How better to begin each day in a way that is clean and fresh than by improving the purity and goodness of your home, yourself and your planet?
Our skin, our largest organ, absorbs everything we directly apply to it. We also absorb the residues of the soaps and detergents used to clean the clothing, towels and sheets with which we have constant contact. These chemical soaps and detergents also affect the Earth’s largest organ (its bodies of water) when they go down the drain, where their effects are far from cleansing. Phosphates, petroleum-based surfactants, brightening agents, bleach, chemical fragrances and dyes can all be unhealthful in the environment.
Phosphates, though not toxic to us, are a leading cause of dead zones, which are areas in lakes and oceans devoid of oxygen and life. Fertilizers and detergents have been the primary carriers of phosphates into the Earth’s waterways. Due to these environmental problems and the public outcry, the amount of phosphates used in detergents has been steadily decreasing over the years, but they still exist in laundry products and in even higher concentrations in automatic dishwashing detergents. This year, Canada and many US states will further limit phosphates. Accordingly, it looks like the European Union will eliminate them entirely in the near future.
Perhaps because “seeing is believing,” we have felt suds are good, and their absence means whatever we’re washing is not being cleansed as well. In the middle of the twentieth century, manufacturers increased sudsing agents and suds marketing to appeal to our desire for clean. Homemakers – and our waterways – responded. Detergent foam rose to levels eight feet high at the foot of Niagara Falls. You’ve probably noticed some of the washers in Laundromats: when you look, their windows are positively white with suds! This is scary, especially in light of the following amazing fact. Apparently, suds have little or nothing to do with cleaning ability. Remember this.
Some of the less kind ingredients in detergent are used to tame hard water. In order to clean well, hard water needs more detergent, or more chemicals, than soft water. One solution is to use washing soda (related to baking soda, but washing soda is harsher, so don’t eat it). Nontoxic alternatives include baking soda, borax and vinegar; these are boosters and softeners that can be used when needed along with an eco-friendly detergent. Vinegar also improves the final rinse.
Other questionable detergent ingredients are fragrances, whose presence lingers on long after fabrics have been washed and dried. These unidentified chemicals, part of an unregulated industry, made with secret formulas are identified simply as “fragrance.” These chemicals can trigger eczema, allergies, asthma and headaches and have been found in breast milk. We may wonder what effects they will have on fish and other animals when they end up in our waterways. For a truly natural and fragrant alternative, environmentally-friendly cleaning products often use botanicals or pure essential oils.
As for bleach, more environmentally-friendly alternatives to chlorine are readily available now; a good one is hydrogen peroxide. Without chlorine, your clothes will last longer too.
If you had a gray water system in your home, you would have to consider everything that goes down the drain, as it would end up (after some filtering) watering your yard. On a larger scale, this is what happens on the planet. Commercial wastewater facilities can do only so much to counteract the myriad chemicals in our household and personal care products.
A Procter & Gamble soap ad from 1909 states, “Pure is defined as ‘free from that which harms, vitiates, weakens or pollutes’.”
Let’s go with pure, for us, and for our environment.
Responsible Laundry Tips:
- Use concentrated (carefully chosen) detergents = less packaging and weight for shipping
- Use less soap and add innocent boosters like baking soda, borax or vinegar
- Larger loads = greater efficiency with energy and water
- Cold water = energy savings.
- Wearing clothes more than once = less detergent, water and energy used
- Line drying when possible = longer lasting clothes, fun in the sun!
- Many cleaning products including detergents and dishwashing liquids are listed as “do not landfill.” To me, this translates as “do not use.” Check out this household products database published by the government: householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov
Clean Up Your Laundry
By Angela Orecchio & Barbara Hirsch
Ecover
Fresh fragrances are derived from plant-based ingredients. Detergent is color-safe and cleans clothes thoroughly: ecover.com
Seventh Generation Free & Clear
Removes tough stains. The nontoxic liquid and powder detergents have a low price and vegetable-based ingredients:
seventhgeneration.com
Mrs. Meyer’s
Biodegradable and phosphate-free, pure essential oils provide aromatherapeutic scents including basil, lavender, geranium, lemon verbena and scent free: mrsmeyers.com
Oasis
These concentrated cleansers go the next step and are actually biocompatible, which means that they break down into plant nutrients: bio-pac.com/cleansers/oasis
Natural Choices Home Safe Products
Sells Oxyprime, a nontoxic laundry detergent and Allergy Free, a detergent for people with chemical sensitivities: oxyboost.com
Biokleen
Chlorine-free bleaches with oxygen and orange peel extracts are features of this gentle line of skin-friendly detergents: biokleenhome.com
Mountain Green Skin Sensitive Free & Clear
All Natural Ultra Laundry Detergent removes tough stains without harsh perfumes, alcohols or dyes: mountaingreen.biz
Sun & Earth
Offers a “Deep Cleaning Formula” laundry detergent which removes odors, stains and dirt. It is hypoallergenic, biodegradable, nontoxic and free of allergens, dyes, perfumes and petroleum-based solvents has a light, clean scent. A little goes a long way: sunandearth.com
Soap Nuts
Dried fruit of the Soap Berry Tree, eco-friendly, biodegradable, hypoallergenic, unscented and highly effective: almawin-usa.com
