Product Description

Seventh Generation Natural Liquid Laundry Detergent- Free & Clear - features a unique combination of vegetable based surfactants and enzymes to power out even the toughest stains. Unlike conventional laundry detergents, it won't leave residues that may irritate sensitive skin. We use only ingredients that do not pose any chronic health risks and are safe for the environment. Our new stain fighting formula gets a big boost in protein stain removal because we've added non-animal derived enzymes. Our laundry detergents are ultra concentrated, non-toxic, hypo-allergenic, and biodegradable. They contain no dyes, masking agents, phosphates, petroleum based cleaners, optical brighteners and are not tested on animals. They are kosher certified and safe for septic and greywater systems

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37951 in Health and Beauty
• Brand: Seventh Generation
• Released on: 2005-10-14
• Number of items: 3

Features

• Pack of 3 150-ounce bottles(total of 450-ounces)
• Vegetable-based formula is tough on dirt but gentle on your clothes and the environment
• Non-toxic, biodegradable, and contains no chlorine, phosphates, artificial fragrances or dyes
• Vegetable based cleaners are made from a renewable resources and therefore saves petroleum
• Won't leave residues or fragrances that can irritate sensitive skin and noses

Customer Reviews

Actually works
I have extremely sensitive skin, and I'm allergic to most laundry detergents. The trouble with free & clear detergents is that most of the time, they don't actually work. I went through several brands that left my clothes grimy before I found this stuff. I've been using it for about a year now, and I'm very happy with how clean it gets my clothes. Ordering it online is a lot cheaper than buying it in the store, too.

Relatively Environmentally Friendly
This laundry detergent cleans well, is economical (especially in the larger sizes, of course), and is relatively "environmentally friendly (see below for some questions about this)." 7th generation cleans using enzymes and vegetable-based ingredients instead of harsher chemicals. Moreover, it's non-toxic and completely biodegradable. While it's relatively easy (at least, in some areas) these days to find other detergents that have no phosphates, are concentrated, and have no dyes or fragrances (although it's a little harder to find a product without any of these), this product also contains no optical brighteners, and is not tested on animals.

OK, why brag that your product has no optical brighteners? Well, these are colorless, fluorescent chemicals that biodegrade slowly. Some optical brighteners are dangerous to fish and other water-dwellers, and some can produce eye and skin irritation (although I wouldn't rub 7th generation in my eyes either). Here's the full ingredient list for the product (available at seventhgeneration.com, but edited by me):

Ingredients:
Coconut-based surfactants, Non-animal derived enzymes, Natural water softener and alkalinity builder (borax), agent to wash away soils (sodium gluconate), Viscosity control agent (table salt), Natural fragrance (citrus oil), Preservative (less than 0.05%), Water.

Perhaps ironically, I'm going to lower my rating a little because of 7th generation's full disclosure policy. Borax and table salt are generally mined (the company doesn't mention how they obtain these chemicals--they should), and the fragrance-free detergent contains a fragrance (! ) --citrus oil--albeit a natural one. If they're going to make "no fragrances" or "masking agents" a selling point, then the addition of any "fragrance " seems strange, given the company's disclosure commitment.

Save Earth with seventh generation laundry detergent!
This is a wonderful detergent. It is biodegradable, so you don't have to worry about polluting when you use it. It is gentle, with a subtle, natural smell. I soak severely stained clothes before washing them with seventh generation detergent because it doesn't have the harsh chemicals that take out stains...but soaking works. It even gets out the poopy stains from my son's cloth diapers! I highly recommend this product.