Green Detergents

Tip: when buying green detergents, cleansers and fabric softeners and you want to keep it simple, buy Trader Joe’s generics or Sun Harvest products at Smart & Final. If you prefer Ralphs, Vons or Gelsons, then buy Seventh Generation or Planet Inc or perhaps Clorox’s GreenWorks brand. Avoid chlorine bleaches (it’s usually sodium hypochlorite) and ammonia-based products. Read labels and follow them exactly so that you don't use too much - they show maximums, not minimums.

With some green dishwasher liquids, you may end up with cloudy stains on glasses, but lately I haven’t noticed this. Bleach gets things white because it’s powerful, but if you get a whiff of it, you know it can’t be good for you or the environment. If you insist on using bleach and ammonia, then never store them together – their gases intermingle for a toxic effect and firefighters are keenly aware of this.

Companies are not required to disclose ingredients on their labels. So, my approach is: if they don’t list the ingredients, then I’m not buying them. In one positive sign, some manufacturers are launching a campaign to restrict use of the word "natural" to products where at least 95% of the ingredients are from renewable sources, not synthetics (more here).

You may see detergents like Palmolive’s Eco or P&G’s Ivory Snow or Tide claiming they contain “No Phosphates” but very few brands these days do. Green companies now are using natural-based substitutes and long ago stopped using phosphates (sodium tripolyphosphate), which cause algae bloom in waterways. Also, there is rapidly diminishing use of the “surfactant” Nonylphenol Ethoxylate (NPE). A surfactant refers to a fancy name for a chemical that binds dirt particles, but it can be toxic to fish. In addition, NPE stands accused of being an endocrine disruptor and estrogen mimic. Instead, Trader Joe’s and Planet Inc use a coconut-derived surfactant.