Review: Wintree Laundry Detergent from Costco

Jonathan likes the environmentally-friendly dish soap he purchased at Costco, and we have mostly good things to say about the gigantic jug of laundry detergent we picked up there a few weeks ago.

We're usually Method people when it comes to laundry detergent -- but we had run out. So when we were cruising the aisles at Costco and noticed Wintree Environmentally Friendly Laundry Detergent, we decided to give it a try.

Much like Jonathan, we were a little nervous because the jug was so large. What if we didn't like it? We'd be stuck.

Luckily, we've been pretty happy with it. When we first unscrewed the top, we were wary. The scent was a bit overwhelming and not all that pleasant; however, we found that after the wash cycle, and a quick spin in the dryer, the scent doesn't cling to the clothes. And everything seems to be getting just as clean (if not cleaner) than it did with the Method detergent.

So now, Wintree's green credentials? First off, it's super concentrated -- a regular sized load only needs the tiniest bit of detergent (meaning, this jug will last forever)! Also, according to the website, its cleaning agents are biodegradable and nontoxic, and the whitening agent is naturally-derived.

Wintree doesn't show up in the GoodGuide yet. When it does, we'll update this post with their rating.

Are there any good unscented laundry detergents availible? I'm sensitive to fragrances (in part because I just don't like some of them but a few trigger migranes and/or rashes) and have been using Tide Free happily for years.

posted by Tiamat_the_Red on September 16th 2008 at 9:18am
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I really like the Method unscented laundry detergent.

posted by techgirl on September 16th 2008 at 11:12am
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I got a jug of this stuff and it's WAY too scented for me. Why do they do that?

posted by spinsLPs on September 16th 2008 at 2:49pm
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Just a quick comment on Wintree. I also use Wintree, and I like it - I use just a small amount of detergent for each load (I fill the cup to the lowest line), and I find the scent mild and pleasant, and it gets my clothes clean just like I like.

However, Wintree is manufactured by Huish, which also manufactures all sorts of not-so-green detergents (as well as Costco's store brand laundry and dish detergents). So, I'm torn. On the one hand, I like the product and I like to think that my purchase encourages manufacturers to seek out more green alternatives. On the other hand, I don't like supporting a company that mostly manufactures environmentally unfriendly products. Does anybody else have any thoughts on this?

posted by elmcclell on October 2nd 2008 at 10:43am
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