Product Reviewed: Seventh Generation Liquid Natural Laundry Detergent 2X Ultra (Free and Clear)

Place of Purchase: Target (also available at other major Grocers such as Pick N Save, Jewel Osco, etc

Purchase Price: $14.99 for 64 Load (100 Fl Oz)

Available Online: Amazon.com (Pack of 6)

Product replaced: Tide Ultra with Synthetic Bleech

Ingredients: Aqua, sodium laureth sulfate, coconut alcohol ethoxylate and glycerin, sodium citrate, oleic acid and glyceryl oleate, sodium hydroxide, sodium borate, amylase, cellulase and protease, calcium chloride, trace minerals, and preservatives (explained on their site)

Like the powdered version of this product, I was unable to find any problems with the ingredients, which are all clearly listed and explained on the back of the bottle.

Use: Regular, everyday use including colors, whites, bed sheets, blankets, and bath towels

Results: My wife was more skeptical to try this initially than myself, in large part due to both of our misunderstanding that harsh chemicals and fragrances were actually needed to get tough stains and smells out from clothes.

Turns out that’s just not the case!  Seventh Gen did a more than adequate job cleaning all of our whites, darks, towels, and bed sheets.  In fact, from a cleaning standpoint, if you poured a bottle of Seventh Gen into an empty bottle of Tide, you would probably never realize a switch had been made — except for the absence of unnecessary dyes and fragrances!

We even ran it (as directed on the bottle) in cold water and so no noticeable drop off in cleaning ability – effective running in 45°F to 145°F according to the bottle.  And since there are no fragrances, your clothes come out without any smell so you can be confident that they really are clean and not just masked by some fancy perfume!

Best of all: It’s “free and clear” of perfumes and dyes, the 2X Ultra formulation means that 64 loads can be achieved using half the detergent of non-Ultra (100 oz of 2X = 200 oz of regular) which saves packaging and energy, it’s formulated to work well in cold water, and all ingredients are clearly detailed on the packaging (try finding that on a bottle of Tide!).

Why try it? I decided to try this product after reading Wesley’s review of the Seventh Generation Powdered Detergent ;however, I don’t like using powdered detergents in general as they can leave marks on clothing and not fully spread throughout the washing machine.

That being said, you should try it because it just works and works well!  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised as to how well it actually pulls out smells and stains from clothing and other washables.

The drawback: At $14.99 for 64 loads, it’s a little more pricey than its non-Green competitors which usually run about $11.99 for a comparable size

The Final Thought: What prevents most people from making the switch to a Greener Laundry Detergent?  I would guess one of two things:  1) the belief that because it lacks the fancy (and harsh) chemicals of brands like Tide, it will not clean as well and 2) a premium price tag.

While Seventh Generation Liquid Laundry Detergent still has a slightly higher price than its non-Green counterparts, it clearly does not lack in cleaning ability.  It’s highly effective in cold water, saving you money and energy.  It’s non-toxic, biodegradable , and hypo-allergenic.

If you can spare the extra $3 for every 64 loads of laundry, you won’t be disappointed! Not to mention that as more people hop on board and Seventh Generation sells more, they’ll reach greater production efficiencies and economies of scale resulting (hopefully) in lower prices for all!

EHI There! What green products are you using that you love? What products are you trying to replace? Got an idea for a product you would like to be reviewed? We welcome guest columnists; just contact us!

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