Household chemicals to avoid in your laundry detergent

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Household chemicals to avoid in your laundry detergent  

http://www.greenlivingonline.com/article/household-chemicals-avoid-your-laundry-\

detergent  

 

Go cold with your laundry and go green with your detergent to save money, reduce

greenhouse gas emissions and cut back on harmful household chemicals. 

 

Change in temperature

 

Eighty percent of the energy used during laundry is to heat the water. Coldwater

detergents and the new washing machines have made it possible to get your whites

and coloureds clean in cold water. Switching can reduce your energy consumption

and help you save between $50 to $85 per year.

 

 

Another important thing to keep in mind is that hot water doesn't actually

sanitize anything unless the water is boiling nor it is likely to clean any

better than cold water. Unless your clothes have oil or grease stains, cold

water washing will get your clothes clean and prevent them from fading as

quickly. Loosen stains by using a spot remover or try presoaking the item and

then wash in warm water.

 

 

Wet vs dry

 

 

Powdered laundry soap is cheaper and also uses fewer resources to create than

liquid soap. But liquid detergents do dissolve much easier in cold or hard

water. Shopping tested several commercial brands and found that powder

detergents handled stains better while liquid detergent handled oily dirt and

food stains much better.

There is little difference between big-name detergents so there is no need to

pay premium prices.

 

 

Secret ingredients

 

 

It's difficult to know exactly what's in our commercial laundry detergent since

companies are not required to list ingredients used in their products. Most

companies also change ingredients frequently and claim their formulas are made

from secret recipes so can't be disclosed.

 

 

Typical laundry detergents are a mix of ingredients that include surfactants

(anionic and nonionic), enzymes, anti-redeposition agents, fragrances and

compounds that neutralize acids, whiten and brighten fabrics and reduce calcium

and magnesium hardness in water. Most of these ingredients are derived from

petroleum.

 

 

Main chemical to avoid

 

 

The backbone to any detergent is a surfactant active agent, also called a

wetting agent or foamers. Surfactants reduce the water's surface tension, making

it easier to lift dirt off the fabric. The surfactant molecules also surround

and break up stain particles, forcing them away from the surface of the fabric.

 

 

The number one surfactant to avoid is nonionic nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE),

which breaks down into a NP (nonylphenol). Both chemicals are thought to be an

endocrine disruptor that can stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells and

both are very harmful to fish and marine life. It's virtually impossible to

completely remove them from water as well. The Sierra Club and other groups have

started a petitionthat you can sign asking the EPA to do further research,

mandate labeling of NPE in products and ban its use in industrial products.

 

 

Another type of surfactants used to neutralize detergent acids and make them

non-irritating comes from the Diethanolamine family (diethanolamine,

triethanolamine and monoethanolamine). All these chemicals are carcinogenic,

linked to liver and kidney cancer. Again, these chemicals are harmful to most

mammals and marine life.

 

 

Quaternium 15 is an alkyl ammonium chloride used as a surfactant, disinfectant

and deodorant that releases formaldehyde, a carcinogenic toxin that should be

avoided.

 

 

Other chemicals to watch for

 

 

 

Artificial fragrances are made from petroleum and because they don't degrade are

also extremely toxic. They can cause rashes and skin irritations and also

contribute to the loss of marine life and algae growth.

 

 

EDTA (ethylene-diamino-tetra-acetate) is a phosphate-alternative compound used

to reduce calcium and magnesium hardness in water. It's also a foaming

stabilizer and prevents bleaching agents from becoming active before they're

immersed in water. But it's toxic and does not readily biodegrade often bonding

with other toxic heavy metals found in water.

 

 

Optical brighteners are a broad classification of many different synthetic

chemicals that don't get your clothes any cleaner or make your detergent any

stronger. They simply convert UV light wavelengths to visible light thereby

making laundered clothes appear " whiter. " Not readily biodegrade, they are

extremely toxic to fish and other marine life.

 

 

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a polymer that acts as anti-redeposition agent

keeping dirt from getting back onto clothing in the wash water. Made from

ethylene oxide, it's similar to some non-ionic detergents and is not considered

toxic but does add to overall pollution.

 

 

 

Home made detergent

 

 

Women's Voices For the Earthoffers the following recipe for homemade laundry

detergent:

 

 

1 cup soap flakes

1/2 cup washing soda

1/2 cup Borax

 

 

Use 1 tablespoon per load (2 for heavily soiled laundry), wash in warm or cold

water.

 

 

Soap flakes can be made by grating your favorite pure vegetable soap with a

cheese grater. Mix ingredients together and store in a glass container.

 

 

This standard recipe can be adjusted for soft water by using 1 cup soap flakes,

1/4 cup washing soda adn 1/2 cup borax. For hard water, use 1 cup soap flakes, 1

cup washing soda, and 1 cup borax.

 

 

 

Read the labels

 

 

 

If you're too busy to make your own there are some enviro-friendly products out

there. A green detergent should be non-toxic and biodegradable with no petroleum

based ingredients, no optical brighteners and no dyes or fragrances. Typical

ingredients may include corn and coconut-based for surfactants, soda ash and

borax for water softeners and sodium gluconate and sorbitol as a natural

anti-redeposition agent.

 

 

Green choices

Attitude Ecover Natural Choices Home Safe Products Sun & Earth laundry

detergent. Seventh Generation BIO VERT Amilya's Soapworks Fresh Laundry Powder

Naturally Yours Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda Bi-O-Kleen Charlie's Soap Oxy

Boost

 

 

 

Shelagh McNally is the editor of Green Living Online.