Hi all. I've been trying to use more "environmentally friendly" cleaners lately and have been using the Bio-kleen premium plus laundry powder for about 6 months or so. I've been relatively happy with it so far, but I've never been a laundry superstar (never used pretreaters or bleach, occasionally will soak an item before washing). My husband and I don't really do much to make our clothes that dirty (with the exception of his running clothes that have the special moisture wicking fabrics that always seem to smell, but I've read that that is a consequence of the type of fabric and hard to get the smell out -but a whole other story!), the real troublemakers are my two daughters, ages 3 1/2 and 7 mos. In either case, the biggest problem I've noticed lately is that the washcloths that I use to bathe the girls come out of the wash and look disgustingly dirty! The funny thing is, I KNOW that my girls aren't even that dirty when I put them into the bath (especially the baby!) and yet, after I wash them, they look repulsive! Someone told me recently that hard water will make your clothes look gray, which the washcloths sort of look like, but in a pattern, like where I've washed on their skin. I'm not sure of the hardness of my water, contacted the water company and for some reason, their report has no information on my area and their "water section" which produces the report has no one available. In any case, I know that there is a LOT of sulphur in the water and I'm not sure what other minerals, but it doesn't smell good and doesn't taste good, but I don't have a problem with getting a good lather, which I thought was a key indicator in water hardness.

Bottom line, these are the ingredients in the detergent I'm using:

Ingredients: natural protein digesters from fermentations, natural oxygen bleach (sodium percarbonate), soda ash, citrate, surfactants from coconut, citrus peel extract, grapefruit seed extract, sodium sulfate, zeolites, low pH silicates and chelators from vegetable fiber.

From what I've read about environmentally friendly detergents, zeolites are better for the environment and at cleaning, which I see is contained in the detergent, but I also know there are no phosphates, which the representative at Asko (which are my laundry appliances) told me that I at least need some in order to clean.

Is my problem with my laundry my detergent, the water, or my lack of laundry know how? I would love some input especially from you laundry gurus here! Thanks, Tracy