?The WHY behind a chemical free home ?
Hey guys, if you are still doing your laundry with traditional, (re: toxic detergents): There’s a better way!!
Once you have stopped for even a month and you go back and try to breathe that stuff or anything that’s been washed in it, you will thank me. If, for some reason, some article of our clothing or linens is washed in traditional detergents, I find that I get the sniffles and itchy skin.
This stuff is BAD. And just because it’s labelled “natural” and “organic” and you don’t smell fragrances, there can still be many of these other lurking ingredients.
Do you know anyone with eczema, respiratory issues, cancer, sensory processing disorders, autoimmune disease…Your traditional laundry detergent needs to go. It is 24/7 exposure through your respiratory system and skin to horrible things your body has to work hard to process. Strain on your organs. Strain on your health. The air in your home can be 10x more toxic than the air outside.
These are the ingredients to watch out for on your labels
Fragrance: “Manufacturers combine a number of chemicals to produce a fragrance—so you’ll believe your clothes are clean because they smell clean—and they don’t have to list those chemicals on the label because of trade protection. As we’ve seen, some of those chemicals can be very toxic.”
We’re talking second-hand smoke bad. Plus, your clothes aren’t even necessarily clean! They just covered up the funk.
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Cleaning agents (surfactants): “These are included in the formula to help the product clean better. Examples include chemicals like quaternium-15 (known to release formaldehyde, a known carcinogen), diethanolamine (linked with skin and eye irritation and possibly liver problems), nonlphenol ethoxylate or NPE (toxic to nerves, irritating to skin, potential hormone disruptor, toxic to aquatic life), linear alkyl benzene sulfonates or LAS (irritating to skin and eyes and toxic to aquatic life; benzene on its own is a carcinogen), and petroleum distillates (linked to cancer and lung damage).”
Stabilisers: “These chemicals help stabilise the formula, so that it lasts longer on the shelf. Examples include polyalkylene oxide or ethylene oxide, which are linked with eye and lung irritation, and even dermatitis.”
And yet we wonder why we can’t clear up these lingering skin issues.
Bleach: “Bleach may be used separately or may be included in the detergent itself. It’s known to irritate skin, eyes, and lungs, and when it mixes with wastewater, it can form toxic organic compounds that have been linked with respiratory issues, liver, and kidney damage.”
1,4-dioxane: “This is a chemical by-product of detergent manufacturing. In independent tests, Women’s Voices for the Earth found 89 parts per million (ppm) in Tide Free & Gentle and 63 ppm in regular Tide. They helped increase awareness, and Proctor & Gamble agreed to reformulate to reduce levels to below 25 ppm. Future tests should show whether they made good on that promise.”
We don’t have a lot of confidence in the progress being made here.
Brighteners: “You’ll find these in detergents advertising their “brightening” powers. Brighter whites! Brighter colors! What’s creating all this brightness? Chemicals that actually remain on the clothes to absorb UV light and help clothes “appear” brighter. We’re talking things like naphthotriazolystilbenes (linked with developmental and reproductive effects), benzoxazolyl, diaminostilbene disulfonate, and more. Since these remain on the clothes, they are likely to come into contact with skin.”
Phosphates & EDTA: “Manufacturers use these to make detergents more effective in hard water, and to help prevent dirt from settling back on clothes when they’re washing. These chemicals have long been associated with environmental damage, particularly in our streams and waterways. They cause algae blooms that damage ecosystems. Many detergents have eliminated these, but they’re often using Ethylenediaminetetraaceticd (EDTA) in its place, which does not readily biodegrade, and has been found to be toxic in animal studies.”
So we’re not only exposing ourselves to junk through the skin, but we’re putting it into our water and back into our soil and water systems. ???
I’m telling you that no amount of money saved, no amount of loving your scented detergent, no amount of “it’s what I’ve always used” is worth inviting a dangerous hazard to hang out with you all day, every day on your clothes, towels, and linens. Don’t even finish that current bottle. Your health is more important than that, friend!
It’s time to DITCH toxins and reduce your chemical load. The good thing is, you don’t need to miss out on your regular products. You can ditch toxins and transfer buy for clean and natural products. Download the apps: thinkdirty and chemical maze to decipher other toxic ingredients and products!
When you’re ready to go low tox, send me a message or grab your bundle
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