Anita Dongre’s eco-friendly laundry gel is part of her personal passion project to create goods that encourage a thoughtful way of life. According to research, the vast majority of modern laundry detergents leave a chemical residue on the fabric that, when absorbed over time, wrecks havoc. With an emphasis on social and environmental sustainability, this sustainable offering offers a natural and efficient substitute to laundry detergents made in large quantities. It’s also vegan, cruelty-free, hypoallergenic, and manufactured with organic ingredients.
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ELLE: A laundry gel offering from a designer seems very surprising (and quite impressive to be honest). What made you devise such a product?
Anita Dongre (AD): As a designer, I’m attuned to thinking about the details and the whole journey of what we create. Our approach is always to craft garments that last a lifetime, hence encouraging restyling and re-wearing. The wash care process is key in the preservation of this long lifecycle of an outfit. During the lockdown, while friends were baking banana bread, I finally got time to explore my deep fascination with making a toxin-free laundry product that’s gentle on our skin, our fibres and our environment. I’m so excited to finally see my efforts culminate in the form of the Grassroot Eco-friendly Laundry Gel.
ELLE: Kindly take us through the production of the laundry gel and tell us how the process runs in congruence with your eco-conscious mandate.
AD: The women of Satara make this concentrated laundry gel in a solar-powered, eco-conscious, zero-liquid discharge facility, free of chemicals. It is packaged in a reusable and recyclable plastic bottle with a refilling facility available at our stores. In just its production the gel lives up to the UN sustainability goal #8- decent work and economic growth by giving women a reliable source of income that then fuels community-level change. The product itself is made from ecologically conscious raw material like soapnut- a cleaning ingredient from India’s oldest book, thus making it organic, natural and chemical-free. Safer and softer on the skin as well as the planet.
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ELLE: How does one utilise the product efficiently and are there any fabric / technique restrictions for the same?
AD: The gel is designed to be a concentrate and requires much lesser product to be used than a typical detergent. For best results mix 5 ml of the gel for every litre of water and follow the garment’s washing instructions.
ELLE: What change do you aim to inspire in the industry through the launch of your laundry gel?
AD: I have always loved seeing people re-wear clothes, nothing gives me as much satisfaction as knowing that a garment is living through its entire intended use. Through creating a laundry gel that protects garments and the environment I’m hoping to prove to others in the business that fashion can bring about a positive impact.
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