The facts are so plain and simple – we do not need commercial detergent anywhere near our own or our family’s skin and we do not need it polluting our environment any longer! Whilst I was researching my liver detox, I read about the dangers of everyday chemicals in our homes and was absolutely astounded to find out that washing powder is SO toxic. It is something that I always knew was bad for us, but never actually did anything about.
Here is a list of the common ingredients found in most commercial detergents, although there is no law in place at the moment which forces companies to list every single ingredient that may be in the powder:
- Alkyl benzene sulfonates or ABS (also linear alkyl benzene sulfonates or LAS, linear alkyl sodium sulfonates)(can cause skin irritation),
- Alkyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanols (also nonyl phenoxy ethoxylate or nonyl phenol) (are slow to degrade in the environment have implicated chronic health problems),
- Artificial fragrances (do not degrade in the environment, are toxic to fish and cause skin and eye irritation),
- Diethanolamines (also diethanolamine, triethanolamine and monoethanolamine) (potential carcinogen),
- EDTA (ethylene-diamino-tetra-acetate) does not readily biodegrade and can release heavy metals contained in underwater sediment,
- Optical brighteners (toxic for fish and irritates the skin which is exposed to sunlight),
- Petroleum distillates (also naphthas),
- Phosphates contribute to significant eutrophication of waterways and create unbalanced ecosystems by fostering dangerously explosive bacterial growth. For these reasons they are banned or restricted in many states. Products containing phosphates should be considered unacceptable. Note: The major laundry detergent manufacturers no longer usephosphates in their formulations),
- Polycarboxylates,
- Polyethylene glycol (also PEG),
- Quaternium 15 (toxic)
- Xylene sulfonate.
from here
Can you imagine all those ingredients coating your bed linen and then you lying on them for up to 10 hours every night whilst your body sweats and absorbs the chemicals directly via your skin? These chemicals will then naturally accumulate in your liver, kidneys, colon and lungs – during the day your clothes have the same effect.
So, I have started using plain old washing soda for my clothes. It is quite simple, I pour a scoop into my washing machine and set the temperature as high as I can for whites, using one setting lower for coloureds. If the program has a prewash, I add white vinegar to the compartment (which softens the water). So far, no stiff towels and very white tea towels. I always line dry my laundry outside in summer and in winter hang the laundry on a clothes horse near to a radiator upstairs (soon to be hanging in the stairwell).
WARNING – PLEASE READ! Multinationals like Unilever or Proctor & Gamble tell us that their products allow us to ‘wash at lower temperatures’, which they say is better for the environment. This is not true. The contents of the laundry detergent (that allows us to lower the temperature) is far, far more TOXIC to the environment than heating up the water to wash the clothes with, it is also far more COSTLY to us as consumers and far more profitable for them. The maxim: ‘Washing at lower temperatures’ is a cleverly fashioned SCAM to convince you to use their detergents. There is nothing wrong with using soap-based cleaning agents and washing as hot as you can set the machine. This applies to dishwashers too, better still: wash the dishes/clothes by hand.
Anyone still use a mangle?
