Review summary: Laundry detergent that works great and is made with healthy ingredients but costs a little more than my normal eco-brand of laundry detergent.
I first tried Vaska a couple of years ago and wrote a positive review elsewhere. Although I don’t buy it regularly, it’s the only detergent I’ve found up to this year, that compares to my favorite (Biokleen Citrus Laundry Powder
Product: Vaska Scent Free Laundry Detergent
Cost: $12.22 for 32 load bottle (about 38 cent per load). However, various Vaska products
Vaska laundry detergent has plenty of eco-friendly perks, such as…
- 100% biodegradable.
- Graywater safe.
- Made with plant based surfactants.
- Disclosure of ingredients at website and on packaging – ingrediants include (Plant-Based Surfactants, Vegetable Conditioner, Water Soluble Degreasing Agent, Lavender Extract (Leaves No Scent), And Filtered Water).
- This detergent does not contain: Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (Npes), Chlorine, Phosphates, Alcohol, Optical Brighteners, Animal Products, Epa Priority Pollutants, Or Dyes.
- Hypoallergenic and phosphate free.
- Awarded “champion” status by the EPA – the highest possible award as a partner in the EPA’s Safer Detergent Stewardship Initiative.
- Herbatergent Scentfree and Oxygenbleach have been recognized as safe for people and the environment by the EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) program.
- Vaska bottles are made from up to 50 percent post-consumer content, and can be recycled in most major cities. Bottle also has a recycling reminder; even the lid has a recycling reminder on it (rare).
- Available in larger sizes – nice because it cuts down on packaging.
Any cons?
- The detergent is not tested on animal according to the company. When I last spoke with Vaska (a good while back) they noted that they were going through the process to gain the Leaping Bunny label. Last I checked though, they still were not listed as a Leaping Bunny company, unless they’re under a name I don’t see.
- Price was a little more than my normal detergent at 38 cent per load. My usual detergent is just 20 cent per load. On Amazon, you can’t always buy it direct either, which means you also end up with shipping costs.
- Vaska is not an easy detergent to find. I haven’t seen it in any local stores yet. However it is available on Amazon. One thing to note though is that if this was readily available in all stores, it would likely cost more. Stores often charge companies freebies and other nonsense for placement, which drives costs up. So, in some cases, not being widely available at all stores is a perk, but I have to admit that it’s just easier to pick up detergent at the store.
How it worked
For years I’ve been using Biokleen powder. It’s less expensive than other eco-detergents and works. I have tried other detergents, but none that I liked as much. That said, when I tried Vaska, I didn’t expect to like it much either. Surprisingly I did like it though.
I washed clothes, cleaning cloths, cloth napkins, sheets and even delicate pieces in Vaska, as always using cold water and hanging most of it to dry. The bottle says to use a full cap of detergent, but being me I also tested what happened when I cut that down to just a half cap and results were just as good. In this instance, it means the price is cut to just 19 cent per load, though, I’d suggest using the full amount for really grubby items.
I actually like detergent to smell nice so the second time I got this detergent, I got Lavender, not unscented and it smelled very nice and worked just as well. However, the lavender detergent did cost more. The unscented detergent is perfect for folks who don’t like added scents.
Vaska has added more products since I last reviewed them, including a very well-priced fabric softner
Overall score:
4.5 little trees out of 5. I think Biokleen laundry detergent is a five tree product. I liked Vaska as much as Biokleen, but because it’s very hard to find and because it costs a little more, I knocked off half a tree. Overall, if you aren’t a fan of powder detergent and need a low-cost liquid detergent that’s eco-friendly, I’d highly suggest Vaska.
Learn More:
See my green product rating system and green product rating criteria or read more green product reviews.
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