If you wat to be sure that you are using a truly safe and natural laundry detergent use ordinary soap where you can. Ordinary old fashioned bar soap, or liquid versions such as dr Bronners which can be found in health food stores. You can also buy soap flakes. Soap is a plant derived surfactant which was made by reacting lye (potassium) with oil from plant sources to create the good old fashioned soap molecules that our forefathers used. Using washing soda along with your soap or soap flakes will prevent water hardness from putting your soap molecules out of comission if you have water which is hard.
Only buy detergents which their ingredients are clearly and specifically stated. Many “natural” detergents include in their list of ingredients the name “surfactant”. However, as we have seen, few ingredients which might fit into this group are necessarily really safe. Even plant based surfactants often carry with them dangerous impurities that arose from the manufacturing process, and which can not be completely removed. Do not buy a detergent simply because it states on the label that it is ecologically friendly, or that it is non-toxic or bio degradable. Since most substances do eventually break down, and since even conventional cleaning products are designed with this in mind, the term “biodegradable” is not an indicator of a safe detergent. And, the definition of toxin changes depending who is defining a toxin. The industry likes to define toxin in terms of risk. Choose old fashioned "no risk" ingredients, not "low risk" commercial alternatives. This means you really have to read the fine print when buying laundry detergents, and only choose those cleaning products which use simple ingredients such as washing soda, and soap powder.
Do not use detergents that contain enzymes when cleaning carpets and upholstery. Digestive type enzymes, added to a detergent, can increase the effectiveness of other cleaning agents by actively digesting stain materials on the laundry. A well rinsed laundry will not carry traces of the enzymes once the wash is finished, so enzyme use in laundry detergents should be ok. But, upholstery and carpet cleaning techniques do not necessarily completely remove all traces of cleaning substances from the area, and enzymes which remain in the fibers of these household items may become air borne and lead to asthma and respiratory allergies in susceptible individuals.
When looking for a truly non-toxic laundry detergent look for third party certification.
Third party certification is rare for cleaning products but with all of the possible ills that can befall even the most natural cleaner, unless the cleaner is composed purely of simple substances, likesoap flakes or washing soda, third party certification is probably the only way that you can find out if the detergent that you are looking at really is safe.
Leaping Bunny
This label indicates products made by companies that follow the Corporate Standard Compassion for Animals. Companies with this logo have pledged not to conduct animal testing on either their products or the ingredients which are used in those products.
Green Seal
This label means that the cleaning product has met rigorous health and environmental standards which include:
- Non – corrosive to human body
- Will not cause illness when absorbed or inhaled
- Does not contain 2-utylehanol, alkylphenol etholxylate, phthalates, heavy metals, optical brighteners or ozone-depleting compounds
- Does not contain any ingredient determined by the UN to be mutagenic
- Does not contain any reproductive toxin
- Does not contain any known carcinogenic chemical (based on requirements of 5 different agencies)
- Can not be combustible, and can not contain air pollutants
- Must perform as well as a conventional product
http://www.thegreenguide.com/products/print_pr.mhtml?id=100