What Is In Your Laundry Powder??
When you are in the Laundry detergent aisle at the supermarket, you are confronted with so many choices, it is so overwhelming. It is a marketers dream there is so many colors, sizes,bottles, packages, all advocating that they are the best, make your clothes the cleanest and smell better than any other.
This in itself should make you a little suspicious and frustrated, about what they are really selling. What ingredients are in those boxes? You can be sure that if it advocates that it is going to give you the whitest, brightest, wash it has ingredients in that box that is probably not that healthy for you. Remember the marketers spend millions on finding the colors for the packaging that attracts you, the customer, the most. Do you the customer prefer plastic bottles, cardboard, or plastic type bags. Do you prefer certain fragrances, color of the powder or liquid. Do you prefer powder or liquid etc, it goes on and on.
In my opinion and I am sure the opinion of a lot of people the detergents we wash with that contain ingredients such as enzymes, could be the cause of many health problems like: skin rashes, allergies, lung problems, scalp irritations, eczema, dermatitis not to mention what it does to our waterways.
A TerraChoice survey of 5,000 household products in the USA and Canada found more than 95 percent were guilty of “Greenwashing” – making false, vague or unproven claims. For example phosphates receive negative publicity so they replace it with another chemical that is equally toxic but of course not as well-known.
Many countries and New Zealand is a fine example of this they have an environmental choice tick (www.enviro-choice.org.nz) which informs you that the product has been assessed for “All Round” greenness. When you purchase these products you know that potentially harmful ingredients are excluded, the manufacturing facility is energy-efficient and the waste is disposed of responsibly.
To be a smarter and a more informed shopper this is what you need to observe when purchasing your laundry detergent. Who knows that rash, or that sneezing or swollen eyes may disappear with better choices.
1. Look for and independent certification on the packaging: A recognized environmental institution giving the product a tick of approval.
2. Check the packaging: Determine if the container is recyclable. Is the ingredient derived from safe sources.
3. Does it have a strong fragrance: If this is the case the chances are it could be causing your allergies and not come from natural healthy sources.
4. Is the box a large box or a in a concentrated form: Often large boxes contain “filler” ingredients and require a large amount each wash. High concentrated detergent may be a better choice as it requires only a small amount for each wash.
5. Check that it is free from nasties if you cannot find a seal of approval on the container.: The example of this is Optical brighteners, enzymes (some times describes as biological) , propylene glycol, sodium tripolyphosphate.
benzisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone. These have been shown to cause skin irritation, intensify allergies, and disrupt ecosystems in waterways.
6. Check for alternatives to detergent powders: Google is a good thing for this. Apparently there such a thing as “Soap Nuts’ which is a fruit of the sapindus mukorossi tree and supposed to have incredible cleaning abilities. Laundry Ball is another alternative and lasts a year. Just pop into each wash.
SOURCE : good.net.nz/greenwashing
So when you are next in the laundry detergent aisle, check it out for a healthier choice.
Because if you don’t do different nothing will change
