DETECGENTS FOR WASHER, CONVENTIONAL OR ECOLOGICAL?

Are there ecological detergents in the Spanish market?Is it a mere advertising claim or are they really respectful?Do they clean as conventional ones?To answer these doubts, we include products that have ecological labels or highlight environmental improvements in our periodic studies in independent detergent laboratories for washing machines.We have results of universal detergents, indicated for general laundry and now also of specific detergents for color clothing.We tested the three most common presentations, dust, liquid and capsules.

The container, pending subject for each other

The detergent is a product with an ecological footprint nothing negligible.But not only for its composition, because it contains contaminating ingredients of the waters or little biodegradables and harmful substances for health, but also for its container.Therefore, to affirm if a detergent is respectful or not with the environment we measure aspects of the container such as the weight of the packaging for each dose and the percentage of filling..., as well as the presence and concentration in the detergent of harmful substances, for the body and for the environment.

The results?Well, in terms of packaging, the analyzed detergents have a lot of improvement margin.

En primer lugar, deberían disminuir la cantidad de material empleado para contener la misma cantidad de detergente y mejorar el porcentaje de llenado que oscila entre el 60% de los detergentes en polvo Wipp Express Limpieza profunda, Ariel Actilift original y Ariel Básico limpio& fresco y el 98% del gel concentrado de Bosque Verde (Mercadona) Ropa blanca y de color.In general, it seems that dust detergents have the worst levels of filling.The manufacturers allude to the compaction of dust during transport and storage, but still the low results are not justified because, for example, green forest dust detergents (Mercadona) White and Color Clothes and Total Dixan manages to raise this percentageUp to 80%.

There is an alternative for sale of much more respectful detergents that solves the impact of packaging: bulk sale.This formula, more common in other products and in other countries, is the commitment of 4ECO Liquid washing detergent on a neutral base, which allows its customers to go with their own container to fill it in the store.Too bad the rest of the results and that its effectiveness against stains is so modest.And we also like the proposal of Carrefour Eco Planet, which sells a “replacement” of 33 dose for its detergent with plant soap, which generates less waste than the new container.

And the composition?

With regard to the composition, we find aggressive products for health and the environment in traditional formats, such as the original Ariel gel, because it contains too many sulfonates (tensioning with a high impact on water) and fragrancesallergenic such as Limonene and Citronellol.

However, there are also formulas respectful of the environment in traditional detergents in any of the three formats: it is the case of detergents in Gel Perlán takes care. Los detergentes “verdes”, como Carrefour Eco Planet con jabón vegetal, 4Eco detergente lavadora líquido en base neutra y Seventh Generation Free&Clear, obtienen muy buena valoración, como cabía esperar.

Ecological detergents that work?If possible

As we believe that respect for the environment should not be incompatible with effectiveness, green detergents have passed the same tests as the rest.As for the elimination of spots, how do detergents respond to the different types of spots in a cast?

El detergente ecológico Seventh Generation Powered by plants free & clear demuestra que el respeto al medioambiente no es incompatible con la eficacia detergente eficaz y por eso obtiene el galardón Compra Eco .This award also reaches the conventional Perlán product takes care of and repairs all the clothes, demonstrating that the protection of the environment is possible using certain conventional detergents.Any of the products is a good option for sensitized consumers, who bet on respecting the environment.Is it your case?

Help us change things: Change the green

The most expensive, the detergent in capsules

Is it more expensive to resort to an ecological detergent?According to our analysis, this does not have to be so.

El precio medio de los detergentes ecológicos analizados no es superior al de los detergentes convencionales, salvo en el caso del Seventh Generation Free&Clear, cuya dosis (líquida) tiene un precio medio de 0,36 euros, casi el doble que el resto de los detergentes analizados.

Of course you can spend half, 0.19 euros per dose, if you opThe environmental aspects.It is also convenient to know what type of establishments you can buy each “Eco” brand: the Seventh Generation of Unilever.

What is certainly more expensive is to opt for the format in capsules: while the average cost of a capsule detergent is 0.26 euros, the dose of liquid and dust is maintained at 0.18 euros.