Going Natural in the Wash with Vaska Herbatergent

We’ve been rather verbose about our, ahem, odor from time to time. Be it wet-dog smell after a run, pits that could use extra deo or workout clothes that get rank after a Bikram yoga class, getting sweaty can get stinky. We’ve tried special laundry detergents that are made specifically for laundering workout clothes, but we haven’t really tried an entirely natural one. Because we’re always looking to make the earth a little fitter along with our booties, we decided to give the Vaska line of detergents a go after they hit us up with an email.

I tried two different Vaska formulas. The first was Vaska Herbatergent in lavender, which is a liquid laundry detergent that uses real lavender and “botanical-cleaning agents” to clean clothing and linens without harmful chemicals. To give it a fair shake, I washed just about everything in my home with this stuff: clothes, a sports bra I ran in, sheets, towels, all of it. Unlike more commercial brands that are very viscous, Herbatergent is like water—lovely lavender-smelling water. Add a cap-full to your wash and let it work its magic. It left my clothes feeling soft, looking clean and smelling just slightly of lavender. (Love.) It didn’t appear to be any more or less efficient than my usual Tide, but it certainly didn’t irritate my sensitive skin—and I felt good about using a product that was more natural and eco-friendly. At just about $10 for a 48-ounce bottle (32 loads), it’s not cheap, but it’s not super-pricey either.

The second Vaska product I tried was Spotoff, the natural line’s version of Shout stain remover. In what I’m considering a small miracle, for the entire month I tested the line, not once did my husband or I spill anything that needed Spotoff. So, on a Tuesday afternoon, I popped a bottle of Two-Buck Chuck open and spilled it on a white dish towel that I wasn’t particularly attached to. And then I poured myself a glass and did some laundry. (You know, for work, people.) Although Spotoff didn’t get all of the Shiraz out in one washing, it got A LOT of it out. The stain-remover spray can be used on spills on rugs and upholstery, too, but I didn’t go splashing my wine around to test. That’s more of a Friday night thing. At just about $10 for a 22-ounce spray bottle, unless you have a gaggle of kids or puppies running amok in your home, one bottle should last you a few years, making the cost (and lack of chemicals) totally worth it.

Overall, these natural products seem to do as well as the commercial stuff—minus the chemicals, dyes and overpowering fragrances that can irritate sensitive skin and tick Mother Nature off. When it comes to washing your clothes, do you spend more on more natural products? —Jenn