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7 Laundry Detergent brands without optical brighteners
There are a lot of chemicals in laundry detergent products that pollute the environment. Most of the detergents also use fragrances, which can be problematic for allergy sufferers. In this article we look at the most important chemicals and their impact on humans and the environment and introduce brands who offer alternatives to conventional laundry detergents.
What chemical substances are in detergents?
Bleach
Today, mainly oxygen-based bleaches such as percarbonate or hydrogen peroxide are used. These bleaches oxidize the organic colors from the dirt in the laundry and discolor them. Bleach activators such as tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) increase the efficacy of bleaching agents at low temperatures. Fortunately, chlorine bleach is being used less and less in the conventional detergent brands.
Fragrances
The fragrances in the detergents give the laundry a pleasant scent and cover the unpleasant odors of the wash liquor. However, various perfumes added to the detergent such as limonene or geraniol can cause allergies.
Fillers
As a filler for pulverulent detergents mainly sodium sulfates are used. They ensures a good flowability, good dosage and solubility of the product. For the actual cleaning they have no effect.
However, sodium sulphate can not be biodegraded easily and contributes to the salinity of the waters, which in turn interferes with the equilibrium of the freshwater flora and fauna. If you want to avoid fillers, you better take a liquid detergent.
Optical brighteners
What are optical brighteners in detergent?
Optical brighteners deceive our eye. During the washing process, they are drawn on the fiber of the textile and remain there. They convert the invisible ultraviolet light into visible blue light. Mixed with the complementary color yellow of the laundry, a radiant white results for the human eye: A deception without any washing effect.
Why are optical brighteners bad?
The problem with optical brighteners is that they get into the wastewater and are difficult to biodegrade. Direct skin contact is suspected to cause a hormonal effect by some classes of brighteners. Ecologically produced textiles and detergents therefore do not use optical brighteners.
What detergent does not have optical brighteners?
Here comes a list of laundry detergent brands without optical brighteners and other harsh chemicals
- Seventh Generation
from Vermont; 0% fragrances, dyes, or artificial brighteners. - Puracy
from Austin, Texas; No phosphates, sulfates, petrochemicals, animal by-products, chlorine, perfumes, dyes, allergens. - Ecos Earth friendly products
Does Ecos have optical brighteners? No. The formula is alos Phosphate-free, chlorine-free, enzyme-free, borine-free, cocamide DEA-free, dye-free, and free of petroleum ingredients. - Mrs. Meyers Laundry Detergent
from Racine, WI; Free of Phthalates, Chlorine, Formaldehyde, Artificial Colors, Parabens, Animal Derived Ingredients, MEA, DEA, Optical Brighteners. - Biokleen Free & Clear
From Gurnee, Illinois. Biokleen uses a hypoallergenic formula. The detergent is 3 times concentrated to reduce packaging, waste and energy. Biokleen liquid laundry detergent is plant-based,with no artificial fragrances or dyes. The products are never tested on animals, use biodegradable ingredients and are manufactured in the US. - Sun & Earth
from King of Prussia, PA; Vegan, Kosher, Cruelty free, Phosphate free, Dye free, Perfume free, No harmful synthetics, UV brightener free. - Grab Green
from Camarilo, CA; Free from Phosphate, optical brighteners, chlorine and dye, non-toxic formula made of naturally-derived ingredients - Nellie’s All Natural Laundry Soda
from Vancouver; free from SLS, SLES, Phosphates, Fragrance and Chlorine, biodegradable
But what about well known laundry detergent brands. Are they free of optical brighteners?
Does Tide Free have optical brighteners?
According to the official website of Tide, Tide Free does contain optical brighteners. The only Tide product that does not have optical brighteners is Tide Purclean, which is a plant-based detergent that is 75% bio-based and certified by the USDA BioPreferred Program. Tide Purclean >>> also has no dyes, chlorine, phosphates, or optical brighteners. Therefore, if you are looking for a laundry detergent that is free of optical brighteners and other synthetic chemicals, Tide Purclean may be a better option than Tide Free.
Does Persil contain optical brighteners?
According to the official website of Persil, Persil Sensitive detergent contains optical brighteners. However, it is not clear if other Persil products also contain optical brighteners, as the website does not provide this information, clearly. Therefore, consumers who want to avoid optical brighteners may need to contact Henkel directly or check the product labels carefully before buying or using their detergents.
Does Arm and Hammer sensitive detergent have optical brighteners?
Arm and Hammer sensitive detergent claims to be free of optical brighteners, dyes and perfumes, making it a suitable choice for people with sensitive skin or allergies. However, some customers have reported that they still see a blue tint on their clothes after using this detergent, which suggests that it may contain some traces of optical brighteners. Therefore, it is advisable to test the detergent on a small area of fabric before using it on a large load of laundry.
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List of BPA free bottled water brands
Whether in food packaging, CDs, toys, thermal paper receipts, plastic water bottles or jugs, it is hard to escape the contact with the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA).
The European Agency for Food Safety (EFSA) adopted recently a new risk assessment of the substance and significantly reduced the limit for daily recommended daily intake of 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight down to only 4 micrograms.
What bottled water brands are BPA- free?
The French Food Safety Authority banned the use of the chemical BPA in food packaging all together. Across the EU the production of plastic baby bottles with Bisphenol A has been prohibited since March 2011. The FDA however has a different view:
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How to Get Free Baby Product Samples?
Want Free Baby Product Samples?
There is a possibility to get them for 100% free.
You know, it can become quite costly if you shop for your newborn’s daily needs: Diapers, milk powder, body wash, body lotions, wipes and more and more stuff. All can add up to a significant sum each and every month… but you know, don’t need to tell you.
Why not get some of these things for free by just testing them and give feedback. The consumer brands are interested to obtain this valuable first hand experience from their consumers and are willing to ship their samples for free to the actual users. You know these days, data is more valuable than the actual physical stuff.
For example, with Samples&Savings you receive samples from brands like Pampers, Huggies, Gerber and more…
They offer products like Diapers, Baby Milk Powder, Baby Body care, and much more for FREE or send you coupon codes on a regular basis.
Here you can Pampers Coupons:
And here you can get Free Samples of Huggies Diapers:
Or even better, get the Johnson’s Relief Kit
All you need to do is first enter your Name, Email and Babies Birth or Due Date. In the next step you will be asked to enter your Address and then you are ready to receive Baby Product Samples and more for Free.
The offers are only available in the U.S
Photo by Filip Mroz on Unsplash
*Disclaimer: We will get a commission if you sign up to this program. However it won’t cost you anything, still.
Zero Waste Toothbrush Brands
A toothbrush is a disposable item that should be replaced every 6 to 12 weeks. It is estimated that in North America alone over 1 billion plastic toothbrushes end up in landfills every year. Including the packaging this equates to more than 25,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year. That is the weight of more than 50 fully loaded Jumbo Jets.
Plastic toothbrushes are made from a mix of plastic materials that combine elements of rubber and crude oil that take centuries to biodegrade. If you thought that that was already bad enough, the manufacturing process for these toothbrushes consist as well of dangerous plastic by-products that need to be disposed.
However, several innovative manufacturers have come to grips with this problem and have brought solutions to the market that are recyclable and compostable; without any plastic.
Most of them use bamboo wood as main material. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on our planet. Since the bamboo contains natural antibacterial agents, no fertilizers and pesticides need to be used during cultivation.Bamboo naturally repels water, is antibacterial and biodegrades within months after disposal, instead of centuries as plastic.
Let us introduce you to our selection of zero waste toothbrushes:
Isshah
They sell there bamboo toothbrushes in sets of 4 which last a year for one person. So you also save transportation energy and costs.
The bamboo toothbrushes are safe, i.e. they will never splinter and are water resistant.
They come in 100% recycled biodegradable packaging. The craft paper is not polluting the environment when you throw it away.
Hello Boo
Hello Boo Toothbrushes are made from 100% natural, eco-friendly and antimicrobial Moso bamboo and have soft nylon bristles.
Moso bamboo is particularly Panda friendly as it is not a source of food for panda bears, as there is no leaf growth on the first 5 yards of the stem of the Moso bamboo.
Mother’s Vault
The Mother’s Vault toothbrushes use Beeswax coating to prevent splintering making this bamboo toothbrush smooth and long-lasting. The handles are slightly curved for a snug fit and better brush control.
For the bristles they are using BPA-free nylon, while the bristles are neither too hard, nor too soft. They are well crafted to stay in place and not fall out. The wavy design hugs tooth surfaces and gums to remove plaque and bacteria from your teeth.
Furthermore, the cardboard of the packaging is 100% biodegradable.
GoWoo
The GoWoo Bamboo toothbrush also uses soft bristles made of BPA free nylon that is recyclable as well as light on the gums. The perfectly crafted and smooth Bamboo handles are completely biodegradable, and long lasting. Ideal for Sensitive Teeth & Gums.
Check them out! You might even enjoy a cleaner oral situation while not burdening the environment with unnecessary plastic waste.
You might also want to use your zero waste toothbrush with a biodegradable toothpaste and zero waste dental floss.
Photo by Eugenie Lai on Unsplash
5 Non-toxic Dish Soap Brands
It feels wonderful to run a sink full of hot water and watch the dish detergent create mounds of bubbly suds. The dishes get that squeaky clean that everyone loves. When you are scrubbing yet another pile of dishes, do you ever ponder what kind of ingredients is in your dish detergent? The answers may shock you.
Dish soap has strong chemicals to loosen baked-on food and grease. The main ingredient in most brands is sodium laurel sulfate, or SLS. This ingredient gives the sudsing action we want. It is commonly used in cleaning and hygiene products. While some companies point out that SLS comes from coconuts, it can be vulnerable to contamination by chemicals that are carcinogenic. Continue reading
How to find flame retardant free pajamas for kids
Hidden Dangers in Kids’ Pajamas
As a parent, your number one concern is keeping your children safe. It is challenging enough to protect your children from everyday hazards you can see and hear, but what about unseen dangers that could be present without you knowing?
Flame retardants are used in numerous household items. Couches, mattresses, and kids’ pajamas all potentially contain flame retardant chemicals. Flame retardant chemicals are used to prevent and delay the spread of fire so that an escape can be made. Unfortunately, the chemicals that are supposed to help protect you are actually causing harm.
A recently published study by scientists at Duke University showed that levels of flame retardant, cancer-causing chemicals are increasing in adults and children in the U.S. Children are particularly at risk because they breathe in more of the chemicals released via dust and other small particles from furniture or other sources in relation to their body weight, versus adults.
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4 Non toxic diaper Brands
As a parent we change diapers up to five times daily for our little ones. The disposable diaper is definitely a super invention. But, have you ever thought about how a diaper actually works? And, which substances are actually in there?
A diaper basically consists of 3 layers. There is the inner layer touching the baby’s skin. It is often made from polypropylene (petroleum based) with some added aloe vera and vitamin E.
In the middle there is a the absorbent core. The urine is distributed and absorbent by a core from wood pulp and finally locked in the superabsorber material usually made of sodium polyacrylate. This can be observed well on a full diaper.
For the production of this superabsorbent, petroleum is used. For the 12 grams (about half an ounce) of superabsorbent in a diaper, 5 grams of petroleum are needed. Continue reading
Flame retardant free mattresses for adults and babies
Flame retardants are found in a variety of products. You can find them in your mattresses, your couch, even in breastfeeding pillows, strollers, car seats, and even kids pajamas. Studies found that flame retardants are even contained in over a hundred children products.
The chemical industry claims that flame retardants are safe, good for the environment and they protect against fire. However, the benefits of these chemicals come with an uncalculated health risk: Flame retardants are linked to cancers, neurological deficits, and hormone disruption Source: US environmental protection agency.
Furthermore experiments show that they do not work as promised. Especially in upholstery and mattresses, the flame retardants are often only applied to the foam, not the textile that surrounds it. Experiments show that in this case as soon as the textile is ignited the flame retardants can’t protect the product to completely go on fire. They only produce a toxic smoke and carbon monoxide. Continue reading
How to find non toxic, chemical free baby clothes?
Unlike in cosmetics or food, the label of a garment does not say which substances are contained in the fiber. Many chemical substances are used in the manufacturing process of textiles before they end up in the wardrobe. So it is much harder to identify chemical free baby clothes which ideally derive from a non toxic manufacturing process.
Among the chemicals are a number of substances that are harmful to the environment and the health of babies and toddlers, even in the smallest quantities. However, most substances are not an immediate threat to your child, but the manufacturing process is often a massive problem for the environment and the workers who come into contact with these substances. Above all, the precious resource water is polluted with the toxic substances from the textile factories.
This may be a problem for the countries of production, but the pollutants from textile production in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia or Mexico are spread around the world by watercourses and air currents. Through food, air and drinking water, they also reach the human organism in our latitudes.
In this article, we will present you the most harmful substances you should look out for when buying baby clothing and provide you with a list of brands that guarantee a harmless production of baby clothes with minimal impact on the environment.
5 cleaning products brands without chemicals
Ditch the chemicals for a healthier home and help save the planet too
Everyone wants to keep their house clean, but if you use the type of regular household cleaners that you buy in the supermarket, you could actually be doing more harm than good. These popular cleaners contain problematic ingredients such as ammonia, which could be harmful to your children and pets. Ammonia is irritating to their lungs, and because of their small size they receive a greater exposure than adults. These cleaners also get into the environment. Therefore, it is safer to use chemical-free cleaning products.
In fact, regular cleaning products contain a number of harmful ingredients that are best avoided. Yet we use these products without even thinking about it. Look at the ingredients list on your shampoo, cleaning products, and laundry detergent, or dish soap and you will find many that give cause for concern. They are extremely common, yet are often a problem for the environment and for us. Continue reading