Brighter Brights and Greener Whites

As our lifestyles continue to shift in favour of eco-friendly living, we are more than willing to sort our garbage into blue bins and green compost retainers.  Some of us installed water conservation units in our bathrooms, such as the rainwater showerhead, and public transit is enjoying increasing popularity as we leave our cars in park in favour of city buses.

The next step in healthy, earth-friendly living is found in the products featured by the household aisle of your grocery stores: laundry detergents, stain removal agents and fabric softeners.

Already boasting a loyal clientele and long-standing history in chemical-free products (notably predating the green movement), Nature Clean is a Canadian company dedicated to promoting healthy families and a healthy planet.

Nature Clean was established in 1963, when founder Bernie Ross Sr. began developing products to relieve his wife of her severe allergic reactions to standard household cleaning agents. Since then, the Ross family has continued to expand their experiments to cover a wide range of natural cleaning products.  While they offer everything from dishwashing detergents to fabric softeners, we chose to focus on the laundry element of their product line.



Ilisa Chacon, director of marketing for Nature Clean, answered some of our most “pressing” questions:

LM: What sets Nature Clean apart from other “green” Household Cleaning products?

IC: We hide nothing!  We list our ingredients on every label, even though we are not required to do so. We go one step further and give the scientific INCI name so that consumers can research the ingredients themselves to be sure that they are comfortable with it. Other companies guard their ingredients as “trade secrets” and won’t divulge what’s in their products while some others use fluff words like “vegetable based surfactant” — what exactly is that?

But the most important thing that sets us apart is our health message.  We are green and environmental, but even more importantly, we are the safest alternative available

LM: How are the Nature Clean Products tested?

IC: A number of our products are third-party EcoLogo certified. They commission independent lab tests to ensure that our products meet all of our claims.  None of our products are tested on animals and we carry the Leaping Bunny logo to support that.

LM: How do the Nature Clean products compare to their chemical-based competitors?

IC:  Nature Clean products work as well, if not better, than traditional products. However, it should be noted that for products like laundry detergent, we do not add in other ingredients that may not be needed — [for] example, bleach, stain removers or fabric softener. Our philosophy is to provide a gentle, yet effective detergent. But if there are loads that require extra attention, we recommend using one of our laundry products (stain remover, bleach, fabric softener) in combination with our detergent for best results.

LM: We’ve noticed that your products aren’t strongly scented. Why is this, and what do you suggest to customers looking for something stronger?
IC: Our company was formed from the need to provide products that won’t cause any chemical reactions, which scents sometimes can to those who are sensitive. For that reason, we have a variety of unscented products. For those that prefer scented laundry detergent, we have a Lavender laundry liquid as well as a Citrus Blossom. These are scented with essential oils, not synthetic perfumes.

LM: Nature Clean is a Canadian company. How does this heritage affect the product?
IC: We confidently display the Canadian flag on the front of our labels and, where we have space, have our saying “Made by Really Nice Canadians” placed next to our domicile.

Not only does this get a chuckle out of consumers but it drives the point home that we are a Canadian company. Our products are manufactured in the Greater Toronto Area.  There is a big movement towards buying local and we are proud to be able to offer that. 

This Lifestyle writer took some of the Nature Clean products for a test drive including their 3X Concentrate Laundry Liquid eco refill®. The latter boasts of all of the power of regular laundry liquid, but using 1/3 the amount of product and 80 % less plastic than their competitors.

The results? Bright colours and spotless whites. While that strong freshly-laundered scent (or lack thereof) was a noticeable difference, I got used to it quickly, and the quality and softness of my average-sized load was perfectly satisfactory — certainly worth the switch.

Before, we would gasp in dismay at a load tinted an accidental colour. But this convert is delighted to say that all of her laundry has been coming out “green”!•

Photos by - Nature Clean Living