Can the MLS Laundry Magnets (washing without detergent) get my clothes as clean and bright as detergents do?

That depends on your definition of "clean" and "bright". When comparing the use of the MLS Laundry Magnets (washing without detergent) to laundry detergent, there are a couple of things to consider. First, detergents are not soap. They are chemical surfactant petrochemicals derived directly from crude oil, and these chemicals are designed so that they are not completely rinsed out after washing your clothes. They leave behind so-called "optical brighteners", which are synthetic chemicals that reflect more light from the clothes to look "brighter" to the eye. We do not believe that adding what are basically chemical mirrors of a garment makes it cleaner. These synthetic chemicals convert UV light wavelengths into visible light, making washed clothes look whiter (although this does not affect the cleanliness of the clothes). They have been found to be toxic to fish and cause bacterial mutations. Moreover, they can cause allergic reactions when exposed to skin that is later exposed to sunlight.

Since these chemicals have the potential to cause health problems and can cause environmental problems, we believe that leaving them on clothing seriously compromises its cleanliness. Most people are not even aware that potentially harmful petrochemicals derived from crude oil are constantly on their clothes, potentially causing skin and respiratory problems to the wearer. We define clean as free of chemicals, not harmful to the wearer and not toxic to the environment, besides being optically acceptable. But only you, the user of the product, can determine that. We feel there are many people, like us, who do not want to walk around with petrochemicals and optical brighteners in their clothes all day.