Ask Dr. Pete: Are laundry pods and sheets really sustainable?
At Dirty Labs, we're occasionally asked why we don't create laundry pods or sheets. After all, they're very convenient and seem really sustainable and innovative.
So why not?
We asked our chief sc...
10/20/21 Safety & Sustainability
Where Does Your Water Come From?
Whether you take a shower every day, brush your teeth twice a day (like you’re supposed to), or flush your toilet more than a few times per day (we’re not judging), we’re all, very likely, unfamil...
10/11/21 Safety & Sustainability
Where Does Your Water Go?
This is a story about water—
the element that makes up more than most of our body mass and probably seems, to a lot of people, a readily-accessible, never-ending source of life. To those lucky...
Ask Dr. Pete: What are Optical Brighteners and Why Should We Care?
Before we dive deep into the exciting world of optical brighteners (we know you’re on the edge of your seat), we want to tell you a bit about Dr. Pete.
A product inventor, innovator, and sustai...
Dirty Collabs: Sarah Nsikak, Clothing Designer
The Brooklyn-based designer Sarah Nsikak makes beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces. As a first-generation Nigerian-American and driven by her love of textiles, she created the brand La Réunion to cele...
What is Wishcycling?
You probably have a recycling bin in your kitchen full of empty takeout containers, bottles, cans, and egg cartons. Given the statistics (90% of the US population), you probably believe in recycli...
07/16/21 Safety & Sustainability
5 Easy Ways to Cut Down on Plastic
July is a great month! It’s warm and sunny and it’s Plastic Free July, thanks to a nonprofit organization of the same name. Here are some great ways to cut back on your plastic use—and even go plastic free this summer (or forever!). Read on to learn more.
Ask Dr. Pete: What is Green Chemistry?
A product inventor, innovator, and sustainability expert, he’s the brains behind our Bio Laundry Detergent and was a founding member of The Sustainability Consortium. This month he’s back with a thoughtful explainer on Green Chemistry—and why it matters today. Learn more.
06/05/21 Safety & Sustainability
Our Favorite Sustainable Wine Brands
Welcome to rosé season! In winemaking, sustainability can be expensive and complicated, so props to those who are doing what they can. With that, and to celebrate the fact that it’s warm enough to drink outside now, here are our favorite sustainable wine brands you should be drinking too.
06/04/21 Safety & Sustainability
#VanLife: A Road Trip Packing List
Wherever you’re headed this summer, you’ll need some things along the way to make it a comfortable trip. We’ve rounded up our essential (and sustainably-focused) packing list. Read on for more.
05/05/21 Safety & Sustainability
Tips for a More Sustainable Swim Wardrobe
It’s the best time of year. Temperatures are on the rise, the sun is coming out, and with vaccines now widely available, you’ll hopefully be packing for your first vacation — in over a year — in no time. First thing on your list: Swimwear. But let’s talk about that for a minute.
What Are Enzyme Detergents and How Do They Work?
Enzymes are byproducts of all living organisms. They are not living organisms themselves; instead, they are proteins that act as catalysts and create many essential biochemical reactions. How do they work in laundry detergents? Read on to learn more.
Ask Dr. Pete: On Cellulases and Synthetics vs. Natural Ingredients
A product inventor, innovator, and sustainability expert, he's the brains behind our Bio Laundry Detergent and was a founding member of The Sustainability Consortium. This month's he's back with more helpful knowledge about cellulases and the real difference between synthetics and natural ingredients.
What is Greenwashing?
Greenwashing — also known as “green sheen” — is a lie. You’ve seen it before. You might have fallen for it, maybe you’re a skeptic. It’s the marketing that occurs around green-ness, or sustainability, designed to persuade consumers into thinking a product is “good” for the environment.
Dirty Collabs: Jess Dealy, Atmospheric Scientist and Renewable Energy Expert
A longtime Brooklyn resident currently living in Upstate New York, Jess Dealy knows a lot about something you might have never heard of: offshore wind energy. (If you surf, you might think this has...
How to Do a Load of Laundry: A Guide
Maybe you’ve been doing laundry for years. Maybe it’s your first time. Here’s how to do the job properly while keeping sustainability top of mind.
Why Do Moths Eat Wool? How to Keep your Sweaters Safe.
Keeping the clothes you already have safe and in good condition is one of the best ways to be sustainable with your wardrobe. With winter on its way out (if slowly), here’s a story about moths, why and how they destroy your clothes, and how to keep them safe all year.
01/31/21 Safety & Sustainability
What Can Home Cleaning Learn From Clean Beauty?
Let’s keep this clean.
When it comes to health, the products you clean your house with matter as much as the ones you use on your body. In the past, their formulas tended to be pretty similar to e...
Dirty Collabs: Grizkid, Bear Biologist
Growing up in his beloved home state of Montana, Wes Larson, a wildlife and bear biologist known on his social media platforms as “grizkid,” had two things on his mind: wildlife and dinosaurs. His ...
Ask Dr. Pete: On Sanitizing and Sensitive Skin – Tips & Alternatives
Dr. Pete is back with more helpful knowledge: everything you need to know about sanitizing, including but not limited to whether there is such a thing as too much; and answering questions you may have asked yourself recently, such as “do I have eczema or is it just winter?”
12/31/20 Safety & Sustainability
7 Ways To Reduce Waste & Produce Less Waste At Home
We’ve been trained to look for what’s most convenient, even if that compromises the wellbeing of our planet. Now, in order to conserve, individuals have to create their own systems within the wider system: it’s up to each of us to reduce waste. It comes down to changes in habit.
A Clean Ingredient Guide for Parents
How to choose safe cleaning products for babies, infants & while nursing (& more).
Extending the Life of Garments, Fabrics (& Earth)
Easy, earth-friendly ways to make your clothes — and your paycheck — last longer
06/25/20 Safety & Sustainability
Why We Don't Include 1,4-dioxane in our Laundry Detergent
We made a laundry detergent that’s safe for you and the planet. 1,4-Dioxane is one thing we left out: here’s why.
You’re probably not going to find 1,4-Dioxane on a label, but that doesn’t mean it...