How Toxic Is Your Laundry Detergent?

Laundry is an inevitable part of life. And unless you’re walking around naked (if you are, cheers to your self confidence!), you’re wearing your laundered clothes 24/7. And while you could be living an otherwise “healthy” lifestyle, you could be walking around with an outfit covered with toxic chemicals that could be harming your health.

There are over 8,000 synthetic chemicals used in the apparel industry, and 80,000 chemicals being used in everything from your clothing to your laundry detergent. And unfortunately, most of them contain known carcinogens and hormone disruptors.

So if you’re ready to “clean up” your laundry and get rid of the hazardous chemicals that could be impacting your health and the environment, read on!

TOXIC LAUNDRY DETERGENT

Our skin is our body’s largest organ and highly impacted by the things we put on it. From soap to lotion to clothing - all of it gets absorbed into your body.

This is just a partial list of the common chemicals found in most commercial detergents. Chances are, if your detergent is highly falsely fragrant and some bright blue or green color, it contains some or all of these chemicals.

1. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Lauryl Sulfate/ Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLS/ SLES). A main ingredient in, and most common chemical in laundry detergents as well as dish liquid, hand wash, and shampoo. This chemical can inflame skin, eyes, and lungs, and damage internal organs 

2. Phosphates. Phosphate exposure is linked to cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and death, and the runoff kills native marine animal species.

3. Formaldehyde. Yes, the toxic chemical used to preserve dead bodies is in many laundry products and dish detergents. According to the CDC, just breathing this toxic chemical could cause cancer.

4. Chlorine Bleach. Bleach is a skin and lung irritant, and - literally states on the bottle - “can cause severe caustic burns to skin and eyes, blindness, pulmonary edema and respiratory failure”

5. Dioxane (1,4 Dioxane/ Diethylene Dioxide/ Diethylene Ether/ Dioxane). It is a known carcinogen and can cause skin, eye, and lung inflammation, in addition to impacting  your kidneys, central nervous system, liver, respiratory system, eyes, and skin.

6. Optical Brighteners/ UV Brighteners. Optical brighteners are included in laundry detergents as stain treaters; however, they do not remove stains at all. They coat clothing with a substance that reflects visible light, so you can’t see stains. They are known to be an eye, skin, and lung irritant and are toxic to aquatic life.

7. Ammonium Sulfate. This laundry additive is so toxic, it’s manufacturers recommend not using it indoors. It is a category 3 oral, skin, and respiratory toxin.

8. Fragrance. Alarmingly, manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients of their fragrances because of a legal loophole. And due to cultural norms of the status quo, the smell of fragrance may cause the false sense of belief that the clothes are cleaner. Unfortunately fragrance often results in allergic reactions (which are on the rise). Many are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.

9. Dichlorobenzene is listed with a carcinogen warning for humans. It is also toxic to aquatic life and the environment.

10. Phthalates are known to negatively affect reproductive systems, endocrine systems, and infant development.

DOESN’T DETERGENT WASH OFF?

You would think that laundry would be designed to wash off the detergent and simply those toxic chemicals down the drain (which, by the way, is still washing toxic chemicals into the environment, polluting the ocean and rivers, and thereby polluting the fish we eat). But it’s not that simple.

These toxic detergents are intentionally made to stick to fabrics. This is why clothing washed with commercial detergents smells “clean.” Then, when you wear your clothes and sweat, these chemicals break down and are being absorbed through your skin. 

COMING CLEAN

So what should you do if you find out your laundry detergent is filled with toxic chemicals?

The first thing is not to panic. The sooner you catch it, the faster you can do something about it. 

When searching for a new laundry detergent, look for ones that do not have any of these toxic chemicals in them. Look for detergents that contain biodegradable ingredients and are free of dyes and fragrances. Unfortunately, it can be tricky as many of the better known detergents don’t meet the toxin-free standards, but if you do your research, you can find the ones that do. Brands such as Seventh Generation, Biokleen, and Method are all on our toxin-free list.

And if you need help with your laundry and want to be toxin-free, sign up to OrangeBag® to have your laundry picked up, washed, folded, and returned to you - no toxins involved. 

In a world full of chemicals, we can’t avoid them completely but we can empower ourselves to eliminate them from our lives as much as possible. Knowledge is power and empowering when you take action on it.

Here’s to a healthier you and healthier planet!