A very interesting article in the Wall Street Journal discussed how many people use too much laundry detergent. Not only does this waste money, it actually leads to worse cleaning results, can cause odors and even damage your washing machine. With new high-efficiency detergents and washers, it’s even much more critical to measure detergent properly than it used to be.

What we found most interesting of all was a quote by Seventh Generation’s former co-founder Jeffrey Hollender. He wonders why more people haven’t stumbled upon laundry’s big, dirty secret: “You don’t even need soap to wash most loads,” he says. The agitation of washing machines often does the job on its own.”

We certainly admire his candor. After all he built a famous company that sells laundry detergent, very few people would be willing to make comments that go against their own financial interests. He’s made some other similar statements in the past which have shown an ability for self-reflection and criticism rarely found.

In a world where people tend to always expect the worst of companies and their leaders, it’s important to note that for some people it really isn’t all about the money. We ourselves refrain from selling several products that would be big sellers, because we feel they don’t work and/or are not truly eco-friendly.