Laundry Day Makeover With Buckaroo Organics

Out of all the places in your home that may need a detox, you may be surprised to learn that your laundry room is one of the most important. It goes without saying that most laundry products over-do it on the synthetic fragrance, to the point where their time-released, ocean breeze fragrance is still going hard at the end of a long workday. While that may sound good in theory, the reality is that the chemicals it takes to make a scent stick to your clothes for that long and be that strong are no bueno for you or those breathing it in around you.

Most laundry products have a long list of ingredients that I don’t feel comfortable using around my family, including some that have actually been proven unsafe. Chemicals to condition, brighten, and soften clothes, MEA, chemical foaming agents, and more- but perhaps the most dangerous is synthetic fragrance. I talk about synthetic fragrance a lot, but it really is full of things that can wreak havoc on your health. Synthetic fragrance is found in everything from perfume to cleaning products, and laundry detergent and dryer sheets are usually chock full of it. It’s recognized to be a leading allergen causing reactions that range from sneezing and watery eyes, up to hives, vomiting and severe headaches. Also, the American Academy of Dermatology now named synthetic fragrance as a leading cause of contact dermatitis (rash, irritated skin).

Allergies aside, it also can contain things like Phthalates, which are plasticizers that help the fragrance stick around for a long time, but also are known hormone disrupters and are linked to a growing number of birth defects. Oh, then there’s also synthetic musk which has been shown to be a neurotoxin and proliferate cancer cells.. And the list goes on! Companies actually don’t have to disclose any of the ingredients in their fragrance because it’s considered proprietary by law.  Yes, this is for real and yes, somehow it is still ok for them to put this crap in our products we use in our homes and on ourselves and our children. The sad part is, a lot of “green” laundry options aren’t that much better than the conventional products (Hello #greenwashing). But, there are some safer options and I happen to have a new favorite for the laundry room!

I was first introduced to Buckaroo Organics this spring when a sample of their detergent showed up in one of my subscription boxes. I was immediately impressed with how well it cleaned our clothes and what a good job it did at eliminating odors. All of our clothes smelled fresh and clean, and all the normal kid stains (dirt, food, colored markers.. you know, the works) were gone. I had been using soapberries prior to trying this, and while overall, they did clean our clothes, I didn’t really get the performance I wanted with stains or how our laundry smelled. I feel like towels are always a good marker for how fresh your laundry smells and they were definitely telling me that the soapberries alone were not enough!

Buckaroo Organics Soapberry Suds Organic Laundry Detergent does have soapberries in it, but it’s like soapberries on steroids. It’s beefed up with a few additional natural ingredients that help fight stains and really get your clothes extra clean. It contains: sodium carbonate, sodium percarbonate, sapindus mukorossi (organic soapberry), and sodium bicarbonate. My clothes (and towels) come out of the wash smelling fresh and truly clean, without some synthetic perfume overpowering them.

To help keep your laundry soft and reduce wrinkles, they also have dryer balls to be used in place of dyer sheets. If you haven’t used dryer balls before, then you are missing out! Such a funny thing to get excited about, I know, but I love using dyer balls. Not only do they help your clothes dry faster by fluffing them and giving them more movement as they tumble in the dryer, they soften clothes so well, you won’t miss your fabric softener at all! They’re also reusable for around 1,000 loads, so they’re very cost effective. And since some of us do like a little scent on our laundry, Buckaroo Organics also offers a line of essential oils to be used with their dryer balls. After your laundry is fully dry, put 5-10 drops of the essential oil on one dryer ball and turn the dryer on for another 5 minutes or so. Viola! Clean clothes with a nice scent. I’ve been using their Orange Essential Oil and it’s a hit with the whole family.

Another thing worth mentioning, is that their detergent packaging is very eco friendly, with minimal plastic. That’s always a win when it’s good for you and good for the environment! Since Buckaroo Organics has become a laundry room staple for us, I’ve teamed up with them to giveaway one of their starter sets, which includes their wool dryer balls and a 20 load bag of detergent, over on Instagram later today. They’ve also generously offered my readers 20% off until 9/30 with code: MOLLY20. Be sure to check out the rest of their product line on their site. Lots of cool products to discover. Here’s to truly clean laundry! xo