Conventional Laundry Soaps Vs Homemade Laundry Soap

Did you know the Laundry Room is the most toxic place in the household? Did you know our skin is our largest organ? We wash our clothing and put it directly on our skin absorbing these toxins right into our bloodstream and smelling the toxins all day long, every day. Using those conventional laundry soaps from the store is not only toxic but also very costly. 

Let's help these companies air out their dirty laundry. Following is a list of the most common harmful chemicals in laundry detergent products. 

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate /Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLS/SLES)
The main ingredient in and most common chemical in laundry detergents as well as dish soap, hand wash, and shampoo, SLS and SLES are surfactants intended to remove soil and as a foaming agent. They were originally developed as garage floor degreasers. Unfortunately, they also inflame skin, eyes, and lungs, and damage internal organs. 

Phosphates 
Phosphate exposure is linked to cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and death from all causes in the general healthy population.

Formaldehyde
Yes, the toxic chemical used to preserve dead bodies is in many laundry products and dish detergents. Exposure, even at low levels, from breathing or smelling formaldehyde increases your risk of cancer, according to the CDC. 
It has also caused spots of dying tissue with regular exposure (necrosis)m and an immune response consistent with parasitic infection, an allergic reaction, or cancer. The EPA calls it a class B1 probable carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) and says it causes acute toxicity when in contact with skin.

Chlorine Bleach
It's not surprising that bleach is a skin and lung irritant, but most people do not know either how common it is in laundry products or exactly how harmful it can be, not to mention, many people add at least an additional cup to every load of whites. The material data safety sheet from major bleach manufacturers tells us exactly how dangerous this substance is.

Chlorine Bleach is dangerous? 
Chlorine bleach causes severe caustic burns to skin and eyes, blindness, pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs that restrict breathing) respiratory failure, and more; use of personal protection equipment is required when using bleach, including a chemical-resistant apron, chemical resistant gloves, safety goggles to protect eyes from fumes, and even air respirators!

Ammonium Sulfate
This laundry additive is so toxic, it's manufacturers recommend not using it indoors! In addition to the impermeable gloves, and eye and lung protection, the requirements for use of ammonium sulfate include never allowing the chemical or it's empty containers to reach drains or water ways, and it is a category 3 oral, skin and respiratory toxin.

Dioxane (1,4 dioxane/ Diethylene Dioxide/Diethylene Ether/ Dioxan)
This laundry additive belongs as far away from your home and family as possible. Its liquid and fumes can spontaneously combust. It's a known carcinogen (known to cause cancer since 1988); it causes skin, eye, and lung inflammation (some irreversible); it should only be used with protective gear including respirators, and once you are exposed (via inhalation, skin contact, or eye contact, including fumes in your eyes), it targets the following organs: kidneys, central nervous system, liver, respiratory system, eyes, and skin.

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 stain-hiders. In addition, it is an eye, skin, and lung irritant; extremely toxic to aquatic life; may spontaneously combust and cannot be in the presence of static electricity- such as that from your clothes dryer; and correct use includes safely discarding and clothing that comes in contact with it.

Ammonium Quaternary Sanitizers (Quats/ Synthesized Cationic Surfactants) 
This common additive, commonly known by teenage food-service workers as "quat", is known to be corrosive, and it should not be in household cleaning products, as it causes eye, skin, and lung damage. There is no reason to include these chemicals in laundry detergent.

Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (Nonoxynol, NPEs)
In addition to many warnings of harm to the eye, skin, and lungs, this laundry detergent ingredient states that prolonged exposure to inhaled fumes or mist may be fatal!

Fragrance ( Unspecified/ Parfum) Manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients of their fragrances because of a legal loophole. Adding fragrance to detergent gives a false impression of cleanliness without improving the action of the products in any way. The deception goes much further than most people think- due to the generations of indoctrination by unethical marketing schemes, studies show that women, in particular, choose products based almost solely on fragrance even when the product is clearly demonstrated to be ineffective at cleaning. Artificial fragrances are usually to blame in cases of chemical sensitivity, allergic reactions, and rashes. Pulmonologists almost universally recommend removing the artificial fragrance from commercial products unless specifically sold as perfuming agents, as our lungs are constantly inundated with harmful, unnecessary fumes. Many are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.

Dyes

Not only do dyes add no cleaning power at all, but they are also another frequent culprit when unexplained allergies or rashes appear. Many are proven carcinogens and almost all are endocrine disruptors

Benzyl Acetate This additive is harmful if inhaled or spilled on the skin and targets the kidneys and nervous system. Dichorobenzene (P-Dichlorobenzene/ Benzene) Benzene has an immediate, high toxic effect on aquatic life that can continue poisoning the watershed for years to come. The fumes cause optical damage, and it is listed with a carcinogen warning for humans With all these chemicals, how can we wash our clothing and not be exposed? Well, I have a solution. You can either look into the natural types of laundry soaps that are sold, like those from Norwex, or other natural stores. Or you can make your own. I tend to make a 5-gallon tub of laundry soap and it can last me months. I know exactly what's in it and each load costs me $0.006 a load and is High-Efficiency (HE) safe and is safe with septic tanks as well.

How to make 5 gallons of laundry soap.

Ingredients 1 bar of Fels-Naptha Soap (or any castile soap), grated 1 cup of Washing Soda 1 cup of Borax A lot of hot water ( enough to fill the 5-gallon bucket. I boil water in the biggest pot I have, it takes a few fills to do this) Essential oils ( optional, I do not add it, but some might want a scent)

5-gallon bucket.

Step 1- place 4 cups of water into a pot and bring to a boil, place the grated soap into the pot until it's completely dissolved. Step 2- fill the biggest Pot you own and bring to a boil. You will want to add the boiled water to your bucket until it's 1/2 full. Add the Washing Soda and Borax and mix till dissolved. Add the soap and mix. Keep adding boiling water till the bucket is full. Stir well ( i use a big piece of wood to stir) once mixed well, cover and let sit overnight. (if you want Essential oils, you can add them now and stir) It will become a jelly-like substance. You can then add it to an old laundry container, 1/2 filled with water and 1/2 filled with your laundry soap, shake well before each use. Use 1/4 cup in your washer. I use wool dryer balls instead of chemical-filled dryer sheets. You can add essential oils to them to add a fragrance. Here is the link to my Laundry list of items I use to make my laundry soap.

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