WTAF?? Yes, you read that right. Cleaning and detergent manufacturers don’t have disclose on their packaging, the ingredients they have in their products. We actually have no idea what we are exposing ourselves to, and can only assume it won’t kill us. Well not straight away anyway! Continuous and repeated exposure to harsh chemicals can add up and cause skin irritations, sore throats, respiratory disorders and even liver and kidney damage.
Some of the chemical nasties which hide in traditional laundry detergent are:
Sodium Laurel Sulphate (SLS)
This bad boy is in laundry detergent and so many personal hygiene and cleaning products it isn’t funny!
Shampoos, bubble-baths, tooth paste, washing-up liquid, stain removers, body wash… the list is endless. And this little sucker can hide under over 150 different names! SLS omits toxic fumes when heated… Ummm bubble bath, to wash your hair and soap your body anyone? Studies have shown that SLS had the power to permeate the eyes, brain, heart, and liver. Good god!
It is a known skin irritant and is even used AS the skin irritant when testing the healing properties of cosmetic lotions. It can strip the skin of its natural oils and moisture and we have accumulative exposure to it through our clothes and bedding and personal care products because of all of the products it is found in.
It is also found in engine degreasers, car washing detergent and garage floor cleaner as it has corrosive properties. That is crazy serious shit!
Fillers
Check out these bad arses to AVOID…
- 1,4 DIOXANE – a synthetic oil-based carcinogen.
- GLUTEN – wheat and other grains used thicken and extend products.
- ALCOHOL – decreases the detergents freezing point and increases solubility.
- LIMESTONE & CHALK – calcium-based to work with phosphates to increase suds.
- PERFUME & COLOR – covers the smell of chemicals and makes it look “pretty”
Traditionally they’ve been added to bulk up the laundry powder and make it look like you are getting more product for your dosh. They don’t do ANYTHING to improve your wash. In fact, they do a whole lot of harm to your body and to your machine. They are a sand like consistency and have an inability to dissolve in the wash. What the? This means they get trapped and grind together in the fibres of your clothing, sit against your skin all day and can activate allergic reactions and irritations. It also degrades the quality of your clothes, making them look worn and faded quicker. After just 10 washes, clothes, towels and bedding gain 2% of their weight in detergent residue (fillers and chemicals). Fillers also lead to corrosion of your washing machine parts over time. They’re also bad news for septic and grey water systems. Convinced yet?
Bleaches and dyes
Chlorine bleach can be harsh on the fibres of clothes and dyes add to the toxic load of laundry powders, not to mention your skin. You’d know this is you have ever spilt bleach on yourself!! Their inclusion in the chemical make-up of traditional laundry detergent deteriorates and colour-fades clothes at a more rapid rate. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns against the use of bleach in the laundry due to the fact it deteriorates clothing fibres and creates more lint (which is hazardous in the dryer!)
Synthetic Fragrances
Synthetic fragrances can be made up of unidentified mixture of ingredients including carcinogens, allergens, respiratory irritants, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxic chemicals and environmental toxicants. Need we say any more?
The natural way to wash your clothes
That Red House ‘Organic Soapberries’ are a fruit from the ‘Sapindus Mukorossi’ tree, simply picked and dried in the sun. Nothing added. No chemicals. No fragrances. Raw and 100% natural. They are the only option in the laundry aisle, for a completely chemical free and natural way to wash your laundry.