More Canadians than ever before are choosing greener alternatives in their lives; we’re switching to compact fluorescent bulbs, hybrid vehicles and everything in-between. Did you know that one of the ways you can have the most positive impact on the environment is by switching to a greener laundry detergent? It’s true, but many consumers (especially moms with active, messy kids) worry that they might also give up some cleaning & stain fighting power along with those harsh chemicals if they switch to a greener detergent.
Enter Sunlight Green Clean: using plant-based ingredients, this greener detergent works in cold water to help reduce energy use (and your hot water bills), is suitable for both standard and High Efficiency washing machines (which use less water than conventional washers), biodegrades in 28 days and uses 46% less packaging (along with several other environmental improvements in the manufacturing process) than standard detergents.
But does it really work? Our Go2Girlz product testers were asked to sample Sunlight Green Clean, and many of them had the same reservations. Here’s what Jeannine, mom of 1 said: “I was kind of skeptical because I have this impression that environmentally friendly products won’t provide me with good results because it is somewhat inferior. But smelling it and then doing a load of laundry with it changed my mind. It’s surprisingly nice.” And Alana, mom of 3 says, “I loved the smell and how clean my laundry was – even in hard water from a well!”
So, despite their initial reservations, our real mom testers were impressed with how well Sunlight Green Clean performed, particularly in cold water. When asked what they found most appealing about the product, most of the Go2Girlz commented on the “green” characteristic – when we can, we prefer to use environmentally friendly products. Most of our testers also really loved the clean, fresh scent and the fact that Sunlight Green Clean is available unscented for those with sensitivities.
Some of our testers expressed concern about the bottle size; they sampled the 32 wash loads bottle, but it is also available in a larger 96 wash loads size. The only difference between the two sizes is that the 32 wash loads size bottle is available in all four scents and the 96 wash loads size bottle is available in Citrus Fresh and Free & Clear only. One of our testers experienced difficulty in getting fresh dirt stains out of her clothes when using Sunlight Green Clean, but the rest of the panel were very pleased with the results they achieved. Nearly all of the moms who tested Sunlight Green Clean said they would definitely recommend it to a friend, and nearly all of them said they would buy it again themselves, too. In fact, Lisa, a mom of four had this to say, “I will be buying this product again and it will now be my number one laundry soap!”
100 lucky Go2Girlz were asked to try Sunlight Green Clean, and here’s more of what they had to say about it:
“It’s powerful and washes clothes well. It has a nice smell. It’s less packaging than a lot of other detergents, with environmental sensitivity.” – Lisa, mom of 2
“I like that the detergent is clear – when I pretreated my baby’s sleeper, I didn’t have to worry about it bleaching out any of the colours. And the low-sudsing aspect means fewer chemicals, and fewer skin sensitivities.” – Karri, mom of 2
“I really loved the different ‘flavors’ they are perfect for bedding, going to sleep with theses scents is lovely.” – Dove, mom of 2
“Was effective with only using a small amount on a large load of clothes.” – Lisa, mom of 2
“Everyone in my family loved the scent of their clothes after they were washed and dried.” – Lisa, mom of 4
“Great concept – people are becoming more and more aware of how hard cleaning products and detergents are on our water supply.” – Candace, mom of 2
“I liked it and would purchase it again.” – Diana, mom of 3
“Just a great product. From now on, this is the product for us!” – Alana, mom of 2
Be sure to check out our amazing Sunlight Green Clean FREE Sample offer!
Tried this product, my husband liked it, said it cleaned his clothing very well. I on the other hand had an allergic reaction to it so I won’t be using it on my clothing, it made my skin extremely itchy and I had to put calamine lotion on to help relieve the itching.
I like this, it cleans very well and has a nice smell to it. Having a teenage boy, they don’t want to smell like a girl, this makes his clothes smell just right for him! And it leaves clothes so soft, I almost don’t have to even use fabric softener!
My first sample broke in the mail (thanks, Canada Post…) but I received a new bottle and was able to give it a whirl. I also really like how concentrated it is, which is good for the environment, reduces the cost, and saves space in my laundry room (always appreciated!) It seems to work fine – I always pre-treat stains anyway so I don’t really know if it would have gotten them out without the treatment, but it worked just as well as my normal detergent, and I liked it better for the “green” aspect of it!
Have you tried the clean and clear as my child is affected by many and I could only use sunlight sensitive and then tried clean and clear and it worked just fine. but I will not try the scented ones
I loved the product…our clothes came clean using so little of the product…but I’m sad to say I won’t be using the product as my daughter had an allergic reaction to it. She broke out in very itchy hives.
Loved the product and smell. Used it in my HE washer and seemed fine. Would tell others about it. Thank you to Sunlight for the free sample bottle because i will buy it again.
Love this product and will continue to buy it.
I liked the product but the scent was pretty strong. There wasn’t anything that stood out enough that would make me switch from Purex though. It was just another laundry soap.
The smell of the citrus one is AMAZING
Dear Kath and Jen!
This was my first product review for Urbanmoms.ca and for the Go@Girlz…..and I LOVED it. This was such a fitting product for my family as my husband works for Environment Canada, and we are constantly trying to find new ways to help the environment. Jeff my DH, does the laundry, yes I know how lucky I am, usually we pruchase the very expensive power soap from the Meile supplier at 42.00 a box, for our HE Meile front load washer and dryer. This product did just as good a job, seriously we have now run out of the product, (2 adults, 3 kids and lots of vomit in the last 3 weeks). And we have totally switched over to the Green Clean, and the kids love the new smell.We will save a ton of money and the envrionment at the same time. Thank you for the opportunity!
I loved it!!! It works great and it has a great scent.
I found this product to be exceptional at cleaning!! I love it’s smaaller and more concentrated design, it is environmentally friendly in both it’s contents and packaging.
I also found it left a pleasant green apple smell, even though it has a picture of orchids on the bottle.
I was thrilled to find a full-size product in my mailbox – thanks urbanmoms! We’ve used this a few times now and definitely love the fresh scent. It cleans as well as our usual brand. I like the small bottle size and prefer it to the ones that are less concentrated, but admit it takes some self control to make sure we are not putting too much product in. If I can get the rest of the family to use the proper amount, then I will likely purchase this in the future.
I love the smell of it, it isn’t too overwhelming and great for all our laundry. And since we usually wash our clothes in cold water (to save money) this works great! And Wow! Get a lot in small bottle that fits in my busy laundry room!
I receive the full sized sample to test with no problems. I liked the smell (orchid blossoms) but found it was too strong and gave me a headache. I cut the smallest amount recommended in half and found the scent much nicer. The clothes were just as clean.
I got a coupon for a full size bottle. Just tried it and works great.
I loved this product. I am already a fan of Sunlight, and this one works great! It smells great too, AND it’s environmentally friendly! Thanks for including me in the testing! I will continue to use this product.
I received a coupon for the detergant and bought the Wild Lavender Sunlight Green Clean. I had some hesitation about using this on my daughter’s clothes as any non scented detergant usually causes her eczema to flare up, especially with pjs.
I gave it a try on her clothes and surprisingly it worked great on stains (spaghetti never usually comes out completely clean) and it didn’t cause her eczema to flare up! A little bit went a long way and got everything clean. I’d definitely use this again in the future.
I recieved the Wild Lavender Sunlight Green a sample and found it to be a really great detergent. It really cleans the clothes well. The other thing I like about this detergent is that the scent is not overpowering.
This is one amazing detergent.I recieived a sample and was completely blown away
by its cleaning power.I,m sold on this product and reccomend it highly.Ty
Awesome detergent, this smell is so fresh and clean. Thanks, I am absolutely loving it!
I received my bottle intact and loved it! It did a nice job on my sneakers and smells nice also. I was sent the lavender scent.
i didn’t got mine so far
wear can i get a sample.
I got this free full-sized product sample in the mail and I absolutely loved it! The smell was great and the packaging of the bottle is so compact, it definitely is eco-friendly.
I loved the Wild Lavender scent of Sunlight green clean. I can’t wait to try them all!!
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I ALSO GOT THE SUNLIGHT GREEN CLEAN,I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH IT.I HAVE BEEN A TIDE PERSON FOR A LONG TIME,BUT NOW I AM GOING WITH SUNLIGHT GREEN CLEAN.A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY AND THE CLOTHS ARE CLEAN AND I LOVE THE WILD LAVENDER.CANADA POST GOT MINE HERE WITH OUT A MARK ON THE BOX .
Just so that you know, if you received the bottle broken you can email urbanmoms.ca at email@urbanmoms.ca and we will send you a replacement.
I too tested the laundry soap and was quite surprised. I was one of the lucky ones that received the bottle intact. I was pleased to see that it was for high efficiency washing machine as well. The bottle I received was orchid blossom, not 100% happy with the scent. I prefer the smell of GAIN better, but still had a nice scent. I didn’t find that it cleaned any better than my usual brand though. The scent did stay longer. Is there dryer sheets in this scent as well?
Very nice product was very suprised how well it works it even got the diesel smell out of my buddys jeans they were very clean and fresh a little goes a long ays very impressive product!
loved the smell of my cloth after ..
I signed up for and received the full size bottle of Sunlight detergent.Like many others it arrived in the mail soaked through the box and placed inside a plastic bag by Canada Post.The cover was broke off and the bottle of sunlight was completely empty.I was soooooooo disappointed I was really looking forward to trying this product.
I was really looking forward to receiving this product, to test. It’s a little disappointing to see that so many others have received their bottles or coupons, but I have not. Maybe I didn’t get chosen?
The detergent smelled very nice, but the problem I have is that 95% of it was soaked into the box. The lid was still on the bottle, but the bottle was cracked on the side. There was about a teaspoon or so left inside the bottle . . . not enough to do a load of laundry. I really wanted to try out the soap. An unfortunate disappointment. Boy, did I ever get a dirty look from the post-mistress at the postoffice as she handed me the box. Perhaps Sunlight should have put the detergent bottles in a sealed bag and then the box. Perhaps my family will get to try out another product in the future.
I’m very disapointed I really wish I could of tried this and I was really looking forward to get it in the mail but unfortunatley my bottle was empty..I’m not sure what happend…maybe poor packaging?…I really wanted to try this after all the postive reviews Ive seen….
I also really like this product – having been buying it exclusively for the past month. As with other posters – I just wish it came in larger format! A bigger bottle would be even more ‘green’ with less package wastage. There are still so many laundry products out there that dont specifically state for use in cold water so I love that Sunlight has come out with an energy conscious product.
I LOVED this product. I did not pre-treat any of my clothes, including those belong to my 4 year old and my 2 year old. Every stain came out of each article of clothing including the tomato stains. I was really impressed with the subtle scent and happy to know that it is a biodegradable product. Just wish it came in large load sizes as I know I will use this up quickly. Fantastic product!
I wish I could have tried it but my bottle was empty and the cap was inside the bottle. The box was soaked . It sure smelled good though LOL
I was very surprised how well my clothes came out from my first wash. I wasnt too convince at the beginning..i kept looking at that small cap and really didnt thing such little amount could actually clean my load of laundry. Well not only did it do the job but also my clothes smelled really good.
I received the Sunlight Green Clean and I have been using it for the past week. I used it to wash my husband’s work clothes, which get very dirty, along with other laundry and it all came out very clean. The smell is an extra bonus because I found that it isn’t overpowering as some other brands have been. I like the size of the bottle as it doesn’t take up alot of room in the cupboard and you don’t have to use alot for each load, which will save you money. All in all, I will definitely be purchasing Sunlight Green Clean in the future. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try this terrific product.
I got a chance to try sunlight green clean and was impressed at how clean the clothes came out. I appreciated the opportunity to try this because of how much laundry I do on a weekly basis.
I too, was impressed with the amount of detergent that you use to clean a large load you hardly need any! I love the citrus scent. I Like green products!! especially if they are affordable. Great product!
Oops! Divine, not devine, lol.
I was so excited to try this – but alas, I could not! As a previous poster commented, the entire bottle had leaked. I received an empty, but delicious smelling!, bottle in a soaked box sealed in a plastic bag. The lid was intact so I can only assume there is a crack somewhere in the bottle. Too bad because it smells devine! I’ll keep my eyes out for a sample somewhere in the future.
It made the laundry smell so fresh that I didn’t bother to use bounce sheets in the dryer and the clothes still came out soft! Great product!
Ok – I have jocks and jockettes playing a myraid of sports – so things not only get dirty but they have that smell that well could prevent theft if left undetected in a car for too long. Hockey moms will appreciate that! I tried Sunlight green and did not pre scrub (no time) and it WORKED…wow – and the stink was gone! Thanks!
I loved the new Sunlight green clean, it smelled so fresh,Perfect for my family .
tried the green clean and loved it!!!
We love the new Sunlight clean, both our children have senstive skin.. Thank you making a great product
My bottle came in the mail today and was heavily damaged:( The entire contents (976ml) of the bottle was absorbed into the packaging. I am sad I didn’t get to try this out, I was hopeful this would be a solution to my son’s sensitivity to laundry detergents. I will keep reading the comments, and I guess I will make my decision to purchase based on what all you lovely ladies have to say!!!!!
CHEERS!
Would love to try this product.
I Love this parfume!
And its very cool for the planet!
This product is fantastic. When you live in a rural area, with a well and septic…this becomes a concern. What I dump in my septic is going to impact my well and veggie garden. Thanks Sunlight.
Perfect for my family ! Like green products!!!
thnx! recieved it 2day smells great!!!
Looking at these comments about Sunlight, I think I would like to try a sample, somehow, and buy it on a regular basis. I hope someone may have a suggestion for samples. marg , new member from Ontario
Cleaned well with little detergent. Fresh smelling clothes. Love the cold water washing power and scent options. I’ve already bought again to try a new scent!
I too, was impressed with the amount that you use to clean a large load. Mine was fragrance free, which is a great feature as well.
Environmentally friendly and works great– what more could you ask for?
Tried and true…Love the fresh citrus smell!!
Tried and true…Love the product. The citrus scent is so fresh and clean!
This is a great laundry product! The citrus scent smells delicious and the clothing smelled great. The packaging is great for small laundry cupboards! I was pleasantly surprised how well it cleaned the laundry in cold water! I look forward to using this product agian.
I am in love with this product. The price is right and it’s such a nice small bottle it fits perfectly in my cupboard. Works fantastic in cold water which is what i do all of my laundry in. And i am currently trying the citrus scent which i would normally never purchase but this one smells fantastic!
I’m glad to hear that Sunlight comes in a 96 wash load size. That means less packaging that needs to be recycled after the fact. Sunlight also requires less detergent per load than other concentrated detergents.
I like that it is biodegradable and includes plant based cleaning ingredients. If it’s better for the environment — it’s better for our kids too.
I really liked using Sunlight Green Clean. I have used Tide for years, but I will be switching. I love that it works so well in cold water and is so much more environmentally conscious! Great product!
It’s fabulous!! It smells so good and you only need a tiny bit- it goes a long way. I have been a strictly SUNLIGHT girl for 30 years and this passes with flying colours!!!
I tried the Free and Clear. I loved how clean my cloth diapers were afterward and I only had to use the tiniest amount of detergent!
I LOVED Sunlight Green Clean!! It cleaned my clothes beautifully, it smelled so fresh, and its environmental friendly – a dream product.
I loved the smell of the product and how compact the bottle is. Less waste.
Julie mother of 3.
Loved that my laundry was so clean after using this product .. a little goes a long way!!