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Greener Choices Home > Cleaners: Green buying guide 2/09
  Cleaners: Green buying guide 2/09

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Green Ratings    Cleaning products

Listed in order of overall score, which is based mainly on tests for soil removal and redeposits. You can sort the ratings chart by any column by clicking on the header of the column.

NOTE: The companies below provide varying degrees of ingredient disclosure. Companies that claim to disclose their full list of ingredients include Ecover, Trader Joe's and Seventh Generation. Some companies also claim that their products contain no NoPhosphates or chlorine. See ratings below to identify these products.

Ratings last updated: (1) Automatic dishwasher detergents: July 2009; (2) Laundry detergents: July 2009
Click [i] for more information
Product
Click for more informationType
Click for more informationCost per load
Click for more informationOverall score
Click for more informationCleaning dishes
Click for more informationCleaning pots
Click for more informationClaims to Contain No Phosphates
Click for more informationClaims to Contain Enzymes
CR Best Buy indicates an exceptional value


Automatic dishwasher detergents
Cascade Complete All In 1
packet 27¢ 89
Finish Quantum Powerball
tablet 37¢ 78
Cascade Complete All In 1
powder 19¢ 77
Finish All in 1 Powerball Tabs
tablet 28¢ 73
Cascade with Extra Bleach Action A CR Best Buy
liquid 12¢ 72
Method Smarty Dish
tablet 25¢ 65
Finish Advanced
powder 16¢ 60
Simplicity 2 in 1
packet 17¢ 59
Target
powder 10¢ 56
Great Value (Walmart) [ A ]
powder 9¢ 54
Finish All in 1 Gelpacs
packets 28¢ 53
Sun Light OxiAction
liquid 18¢ 50
Cascade with Extra Bleach Action
powder 20¢ 47
Seventh Generation Free & Clear
packet 31¢ 45
Sun & Earth
packet 26¢ 40
Palmolive Eco
liquid 12¢ 37
Cascade with the Grease Fighting Power of Dawn
liquid 19¢ 35
Wave 2X Ultra High Performance
liquid 22¢ 35
Product
Type
Click for more informationCost per load
Click for more informationOverall score
    
Laundry - Conventional These are for standard top-loading washers.
Tide 2X Ultra with Color Clean Bleach Alternative
liquid 32¢ 66      
Tide 2X Ultra for Cold Water (tested in cold water) A CR Best Buy
liquid 19¢ 59      
Tide 2X Ultra with Dawn StainScrubbers
liquid 29¢ 57      
Tide 2X Ultra with a Touch of Downy
liquid 27¢ 54      
Simplicity Hypoallergenic Non-Toxic 2X [ 1 ]
liquid 17¢ 52      
Era 2X Ultra with Oxi Booster
liquid 38¢ 52      
Tide TotalCare
liquid 45¢ 51      
Gain 2X Ultra with Bleach Alternative
liquid 19¢ 50      
Cheer 2X Ultra Dark Formula Color Guard [ 2 ]
liquid 21¢ 48      
Tide With Bleach with Color Clean
powder 23¢ 47      
Woolite Concentrated For All Fabrics [ 2 ]
liquid 32¢ 42      
Great Value Everyday Elegance 2X Ultra (Walmart)
liquid 11¢ 41      
All 3X Concentrated Small & Mighty Stainlifter
liquid 16¢ 41      
Tide Coldwater (tested in cold water)
powder 18¢ 40      
Tide With a Touch of Downy
powder 23¢ 37      
Purex Plus Fabric Softener
liquid 15¢ 37      
Purex Ultra Concentrate Plus Renuzit Fresh Scent
liquid 13¢ 37      
Gain Plus a Touch of Softness
powder 18¢ 36      
Arm & Hammer Clean Burst with Color-Safe Bleach
powder 13¢ 36      
Purex Ultra Concentrate with Color Safe Bleach Alternative
liquid 13¢ 35      
ShopRite Ultra Free 'N Clear [ 2 ]
liquid 9¢ 35      
Arm & Hammer New 2X Concentrate Clean Burst
liquid 11¢ 35      
Purex Ultra Concentrate Natural Elements [ 1,2 ]
liquid 13¢ 35      
Fab Ultra 2X
liquid 14¢ 34      
Win High Performance Sport Detergent [ 2 ]
liquid 64¢ 34      
Cheer Original Color Guard [ 2 ]
powder 20¢ 32      
Arm & Hammer New 2X Concentrate Essentials Mountain Rain
liquid 12¢ 31      
Sears Ultra Plus Stain Fighting Formula 9835 Fresh Scent [ 2 ]
powder 11¢ 31      
Arm & Hammer New 2X Concentrate Free of Perfume & Dye
liquid 11¢ 30      
Sun Burst Clean and Fresh 2X Double Concentrated [ 2 ]
liquid 5¢ 27      
Xtra New 2X Concentrated Lasting ScentSations SpringSun Shine [ 2 ]
liquid 6¢ 27      
Product
Type
Click for more informationCost per load
Click for more informationOverall score
    
Laundry - High-Efficiency These are for front-loading or high-efficiency top-loading washers.
Tide 2X Ultra with Color Clean Bleach Alternative HE
liquid 25¢ 74      
Cheer 2X Ultra Color Guard for High Efficiency HE A CR Best Buy
liquid 17¢ 69      
Tide 2X Ultra Original HE
liquid 22¢ 67      
Seventh Generation Natural Powdered HE [ 1,2 ]
powder 36¢ 57      
Gain 2X Ultra Original Fresh HE
liquid 16¢ 57      
SA8 Premium with Bioquest HE [ 3 ]
powder 46¢ 56      
Kirkland Signature Free & Clear Ultra 2X (Costco)
liquid 13¢ 55      
Wisk Dual Action 3X Concentrated HE
liquid 17¢ 55      
Method Squeaky Green 3X Concentrated HE [ 1 ]
liquid 31¢ 49      
Seventh Generation 2X Ultra Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender HE
liquid 33¢ 47      
All 3X Concentrated Small & Mighty Free Clear HE
liquid 16¢ 44      
All 3X Concentrated Small & Mighty Fresh Rain HE
liquid 16¢ 40      
Purex Ultra concentrate HE After the Rain
liquid 13¢ 39      
A. Being reformulated as phosphate-free. 1. Maker says it's more plant based than petroleum based. 2. No brightener added. 3. Amount used doubled, per instructions, for hard water.
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