CHOICE magazine's best laundry detergents for performance, price, recycling water and your garden!

Choosing laundry detergents

Great for your laundry, great for recycling, helping your garden grow!

The following contains excerpts from CHOICE, November 2009.

Some laundry detergents make the process of recycling water easier than others.

Due to recent drought conditions, water utilities are doing more to recycle wastewater for use in industry, agriculture and urban irrigation. Yet, as people conserve water, less wastewater is being discharged and we are experiencing higher concentrations of detergent ingredients in wastewater. This limits the potential use of recycled water and greywater, as higher levels of detergent can be detrimental to plant growth and soil structure.

We understand that while you may want to do your bit for water conservation and recycling, when it comes to choosing laundry detergent, you still want a bright, fresh wash and to keep an eye on your budget. That is why City West Water recently partnered with the Water Services Association of Australia and CHOICE to conduct an independent study into laundry detergents, with the aim of uncovering the brands with the lowest chemical load and that were best for:

• recycling water from our treatment plants
• minimising impacts on inland ecosystems
• washing performance
• price
• using greywater on your garden.

Wastewater recycling tests were conducted by a collaboration of CHOICE, Water Services Association of Australia and City West Water. Detergents were analysed for total dissolved solids (TDS), which hinder the recycling process at wastewater treatment plants. A lower TDS value means it’s better for recycling and reuse.

For more information on the study click here.