Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent Liquid, Free & Clear Hot

Seventh Generation produces a huge range of household products designed to be kind to your health and the environment. Their range really is impressive with alternatives to every traditional household chemical product.

This 'Free & Clear' laundry detergent is just that, free of any fragrances and petrochemicals (as far as the ingredients list discloses). It is made solely from plant based ingredients, the main cleaning agents being corn and coconut based soaps, soda ash, and borax. The lack of any petrochemicals means this detergent is a lot kinder to the environment once the waste water is pumped out of your washing machine.

As the product contains no fragrances or other volatile chemicals such as ethanol and limonene (common in other cleaning products) it caused no problems for me as a chemically sensitive individual. When dried outdoors on the washing line clothes still smell fresh without the need for artificial fragrances.

In terms of cleaning ability, I'd say this product is among the best of the "natural" brands I have tried. I would have to concede that it's not quite up there with some of the high strength synthetic detergents but the trade off for the health and environmental benefits is very small. Seventh Generation have now added enzymes to this product so cleaning power is now likely to be even better.

Update: Apologies to the formaldehyde-allergic in light of Alison's review, I was not aware Seventh Generation had reverted back to formaldehyde for the preservative. Formaldehyde has been shown in numerous studies to be a significant allergen in those with eczema and other allergic skin conditions. As Alison points out, go for the Seventh Generation powder products instead of this one if you react to formaldehyde.