Laundry Showdown
Regardless of whether you put off doing laundry for as long as possible, or have a stringent washing schedule, doing the laundry is an inevitable chore. Like many other consumer products, there is a huge variety of choice when it comes to detergents. Most detergents we find in our grocery store come from the same big companies (Unilever, Procter and Gamble, and Church and Dwight) which all seem to have several competing brands to their name.
| Did You Know? |
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Heating water to "hot" accounts for 90 percent of the machine's washing energy; only 10 percent goes to power the motor. Switching to "cold" can save the average household more than $400 annually with an electric water heater and $300 annually with a gas heater. (Source) Standard washing machines use an average of 40 gallons of water per load, whereas ENERGY STAR approved washers use 18-25 gallons of water. (Source) |
Wal-Mart's Concentrated Trend
As of May 1st, 2008 Wal-Mart has ceased to sell anything other than concentrated laundry detergent in their stores. This has forced companies such as Unilever, Procter & Gamble and Church and Dwight to re-examine their formulas and production of their detergents. It may seem like a small step but this reduces the amount of plastic in packaging and significantly decreases the amount of water needed in the production process. Read more...
What do you think? Is Wal-Mart a pioneer or just another corporation trying to buy into the 'green' trend? Let us know what you think in this week's forum.
Potential Pitfalls?
If consumers purchasing concentrated liquid laundry detergent continue to follow their old habits of filling the cap up to the brim, the purpose of the concentrated detergent is lost. Determining how much concentrated detergent is needed will ensure that you are not over-using the detergent and having to purchase more frequently.
Tips to "clean" up your laundry routine
Wash with cold water. A lot of detergents are now formulated to work just as well in cold water, plus you save on your energy bill.
Always wash and dry full loads of laundry. It is more efficient and friendly to the environment and your pocketbook.
If you buy a concentrated liquid detergent make sure you break old habits and only use the suggested amount. Otherwise you could end up paying more per load by using more detergent than necessary.
See if next time you buy laundry detergent you can remember which company was on the top of your personalized ranking list and consider switching detergents.