By SkellyBones (15, South Carolina)
I was actually inspired to write this article after reading a small excerpt about home-cleaning remedies from a test. Who would have guessed mind-numbing standardized testing could be inspiring? Anyway, I thought about how using safe, consumer and environment-friendly products, like white vinegar, could be used instead of harsh chemicals like bleach.
A variety of chemicals used in detergents and fabric softeners can cause health-related problems. Some products can be very vague about the ingredients in them (the one used in my household doesn't even have ingredients listed. Can we all say illegal?), and instead of listing the actual chemical name the manufacturer will write "Optical Brightener" or "Stabilizer". This leaves the consumer clueless. Another bad thing about the ingredients is most of them require hot water to work, and hot water wastes a lot of energy. Most of the detergents and softeners contain harsh ingredients like:
-Optical Brighteners: do not actually make fabric brighter; the "brighteners" are actually chemicals that change UV rays into visible light to give the affect of more vivid colors; they can give the skin a rash when exposed to sunlight, and is also toxic to fish
-Fragrances/Perfume: most made from petroleum which has been linked to cancer, lung damage and inflammation; also very toxic to fish and mammals
-Household Bleach (sodium hypochlorite): it can react with organic materials in the environment and toxic compounds can be created that can cause reproductive, and immune disorders
-Phenol: more commonly nonyl phenol ethoxylate; is highly toxic to people who are hypersensitive to it and it can cause death in those people; it is rapidly absorbed into the body and affects the nervous system, heart and blood vessels
-Phosphates: used to prevent dirt from settling back into clothing; when released into the environment they cause the growth of certain marine plants which causes an upset in the ecosystem
No need to be scared of doing laundry though, there is still hope for clean clothes! First things, first. Buy detergent that is either "low-phosphate" or completely free of it. Next, use cold water when washing because hot, or even warm, water wastes a lot of energy. It also shrinks cotton and denim, so using cold water can't hurt. As for stain removal, look in your fridge and pantry for the answers! Using white vinegar to replace your fabric softener removes much of the chemical risk involved in laundry, and it also breaks down the dirt in your clothing ( by the way, white vinegar will not make your clothes smell like a pickle).
If you add one cup of salt to your wash, you can prevent the bleeding of colors, and this will reduce the need for bleach. And instead of using bleach to make whites whiter, lay your white clothes out to dry in the sun. The sun will naturally bleach them. For any other stain problems like grease, blood, lipstick, even gasoline can be resolved with household products like mustard, milk, ice, nail polish remover, hairspray, etc. Just type your stain removal query into Google.
Remember to use cold water, and read the ingredients (if they are even there) and do some research if you don't know what it contains. Buy phosphate-free detergent, and use white vinegar instead of fragrant softener. Do yourself and the environment a favor: Launder your clothing in a safe, clean and healthy way.
• Toxic Waste: Give the Sludge a Budge
• Energy: Where the Sun Don't Shine
• The Dirty Dozen
Sources: The Toxic Dangers of Typical Laundry Detergent
