"Safer" Dishwasher and Laundry Detergent?

[Shellie]

I have to admit I love things that smell really good and while I'm transitioning our entire home slowly to greener/safer products, I am having trouble giving up my Gain HE and my Snuggle Lavender/Vanilla dryer sheets. I just opened my last box of Gain and my last box of Snuggle (stocked up a few months ago with a sale) and want to replace them with better stuff.

Having less scent doesn't necessarily bother me for dishes and household cleaning but for clothes, bedding and towels, I will miss it! I'm hoping to get some recommendations on brands that smell good and leave the clothes smelling good but are safer/greener. I'm looking at Method (which I think I used in the past and wasn't too impressed), Seventh Generation...and one other that has slipped my mind.

What do you use? How does it smell? How does it clean?

Thanks

[blessedwithboys]

love, love, love my Bio Kleen products!

[Katie T]

We love Charlies soap. It don't leave a fake scent on your clothes (which I really missed in the beginning) but it also leaves no residue to dull your clothes. They smell of clean cotton which is very mild but clean smelling.

It cleans great! I use it on cloth diapers and my husbands VERY greasy work clothes and everything is clean. I don't have to pretreat hardly anything it all comes out with just the CS.

You can find in is some stores but I just get mine on line if you order 2 bags its free shipping. I ordered 1bag to try it out and now always order several bags. It lasts my family of 5 about 6 weeks per bag.

When I first started using it my clothes kinda smelled from all the other built up detergents coming out but that didn't last long.

I don't use any fabric softener of any kind and my clothes are the softest they have ever been even compared to using fabric softener.

They are a natural product and I will forever be a customer.

[LZP]

For the dishwasher, I use Method Smarty Dish tablets in pink grapefruit. smells soooo good when the DW is running, compared to when the old detergent made our kitchen smell like a public pool (chlorine galore!)

For laundry- well I havent gotten there yet either. I love the smell of clean clothes. I dont know how the seventh gen stuff works, but I like the smell of the lavender laundry detergent. Maybe I'll try that if I ever run out of the All we have now. i really stocked up. i will say that I used fab soft less and less, but adding a little vinegar to the rinse seems to help keep the clothes really soft since it removes more soap residue.

[artemis33]

For the dishwasher I use Ecover Tabs (though those grapefruit method ones sound really nice - I might try those next time!).

In the sink I use Country Save liquid dish soap.

For laundry I use Country Save powder and have used the liquid in the past (powder better deal $, and HE safe). Very gentle, no dye/fragrance and it is safe for cloth diapers and our septic. OH and for our HE frontloader

I have some unscented Seventh Gen dryer sheets to appease DH (he hates static and threatens to buy the icky ones so this is a compromise) and also some lavender sachets (TJs has some, or other places) if it is something I want a little scent in. The sachets last for maybe 6 loads before they start to wear out and then I sprinkle the lavender on a rug and vacuum it up.

I also had a box of Mrs. Meyers sheets that were lavender - not sure how eco friendly those really are though - but they seemed better than the standard ones and I got those before I found the seventh gen ones - they did smell great and the box lasted forever.

[lucyem]

I really like Biokleen for both dishes and laundry.

[Shellie]

Thanks mamas! I ordered a case of 7th generation dish soap...still deciding on the laundry stuff. Since I am so picky. But good to know Mrs. Meyers dryer sheets are nicely scented! I may just try a few things in smaller quantities locally before investing $50+ in a case of something on Amazon.

[MissMommyNiceNice]

Mrs. Meyers offers dryer sheets in various flavors. My favorite is Rose Geranium. They also make matching laundry soap, but I prefer 7th gen b/c of my dipes.

[sophiesgrandma]

Ecos magnolia and lily liquid laundry detergent smells heavenly to me.

[proudmomof4]

You could also go back to Granny's method and put a lavender sachet or some soap bars in your laundry closets.
With liquid laundry detergent, you can also add a few drops of an essential oil of your choice. (I tried it and it didn't leave stains as the detergent contained emulsifier anyway.)

[Drummer's Wife]

Ecover tablets and Charlies soap. Though, I am the opposite in that everything has to be scent-free. I can't tolerate fragrances at all.

[kyndmamaof4]

I love Ecos lavender!

[painefaria]

Originally Posted by kyndmamaof4

I love Ecos lavender!

[Katie T]

Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife

Ecover tablets and Charlies soap. Though, I am the opposite in that everything has to be scent-free. I can't tolerate fragrances at all.

I'm the same way now, when I first started using Charlies soap I really missed the sent, but I was given some used clothes and they reeked of scented detergent and now I'm so glad mine don't smell!

By the way you can use Charlies soap in the dishwasher, but for me anyhow after a couple cycles using it it quits working as well.
But comes in handy when you run out of dishwasher soap before you get to town lol.

[Shellie]

LOL!

I'm loving the 7th Generation dishwasher soap in Lemon scent. It works great! I'd bought a bottle of Palmolive Eco-safe something-or-other and it left a TERRIBLE white powdery coating on everything and I had to run the DW twice just to remove that.

I realized today that Target is carring a LOT of 7th Generation, Mrs. Meyers and Method with prices comparable to Amazon (still a bit cheaper on Amazon with Subscribe-n-Save, no tax and Prime). But on Amazon, you have to buy a whole case.

I did pick up 7th Gen. dish soap in Lavender/Mint....yummm!

Still using up my Gain and Snuggle...about to take the plunge into replacing those with good stuff.

BTW, I smelled several of the Mrs. Meyers scents at Sprout's and I didn't really like them! They seems so perfume-y and strong! Are they less over-powering once they're actually in the clothes?