Did You Know That Laundry Detergents Harm Your Health?

Did you know that the lovely scented laundry detergents you pour down your washing machine may contain chemicals that are not only linked to cancer, but also to diabetes and obesity?

Don't be deceived by "green and natural" detergents. They may still contain health-damaging ingredients!

To make matters worse, there are no legal regulations in place for manufacturers to list out every single ingredient on the label.  So the manufacturers choose what they want to put on the labels, and hide from you the ones that are linked to cancer, respiratory problems, and may be endocrine disruptors which cause hormone problems. 

These disruptors could mimic, block, or even interfere with your own body's natural hormones and change the way your cells are supposed to grow!

Now more evidence even tie endocrine disruptors to diabetes and obesity, which are two of the biggest public health concerns.  (In the USA alone, 29.1 million people have diabetes and more than 2/3 of the adults are obese.)

There are several other health problems linked to laundry detergents as well.

Have you considered that your laundry detergent could be the cause of vaginal itching?  There are several chemical reasons that can cause the irritation including strong washing detergents or fabric softeners used to wash clothing. 

There are many other health related problems.  Many of the chemicals in detergents and softeners are carcinogens.  They also cause allergies, rashes, breathing problems, yeast infections.  Phenols in detergents cause damage to heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. Fragrances in detergents and softeners can cause asthma attacks and worsen allergies.  

They Are Also Bad For Our Environment

Detergents are also unhealthful for our environment.  Among other substances which build up in water supplies as a result of detergent use are toxic heavy metals such as arsenic and cadmium, and sodium, a constituent of bleach which may play a part in the rise in male infertility.

After the final rinse, that stuff goes down the drain… into the environment. The effect of laundry detergent on the environment is undeniable, and it’s only within the last few years that we are seeing the toll it’s taking on animal and plant life. Most detergents run into the water supply and have been shown to interfere with aquatic life. This stuff is not natural and many plants and animals cannot process the chemicals contained in these products. Producing and distributing laundry detergent already carries a heavy carbon footprint. Sodium triphosphate and trisodium phosphate can make their way into the water and interfere with sea life development. In fact, phosphates that make their way into the water can increase the growth of toxin-producing algae which can kill plants, fish, dolphins, and other sea creatures.

10 dirty facts about laundry detergents that may surprise you and hopefully influence you to rethink the products you are using to clean your clothes.

1. Laundry Detergents are NOT soap. Their main ingredients are chemicals derived from petroleum. Popular laundry surfactants like nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) and linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS) have been linked to disruptions in the endocrine system. Such disruptions can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and developmental disorders like ADD, sexual development problems; they can affect potentially anything hormone-related.

2. Manufacturers are not obligated by U.S. law to list all ingredients in consumer products.

3. According to studies by Clemson University show that detergents leave chemical residues on fabrics – as much as a FULL SCOOP of detergent after just 10 washings.

4. Petrochemicals and other toxins in laundry detergents are fat soluble – meaning they are easily absorbed by the skin, specially during perspiration.

5. Fragrance in detergents are made of pthalates – known to be particularly dangerous for children’s health, and has been known to cause testicular atrophy (shrinkage), infertility, ADHD, thyroid problems, diabetes and pre-diabetes.

6. Optical Brighteners do not clean. They add a film of chemical residue on clothing to make whites ‘appear’ brighter. These often contain benzene – a known carcinogen. They also irritate the skin because they are specifically designed to not rinse away.

7. Popular “eco-friendly” laundry detergents such as Seventh Generation and Ecover contain SLS and SLES – chemicals known to be toxic to humans and aquatic life. These companies list these toxic ingredients on their websites but not on their product labels.

8. In 2012, Women’s Voices for the Earth found high levels of cancer causing chemical 1,4 dioxane in Tide, Free & Gentle Detergent – a product marketed towards moms for their infant’s laundry.

9. In 1997, the FDA reported that APE’s (Ethoxylated Alcohol Surfactants) are contaminated with carcinogens. Tests conducted by the Washington Toxics Coalition found that supermarket or drugstore labels are more likely to contain APE’s.

10. The manufacturing process of these cleaners release carcinogens and toxins into the environment that are slow to biodegrade and toxic to aquatic life, damaging the gills of fish and killing their eggs. They change the surface tension of water, causing fish to absorb more pollutants like pesticides. They cause algae bloom which chokes waterways, depletes water of oxygen, and destroys aquatic habitats.

So STOP using toxic detergents.

So what are you supposed to do with those mounds of dirty laundry?  There is a product on the market  whose technology has been used in hospitals for more than a decade.  It allows you to wash your clothes using No Detergents, No Bleach, No softener and NO HOT WATER!

It has been tested to get your clothes clean, kill 99.999% of germs and leave your clothes smelling fresh and mildew free even if you leave them in the washer for an extended period of time.  That detergent left in your clothes is food for bacteria which is why they get that odor and mildew smell when left in the washer.

This product will save you money because you are not buying detergents, softeners, bleach and you are not using hot water to wash your clothes.  According to the EPA and the Department of Energy the average American household does about 392 loads of laundry per year. The average cost of detergent, softener, water and energy per load is about $1.50.   That means the average household is spending around $588 per year doing laundry!  When you factor in the cost of premature replacement of clothes worn out by the abrasive action of detergents, this cost escalates.

Best of all, because there is no chemical residue left in the rinse water, our precious water supply is not polluted by that water leaching harmful chemicals into our water tables, streams, rivers and oceans.  This product is Eco-Friendly at the highest level.  It puts nothing into the environment that needs to be bio-degraded to begin with.  In addition, because you are not buying detergents and other laundry products there are no plastic bottles or other packaging going into our landfills.  

So what is this amazing product?

It is called Laundry Pure™ It is a small device that hangs on the wall and the water going into your washer is routed through it before going to your washer.  The Laundry Pure changes the composition of the water adding oxygen and Hydroxyl atoms which give it the cleaning and germ killing power.  It acts kind of like hydrogen peroxide to kill germs and gently lift dirt and odors out of the fabric.  Because of this gentle cleaning action, your clothes last longer, stay brighter and smell fresher.  You save money because your clothes don’t fray and wear out from the abrasive action of detergents.

You know how dark clothes, especially blacks seem to fade after a very few washings?  Well it might surprise you to know that they really haven’t faded,  they look that way because of all the detergent residue left in them.  Even the best washing machines can’t get all of this residue out during the rinse cycle so each washing results in more residue build up and your clothes appear faded.  With Laundry Pure, since you aren’t using detergent, each washing removes this residue and after a few washings your clothes will look brighter and return to that relatively new look.

Also, it might be nice to know that this product is Made in the U.S.A. so it has good quality and it’s manufacture provides jobs for Americans.

 

So….. Where can I get this fabulous Laundry Pure System? 

Laundry Pure is available from Green Health Technologies.  It can be ordered off the website:  www.greenhealthtechnologies.com/product/laundrypure-system/

Check out that page for more information on the Laundry Pure and pricing.  While there, you might be interested in other healthful  and ecological products sold by Green Health Technologies.