Few of us get much of a thrill out of doing the laundry, but we do expect laundry detergent to work well. Unfortunately, that's often not the case, according to recent performance testing by Consumers Union.

The highest-rated "high-efficiency," or HE, detergents scored 72 out of 100 points, while the least effective tallied a measly 27. Scores of conventional top-loader detergents ranged from 26 to 61 points.

The good news is that some ecofriendly, plant-based detergents ranked among the highest performing. Seventh Generation Natural Super Concentrated powder scored a 61 and costs about 26 cents per load; Seventh Generation's 2X Concentrated Natural Free & Clear HE liquid scored a 57 and is even cheaper at 19 cents per load.

Four of the top six HE performers and two of the top three conventional performers were Tide products, but these detergents are made of petrochemicals and often contain harsh chemical fragrances linked to hormone disruption, indoor air pollution, allergies, headaches, and asthma attacks.

As a general rule of thumb, look for plant-based, fragrance-free detergents to cut down on your exposure to harmful chemicals.