Slideshows

Tiny Bubbles

Big names dominate shelf space in the laundry aisle, but they aren’t the only products helping consumers clean their clothes. Here’s a look at specialty and independent brands in fabric care.

For the Love of Laundry

The Laundress, which fabric care products like a Wash and Stain Bar and Wool and Cashmere Shampoo, was founded by Gwen Whiting and Lindsey J. Boyd, a pair grads from the Fiber Science, Textile and Apparel Management and Design program at Cornell University. The duo recently opened their first flagship store in New York City.

It’s Nuts

Eco Nuts Organic Laundry Detergent sports the USDA Organic Seal. The nuts are dried berries from the Sapindus mukorossi tree. When agitated in water, the nuts produce a natural saponin. The company appeared on the hit TV show “Shark Tank” in 2012.

I Need A Hero

Hero Clean laundry detergent was created by Mike Eaton, marketing exec who has worked on many Procter & Gamble brands. The line, which is designed to appeal to men with scents that skew masculine, is now at Target and online at Target.com

Wash. Don’t Rinse. Repeat.

Soak is a no-rinse formulation for a variety of items from lingerie to sweaters to workout wear to “all the laundry you love,” according to executives at this Canadian-based brand. (For more on the company, see our Jan. 2016 issue.)

Hunting for Odors

Designed for hunting gear, Hunter’s Specialties’ Scent-A-Way Max detergent features activated odor scrubbers that aggressively attract and attack bacterial odors and neutralize a wide range of environmental odors. Odorless and Fresh Earth scents are available.

Smells Like Team Spirit

Sport Suds Laundry Detergent is formulated to dislodge odor-causing bacteria, oils and dirt, leaving sports and high-tech sport apparel free of residue. The company says it rinses away completely and removes residue left behind by other detergents.