This eco-friendly laundry detergent is all you need to do laundry sustainably

Meet the Clothes Doctor, the eco-friendly laundry detergent specialists whose range of earth-friendly products has got us really quite excited at RealHomes. Sustainably packaged laundry detergent is difficult to find, with even the 'eco-friendly' ranges using mostly plastic packaging. There are a few glass-packaged options, but glass isn't always the best idea when you're putting on a wash in a hurry. 

The Clothes Doctor range of laundry detergents is packaged in aluminium screw-top bottles that are fully recyclable (aluminium is one of the most sustainable materials on the planet) and can be returned to the company for a refill. Gives putting your washing machine on the eco cycle a whole new meaning...

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But what about the products themselves? We've tested out three out of the four Clothes Doctor detergents available, and we're very impressed. The Signature Eco Wash is a powder detergent suitable for most everyday fabrics. It has a fine texture (much finer than regular washing powder), and we found that it worked well in hard water, leaving only a bit of a residue in the detergent tray. It's pleasantly but lightly scented, leaving almost no scent on the clothes themselves. We tried this detergent on t-shirts and bedlinen, and the results were very good indeed.

Next, we tried the Silk Wash, and this has to be our favourite from the range. The consistency of this liquid detergent is very light, almost watery, which at first seemed a little alarming. However, we were amazed by how shiny and beautifully scented it left our silk pillowcases. The fragrance is completely natural and to our noses smells mostly of good-quality patchouli. 

Our final test was of the Cashmere and Wool wash, and again, we were pleasantly surprised. A powder-formulated cashmere wash would not have been our automatic first choice, but it left jumpers amazingly soft and fluffy and subtly scented with cedar. No residue in the detergent tray at all with this one. 

We have yet to try out the Clothes Doctor's clothing repair services (you can send in your clothes to the company for mending, alteration, and cleaning), but the company's 'rework, rewear, repair' ethos is very appealing. Next time we find a hole in one of our jumpers, we know where to go.