Product Review: Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent Packs
About.com Rating
Single-dose laundry packs are mess-free, convenient and easy to use. Now, Seventh Generation offers their environmentally-friendly laundry detergent in a pack format.
Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent Packs
The single-dose laundry detergent format has been around for several years but the true wave hit United States shelves in 2011. Tide Pods, Purex Packs, Arm & Hammer Crystal Burst Paks, Wisk Deep Clean PowerBlasts, all mighty pacs all arrived at about the same time from the large laundry product manufacturers.
While some offer free and clear versions, Seventh Generation is among the first green laundry products to offer single-dose packs.
The individual packs are safe to use in both standard and high efficiency washers. With either type of washer, the pack is added to the washer before clothes and water are added. This gives the poly-vinyl film more time to dissolve in the water. Average loads require one pack while large loads or heavily soiled loads will need two packs for optimum cleaning. As with other single-dose laundry products, the packs should be stored in a dry spot and handled with dry hands to prevent premature melting.
Seventh Generation is the the most meticulous and open company for sharing all product ingredients. All ingredients are listed on the product labels and you can find more detailed explanations on their website including Material Data Safety Sheets. No animal products are used nor is the product tested on animals.
Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent Pack ingredients include:
- sodium bicarbonate
- sodium carbonate
- sodium chloride
- laureth-6
- sodium citrate
- sodium aluminosilicate
- sodium percarbonate
- sodium silicate
- sodium caroxymethylcellulose
- cocos nucifera oil
- magnesium sulfate
- sodium lauryl sulfate
- sodium carboxymethyl inulin
- protease
- amylase
- mannanase
- Contains no phosphates, dyes, fragrances or optical brighteners.
The product is offered in 30 and 50 pack containers in both Free & Clear and Mandarin & Sandalwood formulas. The outside container is made of 100 percent recycled plastic. It is PETE 1 plastic and is not recyclable in every area. Check with your local municipality. Seventh Generation products contain no animal ingredients and are not tested on animals. The detergent is a USDA Certified Biobased Product (88 percent).
The Seventh Generation Company
Seventh Generation was co-founded by Jeffrey Hollender in 1988 and has become the United States' leading brand of environmentally responsible household and personal care products. The Burlington, Vermont based company is an independent, privately-held company. It's name comes from the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy, "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." Based on core values of sustainability for our planet, the company is always working to make their products better for our planet. Ten percent of all profits are donated to organizations working for positive change.
Product lines include kitchen and bathroom cleaners and paper products, laundry products, personal care items and baby diapers and personal products. Laundry products include: - Seventh Generation Baby Detergent
- Seventh Generation Scented Liquid Laundry Detergent
- Seventh Generation Free & Clear Liquid Laundry Detergent
- Seventh Generation Free & Clear Powdered Laundry Detergent
- Seventh Generation Free & Clear Fabric Softener
- Seventh Generation Scented Fabric Softener
- Seventh Generation Scented Dryer Sheets
- Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Liquid Bleach
Laundry Recommendations
I tested the Free & Clear packets on our regular laundry. I love the convenience of a single-dose pack - no heavy bottle to pick up, no spills, no hard measuring lines to see. I tested the packs in cold, warm and hot water. In each instance, the product performed well at removing everyday soil. Specific stains like oil and red food stains did not come out unless pretreated.
That is one of the downsides of a single dose formula. They cannot be used for pretreating small areas. Keep a stain removal product or some heavy-duty liquid detergent on hand for spot treating.
While Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent Packs did not remove every stains (few products do), I would recommend them for your laundry shelf.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
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