laundry products to wash my clothes. Any recommendations?"
An excellent decision. Conventional
detergents are made from synthetic petrochemicals that are hard
on the environment. They can leave residue on clothing, so
their toxic ingredients constantly brush against our skin,
causing rashes. You can safely keep your clothes looking smart
by washing them with green soaps and detergents.
If you choose soaps, look for an all-natural liquid soap made
without artificial dyes or fragrances, such as Dr. Bronner’s
Magic Soaps (www.drbronner.com). Use the same amount of soap as you would
detergent.
Ediblenature carries Dr. Bronner at really good prices.
Soaps can react with chemicals in hard water, leaving a
dulling film on clothes. To combat this, Annie Berthold-Bond,
author of Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers
Press, 1999), recommends adding baking soda. “Start out with ¼
cup of baking soda, and increase to ½ cup if you have very hard
water,” she advises. Leave the soda in the water for ten
minutes, then add the soap and clothes.
To prepare clothes for the switch from detergent to soap,
wash them initially with ½ cup of white distilled vinegar for a
full load to prevent yellowing (a result of detergent residues
reacting with soap), says Berthold-Bond.
The best eco-friendly detergents are made without
nonrenewable, petroleum-based chemicals. They are biodegradable
and contain no optical brighteners, dyes, or artificial
fragrances.
Some excellent green laundry detergents to try include:
- Ecover
- Offers
nontoxic powder and liquid detergents, as well as a
detergent for delicates.
Dr. Bronner's - They are made with olive, hemp and palm
oils.
Toni Natural Cleaners - An EXCLUSIVE line available at
Ediblenature.com.
They sell naturally biodegradable and environmentally safe
products.
Seventh Generation
- Sells nontoxic liquid and
powder laundry detergent, as well as Free and Clear
fragrance-free laundry detergent and a detergent for baby
clothes.
Conventional bleaches and fabric softeners have their
problems, too. Conventional bleaches are made from chlorine, a
known carcinogen according to the US Environmental Protection
Agency. Fabric softeners contain chemicals that can cause
allergic reactions. What’s a concerned consumer to do? Try these
nontoxic alternatives:
For whitening:
- Use a non-chlorine bleach, such as oxygen bleaches like
Oxyboost, available from Natural Choices Home Safe Products.
Also, Ecover offers two natural, chlorine-free bleaches, one
made with hydrogen peroxide, and one with percarbonate. - Soak clothes overnight in a solution of one part
hydrogen peroxide to eight parts cold water. Wash as normal.
For softening fabric:
Add ½ cup baking soda to the rinse cycle of your wash. You
can also try a commercial green fabric softener like Natural
Choices Home Safe Products’s Safe ‘N Soft, Ecover’s Natural
Fabric Softener, or Sun & Earth’s Ultra Fabric Softener.
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