You know those days where you step in the dog’s water bowl, break a vase reaching towards an upper shelf and then leave the house with odd socks only to find that your car battery is dead? I was having one of those on Thursday. And also Friday. Tasked with testing Tide purclean – a new formula of laundry detergent, I thought it would be a great idea to wash the largest king-size duvet in the house for the first time. That’s one of those decisions that resembles my typical ‘let’s invent a new recipe for this special dinner party’ debacles.

Messing Up My Laundry

Not only was I unsure whether the massive bedcover would fit in the washing machine, but when I went to fill the detergent cup, my hand slipped and I poured in about double the recommended amount. Oops.

Thought process: The liquid was so clear, thin and sweet smelling more was probably better.
Further thinking: The duvet was huge anyway, and it probably could use the extra suds.
Result of two ridiculous thoughts: I started the machine.

Some laundress. Half way through the cycle, the machine was overflowing with bubbles and shut down. Whoops. I drained the machine and was left with a soapy, heavy duvet. I’d waste too much water rinsing it in the bathtub and had nowhere to hang it to dry anyway. An idea struck. It’s rainy season in Vancouver and we were about to get a series of three huge storms over the coming days… I’d hang it outside on the balcony railing – the rain would wash the suds away! Tide purclean is free of dyes, chlorine and phosphates, so I’m not worried about soapy residue in the garden.

Yes, my husband laughed his head off. And the kids rolled their eyes at my antics. But it worked. And I have done seven loads of laundry (correctly) since then and have a new favourite product.

Detergent For a Healthier Planet

I have always loved Tide. The only issue I’ve ever had with this great product is that it needed to be more environmentally friendly. P&G products are so wildly popular that the company is in a great position to be a leader in helping the planet. A small step would go a huge distance because their market share is so great. With new Tide purclean, they haven’t just taken a small step. This is giant.

Tide purclean is made with 100% renewable wind power electricity and is made at a site that sends zero manufacturing waste to a landfill. It’s actually the 1st bio-based detergent with the cleaning power of Tide. I love when companies not only meet a target, but work hard to exceed it. To achieve the USDA ‘BioPreferred’ seal, the product must be at least 34% bio-based. Tide purclean is in fact 65% bio-based, so they have nearly doubled the amount of bio-based content.

Looking at the bottle and thin liquid (that obviously produces a ton of suds!) it is clearly different. It is free of dyes, chlorine, phosphates or optical brighteners.

I tested the product in both hot and cold water, and saw no difference in the power – from now on I’ll be saving money and the planet and doing only cold water washes. Heating wash water is the largest driver of energy consumption when running your washing machine, so each step you take toward preserving the planet for future generations add up to make a meaningful impact.

Advancements make me giddy, and the kind that improve our lives as well as saving our precious planet make me want to sing. Good for you, Tide. I love you even more than I did before.

Disclosure: This article was sponsored by Tide, and I would have wanted to write it regardless of the compensation, because Tide purclean is that good – for the laundry and also for the planet.