Conventional Laundry Detergent Is Harmful!
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There is a growing awareness of the harmful additives in our food, cosmetics, and personal care products, but laundry products are often an afterthought. However, conventional laundry detergents and fabric softeners can leave chemical residues behind on clothing readily absorbed by the skin, like a sponge that absorbs everything it comes in contact with. These chemicals can strip natural oils away from your skin and cause various issues ranging from mild irritation to severe allergic reactions. Conventional laundry detergent can be especially problematic for people with sensitive skin or allergies as it may cause irritation, inflammation, or eczema flare-ups. Synthetic fragrances, optical brighteners, and other harsh ingredients are often the culprit behind these adverse effects.
Have you ever wondered what impact laundry detergents have on the environment? And is there an eco-friendly alternative to traditional detergents? We have the details for you here.
What Happens to Water After Doing Laundry?
Many of us don’t think twice before tossing in a load of laundry, but what happens to the water we use afterward? Of course, some water is retained by our clothes and towels – but the rest goes somewhere. The truth is that laundry can have a surprisingly large environmental impact.When you do laundry here in Thailand, usually that water heads down the drain and into a sewage tank. Here, it's filtered mechanically in several stages and the the main CLEANING is done, by bacteria which are very active in our tropical climate, if they are not killed by chemical household products. Depending on where you live, this process could be more or less efficient; some areas may use advanced technological processes like membrane filtration to clean wastewater before release. From the sewage tank the water goes usually straight into the soil and back into rivers or oceans. While the wastewater process removes larger contaminants, harmful chemicals like phosphates (a common ingredient in traditional detergents) often make their way into waterways.
It's also important to note that not all of the water used in laundry ends up in a wastewater treatment plant; some of it simply evaporates from our washing machines and enters into the atmosphere. To minimize this environmental impact, it's best to use a 100% Natural Laundry cleaning Liquide that’s environmentally friendly and free from harsh chemicals such as phosphates.
Additionally, using cold-water washes instead of hot-water washes will reduce energy consumption and help lower your carbon footprint.
Toxic Ingredients Found in Leading Storebought Brands of Laundry Detergents
Many conventional brands of detergents in stores are full of chemicals that are unsafe for people, pets, and the environment. Avoiding these dangerous chemicals is necessary for improving human health and the health of our planet. These are just a few of the unnecessary ingredients commonly found in leading laundry detergent brands that are added to make products more appealing or effective:
Fragrance
When using fragranced laundry detergent, doing laundry doesn’t just make your clothes smell––it also sends a laundry-scented aroma around your home. However, many fragrance chemicals are linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and other chronic health problems. Fragrance chemicals can irritate your skin and cause redness, burning, itching, and rashes. They can also trigger eczema flares and worsen psoriasis.
Dyes
The synthetic dyes that laundry detergent companies add to their products don’t add any cleaning power. They do, however, cause a lot of allergic reactions and skin irritation.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
SLS is a chemical typically used to remove soil and stains from clothes. However, they can also irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs and damage internal organs.
Phosphates
Phosphates have been linked to cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and death. Not only that, Phosphates have a significant impact on aquatic life, which we’ll address later on.
Chlorine Bleach
Chlorine bleach is common in many laundry products, and people even add more to their clothes. Bleach is highly corrosive and can irritate the skin, eyes, and respiratory system.
Optical brighteners or optical brightening agents (OBAs)
Optical brighteners are synthetic chemicals added to standard detergents to make laundry appear whiter and brighter. They don’t actually get clothes any cleaner, but they linger in fabrics long after washing and could cause a reaction. Some optical brighteners are documented carcinogens and hormone disrupters and are highly toxic to marine life.
1,4-Dioxane
This chemical is often used as a solvent in big-brand detergents. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exposure to 1,4-dioxane may result in nausea, drowsiness, headache, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. 1,4- Dioxane is readily absorbed through the skin, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. The EPA classifies 1,4-dioxane as a Group B2, probable human carcinogen.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also warns that 1,4-dioxane is “reasonably expected to be a human carcinogen" because it has been shown to cause cancer in animal studies.
Some experts have found that 1,4-dioxane accumulates in the body over time. It also accumulates in the environment, like the infamous DDT pesticide.