Chemicals in laundry cleaning products
Have you thought about the effect of chemicals in laundry cleaners? How can we avoid these? Check out this brand of natural laundry product from Wild Ideas.
Fear chemicals, not dirt
We are all fixated on being obsessively clean; in the process forget the price we pay in terms of the chemicals we spread in our homes, water, and air. This creates havoc with our own endocrine systems, respiratory system, and our skin and causes indoor pollution and water contamination. Most cleaning materials are made using very strong chemicals that clean everything but are far from healthy. According to US Environment Protection Agency, the air inside most households is 2-5 times more polluted than the air just outside. If you would have noticed most cleaning materials carry hazard messages saying “warning, poison, not to be inhaled, consumed…..etc”
The most commonly found chemicals are: Phthalates are contained in any product that has a fragrance; it is a known endocrine disruptor. Triclosan is in most liquid dish wash and hand wash soaps( claiming to be antibacterial), it could promote the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. Ammonia in polishing agents for fixtures, and chlorine in scouring powders, the list goes on. These are only the tip of the iceberg.
Experiments with natural cleaners
I must confess that my experiments with house cleaning materials have been up and down. I found a natural brand but am not clear about the ingredient list, so haven’t yet introduced it in Bio Basics. The other option I have used interestingly is the various powders. I buy many powders and sometimes end up overstocking these, I discovered that a hand washes powder, a laundry powder or any other powder that has been with me for too long works as a handy mild cleaning agent. Any day I prefer these natural substances to harsh chemicals that would contaminate the water in the ground and spread fumes around the house.
Wild Ideas
Wild Ideas the group behind the natural laundry and dish wash powder has been expanding its range of products. They branched to laundry and dish wash bar soaps. All their products are being personally used by us and I have over years and months convinced my help (willy-nilly) to use it. I showed her how her hands were chapped due to the chemicals and using these would help her, since then she has reluctantly agreed to use these products. Now they have branched to liquid bathroom cleaner made with coconut oil, lye, lemon essential oil and cooking soda. They have also introduced a floor cleaner with coconut oil, lye, and grapefruit essential oil.
I tried the bathroom cleaner and it works well, left it on the floor for a couple of hours and then scrubbed the floor. There wasn’t the strong chemical smell, irritation of the eyes or skin while washing. I am sure it has left the grey water also non-toxic, which is very important for me. The soil, the water, and all natural resources are lent to me for my use and I have no right to contaminate it. Even if it takes a little more effort I would like to use such products that don’t harm the natural resources. The whole issue of contamination takes on a poignant note when we are reading about the fact that Johannesburg will become the first megacity to run out of the water by April. A news headline, an occurrence, which none of us expected to see in our lifetimes. This is more like the apocalyptic scenarios shown in films and not supposed to become real. However, that is the reality of our existence today and every step we take counts.
So let us make a small beginning and treat dirt and dust with less fear and chemicals with more fear.
– Devi