| Laundry Detergents Lets talk about something that “almost everyone” wears on their clothes, breathes on their pillow cases, destroys many septic systems and leaches into the lakes and streams. Think about it when you lay your face down on your pillowcase. Especially in the winter when it is cold and your hot breath breaks down the following chemicals: Phosphates (phosphorus a fertilizer that causes algae to grow and depletes oxygen out of the water.) Chlorine Bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite) Lye (Sodium Hydroxide) Ammonia Phenols Fillers NTA’s An assortment of toxic chemicals with un-pronounceable names like Nitrilotriacetic Acid (NTA). The Merck Index refers to NTA as a “substance we may reasonably anticipate to be a carcinogen (cancer causing substance.) Amazingly it is still allowed in our laundry compounds. When we consider the residue of caustic detergents, oily-film fabric softeners, and chemical perfumes and dyes, we need to ask ourselves if our clothes are really clean? What are we wearing next to our skin and breathing on our pillowcases? Phosphates - Why do they use them in laundry detergents? Because they soften the water and enhance performance. Phosphates are one of the contributors the resulted to virtual death of Lake Erie in the 1970’s. It also contributed to the ruining of Cascade Reservoir in Idaho. According to David Kullberg’s new publication, House Work may be Hazardous to Your Health, many areas of the country are requiring laundry detergents to be low-phosphate. Now manufactures replace phosphates with caustics. The misconception now is that low phosphates are safe. They may be safer for the environment, but they are 100 times more caustic than phosphate detergents. Caustics such as Lye (sodium hydroxide or potassium hypochlorite) clean by a chemical reaction that burns or eats away other substances. Caustics also wear out your clothes faster and dull the fabric’s colors. If you would like to read more about this you can buy David Kullberg’s, called Housework may be Hazardous to Your Health. |
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