Laundry detergent is traditional in the sense that we tend to do as we have always done, without being particularly innovation-driven or even having the ambition to create more sustainable detergents.
Or – yes, we often try by using more chemicals to be able to lower the washing temperature. But is that really the right way to go?
Should we solve energy problems by genetically modifying bacteria and microorganisms to produce stronger chemicals for laundry detergents?
If we apply the same theory to another area, let's say the shower – how would it feel to start washing yourself in cold water but with more chemicals to save energy? Maybe not entirely okay? "Replace your shower and hand soap with an enzyme-mixed cleaning product so you can save energy and wash yourself in cold water and save energy."
This is a strategy that is used to perform well in the laundry tests that are done and published publicly with a lot of fanfare. These tests are designed to handle all sorts of possible and impossible stains with a clear purpose – to sell as much chemistry as possible.
For a detergent to be able to remove absolutely everything in a lab test, it needs to contain a lot of different chemicals. Chemicals that need to be produced, transported, get stuck in your clothes, sit against your skin daily, and be released into the drains.
Honestly, it's quite rare that you happen to soil your clothes with absolutely everything so that you need all these chemicals. Extreme exceptions, I would argue. So, most of the chemicals we pour into the machine aren't actually needed; they're just there to perform well in TV ads and in case you happen to eat blueberry pie, put a lasagna in your inside pocket, fall on the grass, and work on the car at the same time ;)
Multinational conglomerates like to sell at least three different detergents and a fabric softener to maximize the order value per purchase. To say that only one product is needed – not four – is neither profitable nor popular in all parts of the chain. It is also not a business advantage to sell a product that replaces four.
There are an estimated 350,000 different types of chemicals on the global market, and we have long since exceeded the planetary boundary for new chemical substances.
Since 1950, the production of chemicals has increased 50-fold and is projected to triple again by 2050. This is something we do not want to be a part of!
That is why we have developed an all-purpose detergent based on soap – a circular product. We use far fewer chemicals than other liquid detergents on the market, and fabric softener is built into the product. It does not contain enzymes, which means you can wash all clothes, including wool, with it. (Enzymes are often produced by genetically modifying bacteria and microorganisms.)
So – one product instead of four! Fewer chemicals, but the same (if not better) results. But how does it work with difficult protein stains? Lab tests with strong protein stains would probably show poorer results in cold water. But honestly – how often do you forget that you have a raw egg or a lasagna in your inside pocket, and if you wash difficult protein stains at 40°C, they disappear? Should it still happen that you get difficult protein stains, you can also pre-treat the stain and wash as usual – then it disappears easily.
Read more and shop here -> https://vasterbottenssapa.se/products/tvattmedelpaket-citrus