Guest Author - Colleen O´Malley Weber

What are your alternatives to toxic laundry products?

The healthy, environmentally friendly and socially responsible alternative is to use a natural laundry detergent or fabric softener that is hypoallergenic, biodegradable, not tested on animals, non-toxic and free of allergens, dyes, perfumes and petroleum-based solvents.

There are many products out there; the best way to choose is by word of mouth, or trying the products for yourself.

I highly recommend Seventh Generation Free & Clear Natural Laundry Detergent and for my fellow Canadians (only carried in Canada) Claudia's ChoicesTM Ultra Phosphate Free Laundry Powder. We tried so many products and bought this for our daughter’s cloth diapers. We were so impressed that we started using it on all our laundry. It works great with hard well water too!

Vinegar added to the wash can help keep colors bright, reduce static and soften fabrics (but NEVER use vinegar if you are using bleach — the resulting fumes are hazardous).

Baking soda will leave clothes soft and fresh smelling.

For synthetic fabrics or blends (including most no-iron fabrics), there are oleo-based laundry detergents widely available that are biodegradable and do not contain phosphates, fragrances, or harsh chemicals.

You can also experiment with adding a bit (1 teaspoon) of a natural hair conditioner on a small rag, and put that into the dryer as a homemade dryer sheet.

Dryer balls (reusable) can be bought in most home stores now to help reduce static cling. You can also make your own using aluminum foil, just make a ball and throw in the dryer.

To reduce static in synthetic fabrics, run dryer on “air dry” or “no heat” setting until laundry is almost dry, then hang clothes up until completely dry. This will also reduce the need for ironing.

If you need to remove a stain, look at some natural ways to remove it. Here is a great resource for different types of stains and what you can use: (source)

And, my favourite natural way to brighten fabrics, hang them outside to dry. My colours are more vivid and the whites are brighter. Plus the smell (or lack thereof) is so refreshing. Even the stains from diapers disappear after a couple of hours hanging in the sun!

Have any other suggestions for laundry detergent, bleach, or fabric softeners, please feel free to email me directly, or post on our discussion boards.