While purchasing that Energy Star washer and dryer is a great first step in making your laundry room green, your efforts shouldn't stop there. Making the decision to go green with your laundry detergents and other laundry supplies is critical both for you and your family's health and for the health of the environment. While ensuring that you purchase green products may be difficult on your own, review this information to make your next trip down the grocery store detergent aisle an easy one.

Unfortunately, due to government trade-secret laws, manufacturers of cleaning products are not required to disclose ingredients on product labels, making it difficult for you as the consumer to make an informed decision. Well nonylphenol ephoxylates, or NPE's, are surfactants found in many laundry detergents that are petroleum-derived and potentially harmful to the environment. In addition to NPE's, other harmful substances found in laundry detergents can include synthetic dyes, fragrances, and other chemicals. Chlorine-based bleaches can also pose a significant health hazard.

So what is the solution? When you purchase detergents and bleaches think "less is more". While the synthetic fragrances, dyes, and brighteners may be appealing to the senses, they do not have any effect on how "clean" clothes come out. So consider whether that "spring fresh scent" is worth the potential health and environmental hazard. Also, because ingredients are not required to appear on labels, do not necessarily be fooled by advertisement of "non-toxic" or "biodegradable". Instead, search for products who list ingredients on labels or those with more specific labels such as "chlorine-free" or "no NPE's". Notable manufacturers who produce liquid and powder detergents without harmful chemicals are Seventh Generation, Ecover, and Bi-O-Kleen. In the end, however, the greenest way to go is to make your own detergent at home. Find out the quick, fun, and easy way here: www.ehow.com