Whole Life Times: Squeaky Clean

January 2005 | Co-op America’s Living Green

Squeaky Clean

Dear Co-op America, I’d like to use more eco-friendly laundry products to wash my clothes. Any recommendations? — Marty M., Denver, CO

CONVENTIONAL DETERGENTS made from synthetic petrochemicals are hard on the environment and on your skin. You can clean clothes safely with green soaps and detergents.

Look for an all-natural liquid soap without artificial dyes or fragrances, such as Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps (760/743-2211, www.drbronner.com). Use the same amount of soap as you would detergent.

Soaps can react with chemicals in hard water, leaving a dulling film on clothes. To combat this, Annie Berthold-Bond, author of Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, 1999), recommends adding baking soda. “Start out with 1/4 cup of baking soda, and increase to 1/2 cup if you have very hard water,” she advises. Leave the soda in the water for 10 minutes, then add the soap and clothes.

To prepare clothes for the switch from detergent to soap, wash them initially with 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar per full load to prevent yellowing (a result of detergent residues reacting with soap), says Berthold-Bond.

The best eco-friendly detergents are made without nonrenewable, petroleum-based chemicals. They are biodegradable and contain no optical brighteners, dyes or artificial fragrances. Some excellent green laundry detergents to try include:

* Ecover (800.449.4925, www.ecover.com) — Nontoxic powder and liquid detergents, as well as a detergent for delicates.

* Natural Choices Home Safe Products (866.699.2667, www.oxyboost.com) — Oxyprime, a nontoxic laundry detergent, and Allergy Free, for people with chemical sensitivities.

* Sun & Earth (800.596.7233, x11, www.sunandearth.com) — “Deep Cleaning Formula” laundry detergent.

* Seventh Generation (802.658-3773, www.seventhgeneration.com) — Nontoxic liquid and powder laundry detergents, as well as Free and Clear fragrance-free laundry detergent and a detergent for baby clothes.

Instead of conventional bleaches and fabric softeners (the chlorine in conventional bleaches is a known carcinogen according to the EPA, and chemicals in fabric softeners can cause allergic reactions), try substituting these nontoxic alternatives:

For whitening:

Use non-chlorine bleach, such as oxygen bleaches like Oxyboost, from Natural Choices Home Safe Products. Also, Ecover offers two natural, chlorine-free bleaches, one made with hydrogen peroxide and one with percarbonate.

Soak clothes overnight in a solution of one part hydrogen peroxide to eight parts cold water. Wash as usual.

For softening fabric:

Add 1/2 cup baking soda to the rinse cycle of your wash. You can also try a commercial green fabric softener like Natural Choices Home Safe Products’ Safe ‘N Soft, Ecover’s Natural Fabric Softener, or Sun & Earth’s Ultra Fabric Softener.

Dear Co-op America, I’ve read a lot about toxins in cosmetics. Is there a way to compare brands? — Julie G., Chicago, IL

CHECK OUT www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep, a database compiled by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) that provides safety analysis of the ingredients in over 7,500 personal care products.

You can find all-natural, organic cosmetics in Co-op America’s National Green Pages™, available for $11.95 (see contact info below).

Living Green is brought to you by Co-op America, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that provides green living, purchasing, and investing tips and resources. To join Co-op America and get a free copy of the National Green Pages™ directory of green businesses, contact 800/58-GREEN. If you have a question for Living Green, e-mail it.

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