Renegade Brands gained wider entry to an important market this week with the certification of its SWEAT-X Free and Clear detergent by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL).
Certification in hand, Sweat-X Free and Clear is the first laundry detergent in the nation so recognized. It now can scientifically demonstrate to all those with asthma or other skin or airborne allergies that SWEAT-X Free and Clear is CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly®.
“This is a really big deal for us,” said Adam Short, vice president of sales. “It opens us up to a whole new market.”
The certification process was demanding. Over 12 weeks, scientists at Allergy Standards Limited did to SWEAT-X Free and Clear what they do to a wide array of consumer products: test it thoroughly against their rigorous certification standard, with an eye to preserving a healthier indoor environment.
Specifically, they confirmed that any allergenic chemicals or dyes were either not present or were at extremely low levels. They confirmed the absence of any added perfumes or added fragrances. They also rigorously evaluated the ability of SWEAT-X Free and Clear to remove allergens.
“They put us through the wringer,” Short said. “We knew that going in and we specifically decided to go through this process to reinforce that our chemistry is very, very special.”
At the same time, in developing the detergent, Renegade held SWEAT-X Free and Clear to the same high standards it holds all of its other products, insisting it remain a powerful fabric cleanser.
“We didn’t want there to be a drop-off in performance,” Short explained. “We had to remove all those things that other detergents leave behind, but we still wanted it to remove stains and odors.”
Don’t think of the market for SWEAT-X Free and Clear as small, either. There are 65+ million Americans suffering from allergies and 26 million Americans with asthma. 40% of these are children.
Renegade believes most of those people will soon be SWEAT-X Free and Clear people. After all, if you’ve got an allergy or asthma concern, why wouldn’t you choose the product offering the highest cleaning power and the first asthma & allergy friendly® laundry detergent certification mark?
“It made the most sense to partner with the best. Someone with undeniable success and uncompromising standards.” Short said. “We thought, if we’re going to do this, let’s do it right.”
According to the expert panel from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in their most recent asthma management guidelines, developing and maintaining routine good practices is crucial in managing asthma and allergy triggers. These good practices must include regular and frequent house-cleaning as well as laundering of bedding and other textiles. Being certified demonstrates that Renegade can be considered a valuable partner in achieving these goals.
Dr. John McKeon, CEO of Allergy Standards Ltd., said “Laundry is a key element in reducing triggers of asthma and allergies in the indoor environment, and I'm delighted that consumers can now choose a laundry detergent that has passed our standard and is CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly®.”
“We welcome SWEAT-X Free and Clear detergent to the CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® program. I know our program sets high standards to receive certification and we appreciate that Renegade Brands can see why our asthma and allergy community values the rigor and trust that comes with a product that is CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly®,” said Kenneth Mendez, President and CEO of AAFA.
[Reference for National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute guidelines: J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020 December ; 146(6): 1217–1270. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2020.10.003. 2020 Focused Updates to the Asthma Management Guidelines: A Report from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Coordinating Committee Expert Panel Working Group
Expert Panel Working Group of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) administered and coordinated National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Coordinating Committee (NAEPPCC)*]