Load #1: Seventh Generation Free & Clear Natural 2X Concentrated Laundry Liquid plus vinegar

Why I picked it: Well known and easy to acquire "green" brand, plus the go-to kitchen solution for every seemingly every cleaning need.

Contents of the load: a bunch of towels

Cost: my husband bought it on sale at Walgreens a while ago, probably under $10

Green Cred:

• Made from plants
• Non-toxic & biodegradable
• Hypoallergenic
• Free of phosphates & optical brighteners
• Not tested on animals
• Kosher-certified
• Removes "blood, grass, wine" -- really, what else is there?

Verdict: Relatively soft, but no delicious scent. Of course, no bad stinks, either. A draw.

Load #2: Win Green High Performance Sport Detergent

Why I picked it: The product was offered to me by a PR person, and I was intrigued by the whole "cleans sporty stuff without the chemicals" angle.

Contents of the load: a bunch of sweaty gym clothes

Cost: they sent me a sample, but the retail cost is $25.99 for 4 bottles (84 fl oz, 56 loads)

Green Cred:

• dye-free, fragrance-free
• all ingredients are from natural, fully renewable sources
• biodegradeable and hypoallergenic

Verdict: It worked, got my gym clothes clean and fresh, although like the first load, no nice scent. However, it's sort of weird and non-green that it comes in packs of little bottles -- maybe it's meant for athletes who travel a lot? Anyway, it would be greener to offer a "big bottle" option. Also a draw.

Load #3: Sweet Grass Farm Lavender Essential Oil Laundry Powder

Why I picked it: I've been sent a ton of products from this brand over the past year, and I love the fresh lavender scent so much that I actually bought more of this, and the dishwashing soap, after my samples ran out. And when you're a blogger who gets this stuff in the mail every day, that means a lot!

Contents of load: a bunch of stinky sweat socks and undershirts

Cost: 4 pounds $12.95 - (good for 58 loads)

Green Cred:

• biodegradeable
• plant-based cleaners
• scented with essential oils -- no chemicals
• low-sudsing formula is kind to the environment
• hardly any packaging -- the powder comes in a paper bag

Verdict: Clean clothes, nice (although very mild) scent, but not super soft. I will try adding vinegar next time.

Load #4: Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent, Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender Scent, 2x ultra

Why I picked it: I saw it at Target and it seemed like a good way to round out this experiment with another "nice" smelling product.

Contents of the load: grimy jeans, dirty t-shirts, sweatshirt

Cost: 50 flz, 32 loads, $11.99

Green Cred: See #1 above, plus a pretty fragrance

Verdict: Everything got clean, the smell was nice but much more subtle than when you're sniffing it like glue on the aisles of Target. Like the Sweet Grass Farm powder load, not that soft, would probably benefit from some vinegar.

My Conclusion
This probably won't shock anyone who's been reading my posts here, but I still crave the Earth-killing Downy. None of the "natural" alternatives come close to the softening and perfuming abilities of that chemical bomb.

The big winner in this experiment was vinegar. I am totally going to pick up a gallon on my next trip to Costco. It seems to actually deserve the raves it gets from everyone! My advice is to pick your favorite green-friendly detergent -- scented or not -- and add a couple of glugs of vinegar for maximum eco-friendly laundry happiness.