.

Fragrances, (manufactured with phthalates), are classified as allergens, hormone disruptors, and neurotoxins.

1,4-dioxane, is now identified as a “potential human carcinogen”, and is currently being monitored by the FDA. The impact on the planet is already acknowledged and its a chemical that is not biodegradable in the environment.

Alcohol Ethoxylate (AE) and (AES), all the researches show that these chemicals in detergent are actually extremely toxic to aquatic environments.

Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that have been linked to hormonal and reproductive effects, as well as cancer. And toxic to aquatic life.

These are the most commonly used chemicals in your laundry, but they are tons of other chemicals that you need to keep an eye on.

After the exposé comes the good news !!

The amazing news is that you have a lot of small businesses out there that are tackling this issue to its sources.

So we made a selection of our top 10 products for your laundry :

1 - Les petits bidons

sustainable-laundry-detergent-les-petits-bidons

100% natural ingredients.

Les petits bidons is the perfect natural detergent to wash your tights without getting dirty ;)

Our fav? This powder detergent, for a plastic-free packaging.

2 - La marque en moins

La marque en moins is all about transparency, locality, and efficiency.

And we have to say, we love that! Their universal detergent is absolutely perfect to take care of your tights.

3 - Spring

What we absolutely love about Spring?

They have a subscription model so you don't even have to think about it.

Every month you get the capsule delivered and you're done! No biggie.

Bonus : they're sharing, their carbon print. So you don't have to calculate yourself.

4 - What Matters

5 - Cleancult

6 - Klaeny

7 - Nordic Ecoclean

8 - Truearth

9 - Kinn

10 - Simple Living

Of course we were focusing on laundry detergent that is super efficient, and harmless for you and the environment. Keep in mind that the plastic container is also a source of pollution as plastic only gets recycled 1-2 times on average.

The even greater news is that if you don’t have access to all these amazing brands, you can still do your own home-made laundry.

Here the recipe we tested & approved for you :

☘️ 100g of Savon de Marseille (the real one, you have a lot of counterfeit on the market)

☘️ 1L of water

☘️ 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate

☘️ 2 tablespoons of sodium percarbonate

☘️ 30 drops of lavender essential oil

Let everything dissolve in water, and here you are! Your laundry is ready!

If you want to go a step further :

You can always help aquatic life by supporting a local organization dedicated to help and clean the ocean.

Or you can organize a trip with friends and family to pick up the plastic and trash from your shores/river/lake.

Tara expedition : https://oceans.taraexpeditions.org/en/
Bloom association : https://www.bloomassociation.org/en/
Septentrion : https://septentrion-env.com/en/engagement
Surfrider : https://surfrider.eu/en/
The Ocean Clean up : https://theoceancleanup.com/
4ocean : https://www.4ocean.com/

Sources :