Squeaky clean?

Monday, April 28, 2008 -- 7:18 p.m.

You might remember this post, in which I talked about buying eco-friendly dishwasher detergent from Whole Foods' refillable machine. The results are in, and I'm sad to say it doesn't work nearly as well as the stuff that's full of chemicals.

But I'm not giving up on it quite yet.

To add to my new efforts to greenify my cleaning, I also picked up a bottle of ECOS laundry detergent from Jewel last night. I've heard of it before, and it seemed like a relative bargain at $7.99 even compared with the typical brands.

Why the switch? Most laundry detergents use lots of chemicals to fight stains and make clothes smell all pretty. They use ingredients like petroleum and fragrances, among other ingredients. And bleach and whiteners can react with groundwater after they go down the drain, affecting drinking water. Those chemicals can be hard on your skin and clothes too.

I haven't tried my new detergent yet, but if you're looking for advice on which ones work the best, check out grist.org's review of a few different brands. While the testing conditions were more severe than what you'd be putting your clothes though, it gives a good idea of what each brand can handle, as well as a rundown of their claims and ingredients.

A few more laundry tips:
>> Wash clothes in cold water to save energy
>> Use a clothes line--it's better for your clothes too!
>> Get an energy-efficient washer/dryer
>> Avoid small loads of laundry