Clorox Green Works Natural Laundry Detergent

I'd like to think our family does its part when it comes to taking care of the environment. We recycle, use re-usable shopping bags and avoid disposable products when we can. But one area we haven't yet ventured into is our cleaning products. Laundry is the worst. With three kids I find I spend a lot of time doing laundry. And now with my youngest transitioning from pull-ups to underwear, I find my laundry load has increased.

I think one reason I've stayed away from environmentally friendly laundry detergent is a concern that it wouldn't actually clean.  To prove me wrong Clorox sent me a bottle of their Clean Works Natural Laundry Detergent

The term 'natural' when it comes to a laundry product seems like a misnomer. When asked what natural means and if Green Works products are 100% natural, the response on their site is as follows:

Currently, there is no industry standard definition for natural cleaners. To create Green Works® natural cleaners we set ourselves a very stringent standard. The ingredients must come from renewable resources, be biodegradable and free of petrochemicals. Green Works® cleaners are at least 95% natural. In certain cases we had to use synthetic ingredients, like the preservative and green colorant. But we're working hard to develop natural alternatives so the entire line can be 100% natural.

I love the fresh smell when I open the bottle; even my son remarked on it not smelling detergent-like. The instructions on the bottle are obviously for standard top loading machines, though the front of the bottle does indicate it can be used on all High-Efficiency Front Loading machines (which is what mine is). The lid has two soap level indicators (for normal loads and larger loads) and I was pleased that the amount of detergent needed was minimal (I wasn't pouring a whole cap-full in).

The real test was the finished laundry. I was pleasantly surprised that everything came out as clean as I'm use to with my regular HE detergent. The fresh smell of the detergent when I poured it into the machine was carried through to my finished clothes. I personally love this, but Clorox does have a dye and fragrance-free version: Free and Clear. My kids don't have allergies but my oldest daughter does have sensitive skin, some detergents and soaps can give her a rash, but we had no issue with the Clorox Green Works Natural Laundry Detergent.

A product that gets my clothes clean and doesn't send phosphates or bleach into the water system has my attention.

* Product provided for review.

About the Author Managing Partner and Editor-in-Chief at one of the best social networking and lifestyle sites for moms, EverythingMom.com. Trying to balance life at home with my 3 kids (all under 8), while building my business, working at EverythingMom.com and developing my writing. Oh and throw a load of laundry in and a dinner that isn't burnt. Wasn't working from home suppose to be easier? Posted by Carrie Anne in household product reviews on November 11, 2009 More from this author  |  Author Website Follow Carrie Anne on:  |  |  |

Comments  

 

0 # MizPookie 2010-12-11 21:29

Well, just to share my experience, we tried the Greenworks detergent. Even though I used the unscented, supposedly hypoallergenic formula, it caused me to get dreadful itching. When I stopped using the detergent, the itching stopped as well.

The stuff is hideously expensive if you buy it at an A&P or Waldbaums, and there are much cheaper alternatives, some of them green. In fact, the same stores offer a house brand of green detergent that is less than half the price. (I have not tried it - once itchy, twice shy, and I've gone back to the perfume free/dye free Arm and Hammer that's worked fine for our family for years.

Just my experience, YMMV.

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0 # Flatcat 2011-05-09 07:28

So far, I really like the Green Works Natural Laundry Detergent. Colors seem good, whites are white, and the clothes seem softer than with my reference detergent, Tide. I love tide, but would rather use something a little gentler on the environment, and so far this seems to be it. I'm only halfway through the bottle, so I hope that it will be consistent in the long run, but so far - here's vote for Clorox. Even the price was good when I bought it at Costco...

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