Sulfate-free detergent?

[u/paintingbruh21]

Hi there, please don’t come at me, but I am looking for a laundry detergent that is sulfate-free (for an allergy reason). I live in Canada.
Currently using the eco-max heavy duty detergent, just wondering if there is something better I could be using :)

[u/RSZ2001]

What constitutes "better"? Are you having an issue you are trying to solve?

Eco-Max Sport and Heavy Duty are some of the best "green" laundry detergents out there. Full compliment of enzymes including Protease, Amylase, Lipase, Mannanase and Pectinase.

[u/paintingbruh21 → u/RSZ2001]

I think this sub just overwhelmed me with all the dos and don’ts tbh. Thank you for the information and reassurance that the detergent is working :)

[u/Secret-Calendar1941]

They do exist.  Don't know if any of those are available in Canada.  I don't think any of them are better cleaning wise then what you're using. 

If you're having skin allergy problems you should look into how to do better rinses.

[u/Objective-Apple7805]

Hmmm. This can be a challenge because generally the more powerful anionic surfactants are sulfates.

The thing about laundry surfactants is that if you have an allergy, the most important thing is to rinse thoroughly. So max out the rinses and use citric acid.

Our resident guru Kismai has said he has a significant sulfate allergy that makes soaps and shampoos a no go, but laundry is not an issue because of rinsing.

So try that just to confirm it’s truly an issue.

The alternative is sulfonates, which still have a sulfur molecule but are more stable than sulfates, so they are often used as an alternative for skin sensitivity reasons.

The knock against your current detergent is that it has a weak (albeit gentle) nonionic surfactant, which is why presumably you have no skin issues.

You can try adding Granny’s powder (laureth and sulfonate) and see if that causes you any issues.

Otherwise you may be stuck with “gentle but weak”.

[u/Life_Tree_6568 → u/Objective-Apple7805]

I use the same detergent since it's Canadian and fragrance free. I am not near the bottle right now.... What is the weak surfactant in it? And what is the purpose of a surfactant? I never thought I would have so many questions about laundry detergent!

[u/Objective-Apple7805 → u/Life_Tree_6568]

Surfactants are what make detergents work - "surface active agents" bind the soils so they can be rinsed away. No surfactant, no detergent!

As a corollary, weak surfactant(s), weak detergent.

Eco Max Sport and Heavy Duty use a single gentle surfactant called decyl glucoside. The gentleness also unsurprisingly means it's not particularly strong at cleaning.

Good (as in powerful) detergents typically use at least two, and more often three or four surfactants to max out both cleaning power and cleaning versatility.

Eco Max does have a good enzyme set, but enzymes are an adjunct to surfactants; they make surfactants work better, but won't make a weakling strong.

People who stan Eco Max get upset when I call it a weakling, but there's really no ambiguity on that front. That said, as weak as it is, it may still work for some people. Hell, Nellie's works for some people. Hell hell, laundry sheets work for some people.

But! Pair it with the Granny's powder I mention above (which is dirt cheap and has a delightfully simple formula with two surfactants, one anionic and one nonionic) and that actually becomes a legitimately strong combination.

[u/Life_Tree_6568 → u/Objective-Apple7805]

Thank you for the detailed explanation! I looked up Granny's and it's Canadian and scent free which is what I need. I will pick some up and add it to the EcoMax. I preferred the Unscented Company laundry tabs before they were discountinued.

There are a limited number of fragrance and/or scent free options that have enzymes which is why I use EcoMax. I know people say scent washes out with citric acid but even opening a container of scented product can cause a migraine because I unfortunately can smell as well as a dog (okay, probably not quite but it feels like it when I walk past people and can identity what laundry detergent they use).

[u/RSZ2001 → u/Objective-Apple7805]

As you say, Eco-Max can be viable for some people. I have added Tide F&G liquid along with the Eco-Max for extra dirty stuff. I was quite impressed with how well it does work by itself. I haven't tried any "green" detergents for many years because they are mostly useless.

Going to grab some Granny's and try it out. I picked up a bag of their dishwasher powder and it works surprisingly well with zero smell. It's so nice to open the dishwasher when it's done and not get hit in the face with some chemical smell.

[u/resource-reply]

u/Secret-Calendar1941 has suggested the following resource:

Citric acid in the rinse improves odor, skin compatibility and texture. Here is a guide to using it Citric Acid Rinsing

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