fbpx
Twin Cities Mom Collective

Molly’s Suds

Molly's Suds | Twin Cities Moms Blog

At Molly’s Suds, we are all about empowering families to live clean, healthy, vibrant lives. So, to help people achieve this, we’ve created natural, chemical-free laundry care products that are 100% safe for our families and our environment.

It’s why we got started. We went looking for products that would be safe for our own families — products with no risks, no guesswork, and no worry. (If it’s possible for moms not to worry, that is.) This is our story.

Molly’s Suds Came About in a Very Unexpected Way

In 2005, our founder, Monica Leonard, gave birth to a baby girl named Molly.

Molly never took a breath.

No one knew why, and doctors were unable to give Monica any satisfactory answers. As a nurse and mother of three healthy children, Monica knew that there was a reason — an underlying cause. She began researching stillbirths, and as she read, she began uncovering disturbing facts that would forever change her life. These facts sparked the idea that would bring about Molly’s Suds.

Molly's Suds | Twin Cities Moms Blog

The Effect of Chemicals on our Children

In the United States alone, more than 80,000 chemicals have been approved for use by the TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act). However, of those 80,000 chemicals, only 200 were tested for human safety. Thousands and thousands of these ‘approved for use’ toxins find their way into our homes via detergents, skin care products, cleaners, clothing, furniture and more. As they come into our homes, they come into contact with our families.

Our children. Our babies who haven’t breathed yet.

A report from the US Department of Health and Human Services proves that mothers pass chemicals to their babies via pregnancy and breast milk. Tests have shown that newborn baby cord blood and amniotic fluid have detectable levels of multiple non-natural toxins in them.

As conscientious moms who strive to provide the best for our children, we often think about the food we eat, the water we drink, our diet during pregnancy, our stance on vaccines, the best style of educating our little ones, whether we’ve purchased the best, safest car seats — our lists of concern and care for our children are endless.

But we don’t often pause to consider what we’re putting on the skin of our children through skin care products and detergents. Not because we aren’t wonderful mothers, but because we simply don’t know — just like Monica didn’t know.

Many people are unaware of the dangers that conventional home care products pose to the health and wellness of their families because of lack of accountability and transparency required in labeling. Let’s take just one ingredient. Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE’s), which have been banned in Canada and Europe, have been shown to imitate the hormone estrogen in our bodies, which affects our own health and the health of our children — especially those in fetal development. Anyone purchasing a product with NPE’s will probably never even know that this harmful chemical is present in their detergent.

Molly's Suds | Twin Cities Moms Blog

Creating a Laundry Detergent 100% Safe for My Children

“I didn’t want to get sucked into the world of ‘green-washing’ and scare tactics. I was looking for solid evidence. For that, my nursing degree and background in chemistry and science helped me enormously.”

As Monica dug into the studies and research that had been performed, her stack of ‘solid evidence’ grew. She knew that she needed to use something different in her home moving forward and that she needed to share her knowledge with other well-meaning mommas.

She found a wonderful company that formulated custom home care products without the use of petroleum ingredients or carcinogenic compounds. She began to work with chemists to formulate products that were completely free of any harsh or unsafe ingredients, effective in HE and standard washing machines, and safe for the environment.

Finally, after months of testing, studies, formulation sheets, and trial and error, our original Laundry Powder was created. It was voted an instant success by families dealing with severe skin allergies, chemical sensitivities, eczema, and those with compromised immune systems.

These were people that had ‘tried everything else.’ And our Laundry Powder worked.

We were over the moon. We had achieved our first success — our goal of creating something 100% safe for people (even the littlest and the most sensitive) and the planet.

Molly's Suds | Twin Cities Moms Blog

Fast Forward a Decade or So

We, of course, didn’t stop there. As the years passed and our company grew, we formulated new specialized products that adhered to the same strict ingredient integrity. We made choices at every stage for the safest option, the purest solution, and the most naturally sourced ingredients.

As we discovered needs within our own laundry rooms, our list of products rapidly grew.

First, we needed a safe alternative to bleach. So, we formulated our Oxygen Whitener as a bleach alternative that whitens and brightens using sodium percarbonate and other earth derived ingredients instead of harsh, harmful chemicals.

As our children grew into tweens and teens, we were suddenly faced with a new challenge. Sweaty, stinky sports clothing that had been sitting in gym bags for waaaaay too long. “Challenge accepted,” we thought.

Several months later, All-Sport Laundry Wash emerged. Formulated for synthetic and technical fibers, we worked to create a wash that killed odor-causing bacteria, but also helped to preserve wicking capabilities, breathability, SPF, and water repellency to extend the life of the clothing. (Mmhm, we know exactly how much those uniforms cost, moms. We got your back.)

And so our list of products has grown, adding Wool Dryer Balls, Swimwear Cleaner, Liquid Detergents, and more continue to be added.

We’re in this Together

We believe there is a bond between all mothers that cannot be explained. Our trials, hopes, worries, joys, and agonies are shared.

Whether you baby-wear or use battery-operated swings to do household chores —

Whether you feed your babies breast milk or formula —

Whether you co-sleep or crib train —

Whether you start on cereal at 3 months or 6 months or choose baby-led weaning —

Whether you teach your kids the alphabet forwards or backwards —

It doesn’t matter. There is no manual to motherhood. We all love our children just the same.

Our small company has grown greatly from our launch in 2008 to today. But our goals haven’t changed. Our mission is the same as it was from the start — to provide moms just like us with safe products. The memory of Molly, and other babies like her, keeps us accountable every day.


SUBSCRIBE TO THE MOLLY’S SUDS NEWSLETTER FOR UPDATES AND SPECIAL OFFERS

Related posts

Happy Teeth, Happy Kids: The Parent’s Guide to Sealants for Children

Twin Cities Mom Collective

A Quick Guide to Handling Knocked-Out Teeth and Seeking Immediate Dental Care

Twin Cities Mom Collective

20 Books that I Read and Loved in 2023

Twin Cities Mom Collective

Leave a Comment