.: Editor's Pick :.

.: Everyday Detergents

First things first. Your clothes need to be thoroughly cleaned, not destroyed.

Nellie's All-Natural Laundry Soda not only cleans all the way down to the fiber, it rinses out completely and leaves no residue. Perfect for sensitive skin, all you need is a tablespoon for your load. Fret not if you see no suds, it's because all you have with Nellie's is nature at work;  it's non-toxic, biodegradable and hypoallergenic. One box is good for 20 loads.

A perfect choice for city-dwellers who schlep their dirty clothes around the block, all's Small & Mighty is a true David of the washing machine. The tiny bottle carries 32 loads of stain-lifting punch, smells great and its tiny packaging's uber-efficiency gives Mother Nature a break as it destroys the word dirt from your laundry.

Running 115 years strong makes for a solid team of mules, not to mention an extra hand in the laundry room. By purifying water, neutralizing odors and controlling the alkalinity of your detergent, 20 Mule Team Borax vastly boosts the cleaning power of your wash. You can even use it to clean everything from your china to your toilet bowl.

All small & MIGHTY, 3x Concentrate Liquid, $6 @ drugstore.com

20 Mule Team Borax Natural Laundry Booster & Multi-Purpose Household Cleaner, $9 @ drugstore.com Get up to 40% off Suncare 'til 08-03-07.

.: Stain Solutions

Fighting stains is a much bigger world than just Shouting it out, and can be much more lovely, too.

Essencia believes that everything in your home should be of spa quality, so why should your stained clothes be an exception? Their Home Essentials Foamy Cleanser dispenses an aromatherapy squirt of dirt-fighting foam that works, but that also goes easy on your more delicate belongings. It's not exactly for red wine stains, but it's surprisingly efficient nonetheless.

Don’t let its short stature fool you. The unbeatable power of Oxi Clean just got mobile. Their Spray-A-Way Instant Stain Remover not only shames the toughest of stains, its tiny packaging is perfect to throw in your handbag.

Of all the fancy stain-fighting solutions out there, The Laundress' may be number one. Compact and fragrant, it does a good job on everything from chocolate to wine. You can also check out Laundress.com for their stain-fighting recipes.

And, of course, if you’re fighting a blood stain: you only have one solution. Apply ice to it, and the stain will be gone by the time the ice melts.

Oxi Clean Spray-A-Way Instant Stain Remover, $3.50 @ Walgreens.com

The Laundress Wash & Stain Bar, $14 @ beauty.com

.: Fabric Softner & Dryer Goodies

Back in the day, we used to only have dryer sheets that reeked of something unnatural (and would irritate your skin if you were sensitive). Today, the options are limitless, from allergy-friendly to divinely scented sachets.

Sun & Earth's Ultra Fabric Softener not only relaxes the fibers of your clothing, but gives them a light, citrusy scent in a hypoallergenic, non-toxic formula that’s kind to Mother Earth.

Unlike its stinky predecessor, Bounce Free is the savior of dryer sheets for those of us with sensitive skin. The sheets soften your clothes and leave them static-free, but don’t leave you in hives.

Dryer sachets are quite popular these days, giving your clothes a gentle infusion of herbs from everywhere from Provence to India. Though the scent is light coming out of the drier, they tend to come out—quite handily—when you're hot and sweaty, which may save you a little bit of stinky embarrassment. Some of our favorites are Farmouse's Lemon Verbena Laundry Sachets and Essencia's Lavender Dryer Bags.

Bounce Fabric Softener Sheets, Free of Dyes and Perfumes (3 pack), $20 @ Amazon.com

Farmhouse Laundry Sachets, $6 for 3 pack @ arenaturals.com

.: Travel & Delicates

So you're on the go or you're dealing with highly touchy fabrics… fret not, we have solutions to your problems.

For a top-of-the-line excursion into both delicates and travel, look no further than Tocca's Delicato di Viaggio Gift Set. Inside, you’ll find four tiny bottles of wash for delicates (in their Florence, Cleopatra, Touch and Stella scents), and one of the most beautiful lace lingerie bags of which you could ever dream. The whole scene is out of "A Room With a View", making for quite the travel companion—or gift, of course.

For a more sturdy way of washing your delicates and lingerie, put them in Fashion Forms' Lingerie Laundry Bag before putting them in your wash. The durable mesh bag was designed specifically for bras and panties, allowing soap and water to flow through with maximum cleansing, yet with minimal damage to your precious goods.

For a perfect combination of on-the-go softening and static-free pow wow, turn to the genius Wash-Eze 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets. The softly scented sheets wrap up washing, softening and drying in a sheet that you put in your load, making it ready to go by the time it’s out of the dryer. If you’ve got a big load, just use two sheets. Perfect for travelers, students, military members and campers.

Lingerie Bag 889 by Fashion Forms, $6.50 @ freshpair.com Save up to 75% off clearance items

Wash-Eze 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets, $5 @ Camping World.com