How did it happen?

Let's start from the beginning. The first thing we need to be clear about is that almost everything we humans do is bad for the planet, unfortunately, but that's how it is. The situation is so serious because we realized our mistakes at the last moment, but if we all help each other and do our very best, it will be good in the end, you'll see. So the mission we have is actually to figure out what is the least bad thing to do.

The very worst option is absolutely to throw away and buy new, consumption and overconsumption is something we need to reduce and preferably get rid of completely. However, we need clothes, so it remains to wash and care for the clothes we have as far as possible. Here you now have the starting point and background in the "detergent project from Västerbottenssåpa".

But now we are here, All-purpose detergent for both white and colored laundry is available to order.

Why is it called all-purpose detergent? -Well, it's because you can wash both white and colored laundry with this detergent, you can wash almost all types of garments, even wool and silk. Of course, that doesn't mean you can put everything in the same machine, you still have to separate white from colored and follow the washing instructions, but the detergent does not damage wool and silk because it has no added enzymes.

It also does not contain any bleaches, neither traditional nor optical. All bleaching wears down the textile fibers, so to make the garments last a long time, you should avoid bleaching them. If you still want a bleaching effect, you can add 2-3 tablespoons of bicarbonate to the washing machine, that's enough to get the laundry completely white again.

But the very best way is of course to never wash white with other colors, not even a small stripe on a towel is okay to put in a machine with white laundry.

We have tested the detergent on different types of textiles and different types of stains for almost a year and a half.

Here we have tested blueberries, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and grill oil on washed cotton. Adjusted a little and redone the same test again and again. We have also tested egg white and other relevant stains.

The laundry tests have been saved and documented and so we have worked our way to the result we have here in front of us today. Below you can see an example. This is one of very many tests that have been done during this period.

And now we are here! We have a detergent that, through new technology, does not use as many chemicals as other liquid detergents, it contains no bleach and no enzymes, so it does not damage natural materials such as wool.

We have tested on all conceivable materials and stains, but the most exciting (and nerve-wracking) test we did was on a piece of real silk. And it wasn't just any silk. A relative of ours who is a bit of a textile and craft expert has herself tried to produce silk, dye and weave silk fabric. This was a couple of years ago during an educational trip for craftsmen in Asia. So she was willing to let us test the detergent on the piece of silk fabric she had made herself (just the weaving of this small piece of silk took 4 hours). Said and done, the silk was placed in a laundry bag and washed in the machine (preferably you should hand wash silk but this was a test) on a gentle program for wool and silk and you know what. It is not possible to see the slightest impact on the material.

(Please excuse the photographer who didn't have quite the same light before and after.)