Laundry Products Research
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pH
Salinity
Sodium
Phosphorus
Na & P
Sulphur
Total Alkalinity

RESEARCH PROJECT

NOTE:   information on wool washes, fabric softeners, additives, bleaches or other washing products is NOT available.  We have not tested hand soaps or detergents, and we will NOT be testing shampoos or conditioners.

Powder detergents are available as either standard powders or concentrated powders.  Standard powders usually have a larger bulk than concentrated products, that is, a larger volume of standard powder is required for a normal wash than a  concentrated powder. Some of the additional bulk in a standard powder is a "manufacturing agent" which in many cases is just a "filler" and takes almost no part in the washing action yet adds significantly to the overall salinity of the detergent.

Some manufacturers produce both standard and concentrated powders under the same brand.  Unfortunately, because the number of washes per packet is seldom marked on the packet, the ability to make a purchasing decision based upon the cost per wash is almost impossible to carry out in the supermarket.

Mixing the recommended rates
Each product was sampled from a freshly opened packet.  In most cases, the one kilogram packet was purchased.  Where the product was supplied by the manufacturer or retailer, at least 100 g of sample was required.

A 50 g sample was poured into an aluminium dish and a moisture analysis was carried out to determine the amount of water in the sample. This sample was not used for further analysis.

A fresh sample was poured into a 40 mL scoop and the sample weighed to determine the bulk density of the sample.  Because most of the recommendations on loading rates were given in volumetric measures (one cup = 250 mL was the most common), all samples had to be converted from weight (the unit in which they are purchased) to volume.  An equivalent weight was then used in 500 mL of water to represent the full load of the wash. 

Where the product was supplied with a "scoop", the volume of the scoop was measured and this volume was used in the calculation for loading rate. There were many varied sizes of scoops ranging in size from 11 g through to 90 g.

Recommended dosing rates
The manufacturers recommend load rates as part of their packet advertising.  It is assumed that these dosing rates will result in a clean wash from a conventional top loading or front loading washing machine. The normal wash rate was selected.

Some products are not recommended for front loaders, some products are specifically for front loaders, and other products can be used in either front or top loaders with different dosing rates for the different machine types.

The powders were mixed at the two rates, one for front loaders  (for specific front loader detergents) and for both types; and the second rate was for those unlabelled (NS) products and those for top loaders.  Thus, from the graphs, one should be able to select the powder and the washing machine type of your choice.

Phosphorus Labelling
NP - no added phosphorus, although minor amounts of phosphorus may be present from the other compounds from which the product is made.

P is a maximum level of 7.8 g phosphorus per wash as self-imposed by the manufacturers.  The reason the level is set at 7.8 g is not clear as at this rate it equates to about 50 mg/L in a wash.

No symbol  or not stated   - some brands had no information that could be used to determine the likely phosphorus contribution from the product.

That a product has no phosphorus is not an endorsement that the products is any more environmentally "friendly" than a product with levels up to the top of the "P" range  (7.8 g/wash).  Phosphorus replacement chemicals, not identified on the labels, may have other impacts upon the environment that have never been assessed.

Other 'nonsense' advertising included comments that the product contained no 'hydrocarbons' or 'not animal tested'.

Sodium Labelling
The scientific effect of sodium on plants and soil has been known for many decades and an awareness of salinity in the broader community is gaining momentum every day as salinity issues impinge upon urban as well as rural areas.  However, the implications of salinity and sodium in laundry detergents has been ignored at most levels of government and the manufacture and sale of products that will end up in municipal sewage treatment systems has been condoned by regulators (by default). The use of some laundry detergents, where the greywater is being used on urban gardens and lawns, has serious environmental outcomes, yet the public are being refused the right to know.

There is NO labelling on any laundry detergent that has been examined in this research project (54 powders) that will give the consumer any reasonable understanding of the likely effects of salinity or sodicity from use of the product or the likely environmental consequences of discharging greywater onto lawns, gardens, pot plants or even bare soil. Absolutely none!

High sodium levels will ALWAYS have an impact upon sensitive plants and in susceptible soils are likely to lead to soil structural instability. What is 'high' sodium will depend upon the application rate  (litres per square metre), frequency, periods between application such that rain may leach sodium deeper into the soil profile as well as the soil type and conditions.

Cautions
There are many cautions on the various brands that leads one to suspect that the products have the potential to be hazardous to one's health.  "Keep out of reach of children" suggests a fairly unfriendly product, as does "seek medical advice" if ingested or contact the poisons information centre.

Biodegradability
As only organic compounds can be biodegradable, often the only components that can fall under this category are the fragrance and the cardboard box.  As most of the other ingredients are inorganic compounds (salts), they cannot, by definition be biodegradable. There is no acceptable standard for biodegradability, only a ranking of various levels of degradability. The often quoted AS/

Numbering System
The number system used for the graphs is as follows:
                     F  = front loader,              T = top loader,
                    the graphs are numbered in sequence        pH =1     EC = 2,    Sodium = 3,   Phosphorus = 4,   Na & P = 5,   Sulphur  = 6
                    the last characters are the reference to the type of graph

                   F2-EC  is therefore  Powder (by default)    - Front Loader   -  graph 2  showing electrical conductivity

Use of detergents in the laundry
Rather than simply pouring liquid or powder detergents over the clothes and hoping they will mix early in the wash, the preferred method is to firstly dissolve the product in water and then pour this cocktail into the machine when there is some water in the bowl. In a top loader, you can pour the dissolved detergent just as the agitation starts. Some machines have special detergent dispensers to mix the detergent at the optimum time in the wash cycle.

NOTE:   Under no circumstances is any of the information on this website to be taken as an endorsement of any product.  Neither should the information be interpreted to suggest that a product does not have some worth in the laundry.  The information is presented to allow purchasers to make informed decisions about the products and the potential impact upon the receiving soil environment, particularly when used for greywater reuse.