Cleaner Laundry
Our health is affect by not only what we are putting IN our bodies, but what we are putting ON our bodies as well.
We are constantly exposed to environmental toxins, which contributes to our toxic load (or the amount of toxins/harmful chemicals in our bodies). These chemicals can accumulate in our bodies and cause some serious issues with our hormones and our nervous system. You would be SHOCKED to learn that there are several KNOWN CARCINOGENS that are allowed to be put into our skin and body care, our makeup, our cleaning products, our laundry products, etc. These products may have small amounts (or in some cases, large amounts!) of harmful toxins, but they can easily accumulate as we are repeatedly exposed to them, from the lotions and body washes, to our clothes that we wear all day and are in constant contact with our skin.
Like nutrition and implementing a healthy lifestyle, taking small, manageable steps will reap the biggest rewards. If you're looking to reduce your toxic load, start with something easy that you could switch out. Today, we are going to take a look at your laundry products.
You wear clothes for most of the day, for most of your life. What you wash (and dry) your clothes with STAYS on your clothes and rubs against your skin all day (and remember-- your skin is your largest organ and absorbs whatever you put on it!). The problem with most laundry detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets is that the are CHOCK full of potentially harmful chemicals (1, 2), including:
benzyl acetate (linked to pancreatic cancer)
benzyl alcohol (linked to respiratory irritation)
ethanol (linked to nervous system disorders)
limonene (known carcinogen)
chloroform (neurotoxin and carcinogen)
ethyl acetate (narcotic)
biodegradable cationic softeners (damages nervous system)
linalool (damages nervous system)
and more...
One easy switch we implemented was ditching the dryer sheets and fabric softener. We use wool dryer balls (which actually help dry your clothes faster than dryer sheets because they separate your clothes better and allow hot air to circulate more efficiently) and add essential oils to scent our clothes without the junk.
The next step we took with our laundry was switching to a less-toxic detergent. We started with Seventh Generation from Target, just because it was convenient. The Environmental Working Group (EWG--check out the app!) rates it at a C, Moderate Concern.
We eventually switched to Branch Basics, which is a concentrate that you can use for laundry and cleaning products (more on this next week!). The EWG rates this product a B, Low Concern.
You could also make your own laundry detergent, with ingredients you probably already have at home! I found this recipe at diynatural.com, but there are tons of other recipes out there!
- 1 bar of soap, shaved (like Dr. Bronners)
- 14 oz of Borax
- 14 oz of washing soda (Arm and Hammer makes this)
Mix all ingredients, and boom! Homemade, garbage-free laundry detergent :)
Start with something small, and manageable, and the impact will be great!
