It’s something we’ve all got to do. No matter how much we might dislike it, no matter how much we worry the impact it has on the environment, we’ve all got to do laundry. I’ve been incorporating Borax (sodium borate) into my laundry arsenal, since it is a natural mineral, has no toxic fumes, and gives my regular detergent a boost. However, I’ve been looking for something I can completely replace the detergents I’ve always used. I’ve been looking for something more natural.

 

I recently came across Nellie’s All-Natural laundry products. I have to tell you, I’m pleasantly surprised. Nothing against Nellie’s, I just didn’t believe an all-natural product would be tough on really dirty clothes. Using coconut-based ingredients, Nellie’s makes detergent “nuggets.” The little pre-measured pouches of laundry detergent are made of biodegradable wrap that you just pop into your washing machine. They dissolve quickly into the water and contain no perfumes or scents. Which I thought I might miss, but haven’t. They come out smelling fresh, like they’ve been hanging on an outdoor clothes line. My parents had one of those when I was growing up. My friends and I were playing hide-and-go-seek once and my friend Lisa didn’t realize it was there. Running full-steam ahead, the clothes line stopped her in her tracks right across the neck. She flew backwards like a slingshot and landed in a pile of hay. I believe that is the hardest I’ve laughed in all my life. But I digress.

 

You ask, “What about the softener?” No need for Downey here. Nellie’s has something they call Dryerballs. These blue balls (sorry, this is a family show), are tossed into your dryer and Nellie’s claim they will soften the fabric, reduces drying time, and reduce wrinkling. They do this by lifting and separating the fibers in order to fluff and soften them. They also, are scent free. So do they work? I have used the Dryerballs for  a couple of weeks now, and I know they have cut down on drying time significantly. The clothes feel fairly soft, and as far as reducing wrinkling, I always take the clothes out as soon as the buzzer goes off to eliminate the need to iron if at all possible. So, I can’t fairly give my opinion on whether or not they reduce wrinkling. I will say, I will continue using them.

Nellie’s also sells Laundry Soda by the bag, which I had never heard of before.  Again, you will only need about a Tablespoon of this stuff to have a load of your dirtiest laundry come out fresh and clean. Even the boyfriend’s softball pants that were covered in Arizona red dirt, came out looking like new. Have some whites you don’t want to use Clorox Bleach on? Nellie’s makes an Oxygen Bleach Brightener that is biodegradable and hypoallergenic. Plus, your whites will come out ultra-white.

 

Don’t miss Nellie’s Kitchen Dish Powder and Dish Nuggets. Nellie’s can do all your clothing and dish cleaning, and they’ll do it without harming the environment. Making sure you only use what you need, there is no waste.

 

You can find Nellie’s at http://www.nelliesallnatural.com/.

 

By Veronica Cannon