Clean 'N Green - #2 Never use laundry soap again?

I was intrigued with the idea that I could use a truly green product - one that did not require the use of laundry soap but claimed to get my clothes clean in the washing machine. So I purchased a SmartKlean laundry ball for $45.00.

The lady who sold it to me was very sincere and said that she will never use laundry soap or fabric softener again. She just puts this laundry ball in with her clothes in cold water and sets her machine for only the rinse cycle - as the wash cycle is not needed. So she saves on both soap and electricity.

Here's how it works as found on the website for SmartKlean:


SmartKlean_med from SmartKlean on Vimeo.

So now that I've used the laundry ball since the summer, what is my opinion?

Not totally convinced. The instructions with the ball state that you will still need to pre-treat stains on clothes as you normally would. My kids are grown so maybe that's why I rarely per-treat anything anymore - although I can slop stuff pretty good on my clothes. Perhaps I've been irresponsible to the environment...but I know that if I throw really dirty clothes in with some Tide (and I use very little Tide), they come out clean without pre-treating. SmartKlean suggests that with your whites, you can throw in some sea salt and vinegar to help them come out white. I purposely tried that with some dingy looking white towels and they were still dingy after washing with the SmartKlean ball, but came out white with Tide. What I felt like I was doing was wasting water because my clothes weren't as clean as I'd like and isn't that the purpose of washing them?

I think the laundry ball is just fine with loads that are not terribly dirty and it's good for your clothes to get a break from time to time without detergent. Many people would love this product especially with electricity bills that are predicted to go sky high. If it works for you even part of the time, go for it! But I'll admit I miss the fresher smell of detergent washed clothes.

I'm afraid I'm a failure at staying green with my laundry. Although I am quite willing to try a few more green laundry detergents. I've tried a few, but always seem to wander back to Tide. I will continue to do my part by using very little detergent, washing only with full loads in cold water (most of the time), running the washer for shorter cycles and less often, and hanging the laundry outside when the weather co-operates.

Incidentally, the internet tells me that "Tide Coldwater is the first detergent ever to be awarded the new Green Good Housekeeping Seal. Good Housekeeping also noted that Tide stood out in terms of

corporate responsibility due to the measures they are taking to become transparent in their practices."

I'm still not sure what Tide is made of - that's a little hard to find on the internet - but for now I will stick with what works with the electricity and water I am using!