Eucalan
Wouldn’t it be great if we didn't need to use as much water to wash our clothes? Mary Ellen Edgar, the founder of Eucalan, found a way for this to happen.
Here’s her story:
“… all started with a visit to a friend in Australia who gave her a Ministry of Agriculture home remedy for a no-rinse laundry product for woolens. Living in the country and accustomed to economizing with well water and a septic tank, Mrs. Edgar tested the formula herself and was amazed at the results; her husband’s red and white Argyle wool sweater washed up beautifully and she saved time, water and energy because of the no-rinse benefit of the formula.
Encouraged and enthusiastic, Mrs. Edgar proceeded to go to the next level and produced the new product on a commercial basis.
The derivative of the company name, Eucalan, is the combination of two of the prominent ingredients from the original product formula -- eucalyptus and lanolin. The eucalyptus scented product is still available along with sweet-smelling lavender (which like eucalyptus has moth-inhibiting qualities) and grapefruit, which has natural disinfectant properties. There is also a non-scented option for people with scent sensitivities and the newest jasmine scented "Wrapture."
In addition to its ecological value, the practical significance of Eucalan is that it can be used in both front and top-loading washing machines as well as in a basin for hand-washing. And with its unique no-rinse benefit, Eucalan is the perfect travel companion, making it simple to wash delicates in away-from-home accommodation and hotels.
…Eucalan offers a new spin on laundry and a practical alternative to dry cleaning fine woolens, lace, embellished apparel, stretch materials, silks, wool, cashmere, etc. The product is also perfect for baby’s clothing, dancewear, lingerie and even upholstery.”
In Their Own Words:
Here are the eco-friendly laundry tips that Eucalan shares with people (Please refer to their product page for information on how to use their natural products):
Eco-Friendly Laundry Tips
Did you know?
* You can cut back water use by at least 50% using Eucalan.
* The lanolin in Eucalan and the essential oils used to scent the product act as natural fabric softeners and help prevent static cling.
* Automatic clothes washers account for about 20% of our total indoor water use
So try:
* Running your washer and dryer at night to ease hydro and water burdens
* Making it a full load or adjust the water level to the amount of laundry
* Spot cleaning items that are not otherwise dirty
* Pre-treating stains ASAP and let sit for 10 min. prior to laundering
* Using warm or cold water rather than hot
* Adding a few drops of Eucalan instead of a conditioner/softener to the rinse water - this avoids build-up that occurs with other fabric softeners (this works especially good on bath towels/bedding - Lavender is the best - it calms and induces sound sleep)
* Hanging or laying clothes flat to dry
* Hand washing when you only have a few items - it's easy using Eucalan
* Doing back-to-back loads in the dryer to take advantage of the fact that the dryer is already hot
* Cleaning dryer vents and lint traps regularly
* Use “wet-cleaners” rather than dry cleaners for specialty items and pressing
