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Updated: October 11, 2019
Top-Rated Laundry Detergent Without UV Brighteners
- Tide Pure Clean – is one of the most popular eco-friendly detergents on the market. Their laundry liquid formula is non-toxic, biodegradable, free of phosphates and optical brighteners, and is plant-based (rather than petroleum based). Tide purcleanâ„¢ is the first plant-based liquid laundry detergent that has the cleaning power that you expect and deserve from Tide, even in cold water
- Biokleen – (U.S only) is a company that produces concentrated cleaning formulas in order to minimize packaging, fillers, and energy used in transportation. Their detergents are free of fragrances, dyes, brighteners, and chlorine. Biokleen was founded by Jim Rimer, a former sales rep for a commercial cleaning company. After becoming aware of the toxic effects of the products he was selling, Rimer decided to take a stand and develop his own environmentally friendly cleaning products.
- Earth Friendly Products – (Canada and U.S) has developed a line of laundry products called Ecos. This detergent is 100% biodegradable, contains no chlorine, petroleum, or phosphates, and is made from sustainable ingredients. Earth Friendly Products is a family-owned company that aims to do business in a “socially responsible way that safeguards the earth.â€
What Are UV Brighteners?
There are many types of “brighteners,” but those that are included in most laundry detergent and clothing are outlined and explained below.
Photochromic Dyes
Photochromic dyes are sensitive to UV light or sunlight and impart special color effects color range of end-user products.
When correctly formulated, the products are colorless until exposed to sufficient UV light or sunlight. On exposure, they become brightly colored and then fade back to colorless once they are removed from the source of irradiation.
Photochromic dyes find use in a wide range of end uses. Ophthalmic lenses are the largest application, but other major applications include children’s toys, agricultural films, novelties, packaging, security markers, clothes, and cosmetics. Many other applications are currently being investigated.
UV Brightening Dyes
UV Fluorescent Pigments are used for security, identification, coding, and anti-counterfeiting applications.
These pigments are neutral in color, with a white to off-white powder appearance, and are not noticeable when incorporated into security inks, fibers, and papers. When irradiated with UV light, these pigments emit fluorescent radiation of yellow, green, orange, red, blue and violet colors and so are immediately identifiable.
Some of the common applications are in postage stamps, currency notes, credit cards, lottery tickets, security passes, clothes, etc
Optical Brightening Agent
Optical Brighteners are also known as fluorescent whitening agents (FWA) and are useful in masking the inherent yellowness in plastics, lacquers, paints, inks, photographic solutions, and fibers such as those in clothing. Optical brighteners function by absorbing light in the invisible UV spectrum and emitting light in the visible blue region (400 – 500 mm) via a fluorescent mechanism. The result is a brighter and fresh appearance also known as whiter than white or ultra white. These are also useful in the brightening of other color pigments and increasing the jetness of black pigments.
Optical Brightener Manufacturers and Trade Names
- Blankophor
- Dikaphor
- Intrawite (textile use)
- Kolocron
- Optiblanc
- Tinopal
- Tuboblanc
- Uvitex
- Akzo Nobel
- BASF
- Deepak Nitrite
- Eastman Chemical Company
- Huntsman International
What’s On The Label?
- Disodium Diaminostilbene Disulfonate
- DMS
- Fluorescent Brighteners
- Fluorescent Brightening Agents
- Fluorescent Optical Brighteners
- Fluorescent White Dyes
- Fluorescent Whitening Agents (FWAs)
- Optical Brightening Agents (OBAs)
- Optical Whiteners
- Organic Fluorescent Dyes
Military Combat Uniforms
9/4/2007 – EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska — Laundry additives known as “optical brighteners†should not be used for washing the Airman Battle Uniform.
Laundry instructions for ABUs specify not using any laundry detergents that contain optical brighteners.
Optical Brighteners make the ABU more detectable by night vision equipment and make the ABU more visible in a low-light environment of any kind, by reflecting more of any available light.
Optical brighteners are chemicals that absorb the ultraviolet and violet region of colors in a piece of fabric. They trick the eye into seeing a brighter shade and reflect more light.
Near Infrared (nIR) capability of the ABU is degraded when washed with detergents containing optical brighteners. Because most commercial detergents contain optical brighteners, there is generally no indication on the packaging.
The impact of optical brighteners is permanent; it cannot be washed out.
The only hack I am aware of is to use a UV-KILLER to remove the brighteners from clothing.
Helpful Video
Detergents Without UV Brighteners
Active Wear Detergent (Optim)
All
- Free and Clear Liquid – Military
Allens Naturally
Attitude
BabyGanics
Bio-O-Kleen
BumGenius
Caldrea
Charlie Banana
Charlie’s Soap
Cheer
Citra Suds
Crunchy Clean
- Cloth Diaper Super Blend Soap
Claudia’s ChoicesÂ
- Ultra Phosphate Free Laundry Powder (Canada)
Clorox Green Works
Country Save
Dead Down Wind
- Unscented
- Natural Woods Really? Sure Deer won’t know the difference between real wood smells or man-made synthetic smells?!? Unscented is your best bet! Deer won’t be fooled by the “woodie smell”
Dropps
Earth Friendly Products
Eco-Max
- Liquid
- Powder
Ecover
EnviroRite
Equator
H-E-X
Honest Company Laundry Detergent
Kirkland Signature Environmentally Responsible
Lifekind
Maggie’s Pure Land Products
Method
Mountain Green
Molly’s Suds
Mrs. Meyer’s Laundry Detergent
- Basil
- Lavender
- Lemon Verbena
- Geranium
- Baby Blossom
Nature Clean
Natural Value
- Naturally Gentle
Nellie’sÂ
OXY-PRIME
Planet
Puracy
Rockin Green
SA8 Legacy of Clean
- Delicate Fine Fabric
SensiClean
Seventh Generation
Sport-Wash
Sun and Earth
Thirsties Super Wash
Tide PureClean
Tiny Bubbles
Trader Joe’s
Vaska
VIP
- Hypo-Allergenic
Wonderwash
Woolite
References:
Products & Applications – Optical Brightener – Addpol.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.addpol.com/applications/
Pfli Inorganic Uv Invisible Pigments – Risk Reactor, Inc, http://www.riskreactor.com/categories/fluorescent-colors/pfli-inorganic-uv.html
