Earth Week is coming to an end, but my Be Home Well promo has been extended until April 24th, so you still have time to stock up on some great environmentally-friendly alternatives for your home and family (10% off your entire order with BAREBEAUTY)!

Spring has sprung, and all I want to do is get outside, but there’s so. much. laundry.  A few months ago, I discovered Eco Nuts and Woolzies at Be Home Well.  These eco-alternatives were just what I was looking for.  I was so tired of throwing plastic detergent bottles in the recycle bin, especially because I knew I could do better as far as what those bottles contained.  I’ve used “natural” laundry detergent for a long time, but many of the popular “natural” brands still contain less-than-stellar ingredients.  You wouldn’t know it, because companies aren’t required to list ingredients in their entirety on cleaning product packaging.

All laundry detergent leaves a film on clothes; our skin absorbs it, and we also inhale it.  And, what does conventional laundry detergent contain?  Some pretty nasty stuff:

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate, which are derived from crude oil (a non-renewable resource) or palm oil (which is causing massive deforestation in southeast Asia).  Both are carcinogens.
• Fragrance, which I talk about all the time here.  Synthetic fragrance almost always contains phthalates, which are major endocrine disruptors.  In my opinion, in 20 years, we will look at synthetic fragrance the same way we look at asbestos today.
• Phenols, like BPA, you know, what they’ve taken out of plastic baby bottles….  Hmmmm.
• Optical Brighteners, which are derived from Benzene, a carcinogen
• Phosphates, which make detergent more effective, but they are extremely harmful to the environment
• Chlorine, which is linked to endocrine disruption and cancer

Ready to make the switch to something that won’t harm you or the environment?  Meet Eco Nuts.  Eco Nuts Soap Nuts are a berry shell that naturally contains soap. They grow on the Sapindus mukorossi (Soap Berry) tree in the Himalayas.  I know, I know, please stay with me here.  The natural soap found in these berries is called saponin – a natural cleaner that works as a surfactant, breaking the surface tension of the water to penetrate the fibers of your clothing, lifting stains from the fabric, and leaving dirt suspended in the water that is rinsed away.  Eco Nuts Soap Nuts are gentle on both clothes and skin, making them ideal for those with sensitive skin, eczema, allergies and psoriasis. Because they are so mild, they are perfect for baby clothes and even cloth diapers (also, they are not really “nuts” so those with nut allergies can rest easy).  All-Natural Eco Nuts Soap Nuts are also great for septic and grey water systems – they are totally biodegradable, duh!  It’s important to know that this soap will not foam or lather.  That is OKAY.  Foaming is really just a visual effect that companies have used for marketing purposes; it’s not an indication of cleaning powder.  I was really surprised and impressed at how well our laundry turned out when I first used them.  They are so cost effective, it breaks down to something like $.10 per load, and the packaging is tiny, and NOT plastic!  I think we’ve found a winner, folks.

What about fabric softener?  Two words: Synthetic. Fragrance.  No!  Instead, try Woolzies, which are 100% wool dryer balls, and last up to 1,000 loads.  They naturally soften clothes, shorten drying time by 25%, reduce static and they are totally chemical free and safe for those with wool allergies.  They don’t make a racket in the dryer, melt, or emit PVC like plastic dryer balls.  Are you afraid you’re going to miss the “fresh laundry scent”?  Then mix a little essential oil of your choice with some water, and spray the Woolzies with it.  It works.  This is seriously a no-brainer!  I stopped using fabric softener ages ago, but static is annoying, and I did miss having some sort of scent in our clean clothes.  Woolzies have been the perfect solution for our house, and so economical.

I hope I’ve inspired you to try out these awesome products this Earth Week.  Together they’re only $41, and will last you hundreds of loads of laundry.  They’re economical, better for your health and better for the environment.  It doesn’t get better than that! Making these small changes at your own pace is what it is all about.  Clean living is a process, it’s not about perfection!  Don’t forget to use BAREBEAUTY at checkout for 10% off your entire order at Be Home Well.

Now, get outside and play!

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