Laundry might be my least favorite job around the house.
With two rough-and-tumble, outdoorsy boys, you can probably understand why. I’ve also never been a huge fan of the smell of laundry detergent, and I’m mildly worried about the wear-and-tear it caused on my clothes and how the ingredients affected my skin. I know detergents are supposed to help prolong the life of your clothes, but when the Environmental Working Group rates many brand-name laundry detergents with a big fat “F” on the environmental scale, I have to wonder if there are any benefits to products like this at all.
Many laundry detergents are really not healthy.
This may not be the news you want to hear since most name-brand laundry detergents work well to get clothes looking clean.
Maybe some of the ingredient information will help you snap out of this “chemical coma”
- The silicon compounds found in many name-brand detergents are known to cause asthma and respiratory issues
- Ingredients such as sodium polyacrylate and peg-75 (which is also linked to cancer and DNA damage) are toxic to our water supply
- The ingredient 1,4-dioxane, a petrochemical solvent found in paints, varnishes, and some cosmetics, has been detected in the original formula detergent (63 parts per million) as well as fragrance-free (free and clear) formulas (89 ppm).
Unless an article of clothing is extremely dirty and unsanitary, is there any benefit to all these harsh salts and chemicals? Even if your clothes are absolutely gross with grunge, you might be better off wearing them dirty rather than coating them with the chemicals listed above.
The truth is unless you work outside and sweat for long hours or your clothes are exceptionally dirty and unsanitary (such as hospital workers), warm water and the agitation provided by your washing machine are enough to effectively clean your clothes… you don’t necessarily even need any detergent!
We are obsessed with clothes that are soft, fluffy, and smell like mountain springs, but at what expense?
Detergent is costly, and most of us probably use far more of it than necessary, meaning our clothes are left with residue that doesn’t get rinsed away.
My kids rarely go a day without a mess of some sort, meaning by the time I get a load of laundry together, I usually need more than just hot water and agitation.
I love the Norwex Laundry Detergent (are you surprised?) because it’s highly concentrated, requiring only about 1/2 – 2 teaspoons for each load, even stinky, dirty towels. It’s also free of fillers and fragrances, so no leftover residue builds up on my clothes or leaves them with unnatural scents. The lack of fillers and fragrances also means less static, and when combined with Norwex Dryer Balls in the dryer, you’re sure to have clean, stain-free, fluffy clothes. No harsh chemicals needed! The Norwex detergent also helped to rid my front-load washing machine of it’s terrible sour smell.
In addition to the original Ultra Power Plus powder detergent (what I use and love), the Norwex laundry line has grown to include some other fantastic detergents and laundry aids:
- Liquid Laundry Detergent
- Laundry Detergent Strips (great for when you’re on the go)
- PowerZyme Laundry Detergent – uses enzymes for an extra cleaning punch
- Laundry Stain Remover
- Fluff & Tumble Wool Dryer Balls
I’ve already made my choice; I broke up long ago with the unhealthy laundry detergent I used to use and will never go back.
Have you tried the Norwex Laundry Detergent or do you prefer another all-natural brand? Have you ever washed a load of laundry with just water and agitation? I’d love to hear your stories or suggestions!
I have hard well water, how much powder laundry soap would I need for my HE top load?
I just ordered from a party over the weekend and I’m excited to try it when it comes in the mail.
I’d recommend starting at two teaspoons and increasing if that doesn’t seem to be enough. Thanks.
I am looking for a clean laundry detergent and looking up ingredients to make sure they are safe for my son who had allergies and asthma. Does norwex disclose the ingredients? I know they aren’t lised on ewg but I can look them up individually.
Hi Candice,
Please send me an email via the contact section of my page. I’m happy to look into the specific ingredients he is allergic to, and discuss more via email!
Can I get a sample of this laundry detergent to try for a couple of loads to see if i like it and if it works with my daughters sensitive skin?
Send me an email, with your request, and email address Beth, and I’d be happy to help you out! Just head to the contact page of my website to do so: https://healthyhomecleaning.com/contact-me/
Hello! Wondering if the UPP would be put directly in the tub of a front loader HE machine or if I should be mixing it with water and put it where the liquid detergent usually goes? The norwex website says not to put the UPP directly on clothes so I’m somewhat confused.
Thanks!
In my experience, most people put it where the liquid detergent goes. Thanks!
Hi, why does the Norwex Laindry Detergent package recommend using one scoop of their sop per load? We were told for a front loader to use 1/2tsp?
Hi Crystal. We find that some people need a lot less than what the bag recommends, depending on how hard or soft your water is. I’m in Minnesota and here we generally find that people use 1 teaspoon in a HE. Thanks for stopping by!
I loved that you mentioned the EWG ratings of many common laundry detergents available in stores. When I visited the EWG website I was disappointed to see that Norwex wasn’t on there. I’d love to know what the EWG would grade Norwex. A source outside of Norwex to tell us how great it is in comparison to everyone else. Just curious, does that exist anywhere that you know of?
EWG rates bad companies for free but charges good companies for rating them. Norwex hasn’t made the commitment to pay for that yet.
What a terrible practice! A few weeks ago, I tweeted to them asking them to look at Norwex and e-cloth products and review them. The ratings should be unbiased and unrelated to whether or not a company pays.
Agreed!
I wish Norwex would get the EWG rating too. The EWG database is my purchasing guide. Love the sample Norwex Laundry Detergent but I want to make sure to use only A rated products. Help a lady out and get rated!
Receiving an EWG rating costs a company money, and Norwex has decided to not pay for that expense at this time.
Hi Suzanne,
I found your page because I was looking for EWG rating results with Norwex products. I reached out to EWG and sent them this blog post to ask them if they require companies to pay for a rating. Here is their response:
“There are no fees associated with submitting products for addition to the Skin Deep or Cleaners Database.
We appreciate your interest in our work!
Kindest Regards,
Asia
Environmental Working Group”
Regarding “EWG Verified Products” Asia said,
“For full transparency, the entire EWG Verified process, along with the criteria and required documentation, is described here. There are fees associated with the verification, but companies must meet the standard.
Thank you for your interest in our work!
Kindest Regards,
Asia
Environmental Working Group”
I hope this will encourage Norwex to submit their items for EWG’s inclusion in their database because I use the EWG database to make informed decisions. This process does not require Norwex to pay.
That’s interesting. It’s contrary to what I’ve been told, so I will have to ask Norwex about it. We do release all of our ingredients so they would be able to add Norwex any time, I would think.
What did you do to get the smell out of your front loader? I’d love to help my in-laws with theirs. Did you just switch to Norwex or did you clean your machine? I have a top loader and I did a few loads empty on the hot cycle with a bunch of vinegar and some UPP. Also, do you out the powder directly in the machine or use the dispenser somehow? Thank you!
Hi Jolee. You can use Odour Eliminator (a cap-full) to get the smell out of a front loader. I find that some customers like to put the powder directly in the machine but most use the dispenser. Thanks for stopping by!
We were told not to use laundry powder in our front loading HE washing machine.
Is it okay to use Norwex in it? What is your take on this problem?
Sounds like a product I would like to try.
thank you
Hi Mary Jane, This is a little tricky to answer without a bit of a ramble. The Norwex Laundry detergent is NOT AT ALL like store-brand powdered laundry detergents. It is highly concentrated with no fillers to leave cakey residue in your machine or on your clothes. It is also highly dissolvable, so again, you’re not going to have bits of gritty powder clogging up your machine. I have a brand new front load washing machine, and I only use the Norwex detergent, and I LOVE it. It’s low sudsing, and you don’t need very much to get your clothes clean. If you don’t want to add the detergent as a powder, you can dissolve it in a little warm water before adding it to your machine. I should point out that although the Norwex detergent is very safe and highly effective in front load machines, it doesn’t have the official “HE” stamp on it.
BUT NOW IT DOES! So exciting that Norwex’s detergent now has the HE seal of approval 🙂
Thanks for the great info! I love these “use this not that” categories