Let’s talk dirty … about your laundry habits, that is. The large majority of us probably think we’re doing our family a favor each time we do the wash. All the gunk, grime, and dirt washes out of their clothes, and down the drain. It might smell and look better, but each time you use that traditional, chemical-based detergent, you could be affecting your family’s health – not to mention our lakes, waterways, and streams. A lot of laundry detergents contain ingredients like alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs). APEs are synthetic surfactants found in detergents, cleaning products, pesticides, and some personal care products. The most common APEs are nonylphenol ethoxylates. Also known as NPE, these surfactants can disrupt hormones, alter reproduction, and have been found to cause breast cancer in labratory tests. Phosphates, which were found back in the 1970’s to cause harmful algal blooms in waterways are mostly phased out by companies, but you need to read the label. Companies like Procter and Gamble (makers of Tide detergent and others) have promised to remove phosphates by the end of next year, but that doesn’t mean that what’s on the shelf is phosphate free. Chlorine bleach does an amazing job getting your whites whiter, but it’s not so good for your health. The most obvious danger of bleach is that it’s heavily corrosive, and can cause damage through inhalation to the lungs, skin, eyes, and more. Some people do use bleach products because they have hard water and bleach is said to prevent limescale buildup in the machine, however, there are less harsh solutions. One of which is a water softener which you can have a company like americaneagleplumbing.net/services/ install in order to treat your water. If you can put down the bleach and switch to safer alternatives you will be doing your bit to help the planet. Unfortunately, one challenge we face when looking for a safe, green laundry detergent is this: most detergents don’t list ingredients in detail, because they’re not required by law. Instead, they use more vague terms like surfactants, optical brighteners, or washing sodas, many times making claims that are just shy of ‘green-washing’-saying a product is eco-friendly, but it isn’t. So, we put out an all call, to see what kind of green laundry detergents were on the market today, and whether or not they would do that dirty job of cleaning up in the laundry. After all, when you’re married to a man that owns three Jeeps, and takes pride in coming home covered in mud, getting things clean is ultimately still of high importance.
Shoosha Sensitive Skin Laundry Soap, ($19.99 ) Your baby’s skin is more susceptible than adult skin to many ingredients found in common detergents. Conventional laundry detergents are often made with damaging chemicals and perfumes that can harm the skin, aggravate allergies, cause eczema, and other skin and respiratory issues. Shoosha Sensitive Skin Laundry Soap is a gentle and pure, and won’t cause issues if you’re washing cloth diapers or clothes for your little one. Containing no use harsh detergents, chemicals or foaming agents, this soap instead incorporates a special blend of Chamomile, Calendula and Aloe Vera to provide extra gentle care. Shoosha Truly Organic Sensitive Skin Laundry Soap is doctor recommended, hypoallergenic and a USDA certified food grade product. I’m sure these would work fantastically in a washing machine that you can find the washing machine price at ProductExpert for. While we’re briefly on the topic of washing machines, if you’re looking to try out products like this, but can’t just yet, as your machine is not working as well as it used to, it may be in your best interest to do a quick google search into something like Mesa AZ Appliance Repair (if you live in this area of Arizona) to get in touch with a company who can sort out any issues you may have. Additionally, sometimes when changing to green laundry soap getting a new washing machine is good idea to reduce the chance of any leftover non-green laundry soaps from previous washes getting into your clothes.