Each towel was washed in a different detergent.

An easy way to help the planet and your family at the same time is switching to eco-friendly laundry detergents.

If you're into cloth diapering, you need to use products that don't leave residue so the diapers perform at their best as well.

I did a test washing three identical towels in three of the best eco-friendly detergents on the market. Here's what I found...

My favorite are the Soap Nuts by NaturOli. You can buy a sampler package for $2.75, which washes 3-4 loads... all the way up to a large package for $17.75 for 60-80 loads.

They're eco-friendly by nature. Soap nuts grow on trees.

They're 100% natural and very easy to use, especially in warm and hot water. Added bonus they have dozens of other uses as well for other natural cleaning solutions around your house! Read more about how to use them HERE.

NaturOli says about it's soap nuts:

"This natural detergent leaves laundry amazingly clean, fresh, and soft, plus provides a plethora of other truly green household cleaning uses. Whether you are an allergy sufferer, have sensitive skin, use cloth diapers, or just want to do your part for a greener earth, soap nuts are a dream come true. Soap nuts release an extremely effective, hypoallergenic, biodegradable cleaning agent with no added synthetics, chemicals, toxins or artificial perfumes."

In my towel test, the soap nuts left the towel the fluffiest of the three and complety fragrance free. You do not need to use any fabric softener with soap nuts. They leave things soft, fluffy, fresh and clean without adding antything else.

You can get 15% off your total purchase at NaturOli by using coupon code GREEN.

Another top quality natural laundry detergent is Seventh Generation's Natural 2x Concentrated Laundry Liquid.

The ultra-concentrated plant-based detergent smells so good. I tried the White Flower & Bergamot Citrus. It is by far the best smelling of the three featured in this article, but it leaves no smell or residue on your wash.

Seventh Generation calls this detergent, "a unique combination of plant-based surfactants and enzymes to power out even the toughest stains." It is non-toxic,  biodegradable, hypo-allergenic, free of phosphates & optical brighteners, not tested on animals and Kosher-certified.

A 100oz container does 64 loads and costs $16.40.

You can get coupons for the Seventh Generation detergent and other products HERE. 

Seventh Generation also makes some great smelling fabric softener if you want to use that as well.

Another good eco-friendly alternative to traditional detergent is Country Save Laundry Detergent.
This one is the most economical of the bunch, priced at $13.99 to $18.99 (depending on where you live) for a 80 load box (which does 160 load for front load washers). 

It leaves clothes clean and fresh without residue or fragrances. Country Save has special info for cloth diapering families HERE.

Country Save says this about its detergent:
Our premium laundry detergent is completely biodegradable. The powder formula provides a safe, gentle wash without the use of dyes, fragrance, phosphates, enzymes, optical brightners or harsh chemicals, without sacrificing superior cleaning performance. It is often recommended for those with sensitive skin problems and for baby clothes. Country Save is formulated to clean clothes effectively while being safe for the environment and future generations.