What's Lurking in Laundry and How to Clean It

Stepping out of a steamy shower, many people are wrapping up in a freshly laundered bath towel without giving it a second thought.  But did you know there's a good number of reasons to air dry because what lurks in your "clean" laundry could actually make you sick?  According to The Environmental Working Group, common ingredients in cleaning products have been linked to serious health concerns like asthma, cancer, birth defects, and allergies.  Specifically for laundry cleaning supplies, I can run out of breathe naming off the long list of toxic contaminants used in America's popular brands.

So what's the problem?

Conventional detergents are comprised of a concoction of fragrances, endocrine disruptors (read sabotage hormone function), neurotoxins and potent cancer-causing chemicals. Most detergents have signature fragrances which are designed to impregnate and stay in clothes. The unscented versions add masking chemicals, which simply cover up the fragrance with another chemical. Your laundry room may very well be the most toxic room in your home once these chemicals become airborne when washing and drying your clothes.
​
This is a major problem in light of the fact that scientists are directly linking the alarming rise of degenerative disease in America to exposure to chemicals in our homes and workplaces.  

Following is a list of common chemicals in laundry detergent products.

• Phthalates
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate/ Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLS/ SLES). ...
• Phosphates. ...
• Formaldehyde. ...
• Chlorine Bleach. ...
• Ammonium Sulfate. ...
• Dioxane (1,4 Dioxane/ Diethylene Dioxide/ Diethylene Ether/ Dioxan).

If you want to take a close, close, close look at all these chemicals, there are numerous scientific analysis blogs on the web.  Several I recommend are Natural Living Family, Branch Basics and I Read Labels For You and of course, The Environmental Working Group.

Why are these chemicals in our laundry soap?
The simplest answer to this question is that our tap water is dirty. 

Beyond the industrial chemicals and metals hidden in our public water, minerals like calcium and magnesium are also abundant.  These minerals are terrible for cleaning! 

Basically, what you need to know is calcium and magnesium are rocks (in the form of dissolvable solids) that get stuck in clothing.  Soap STICKS to those minerals which is why you get soap scum in the bath and why skin and hair get irritated...it's also the reason laundry turns DINGY, STINKY and LINTY.

Think about that towel.  It's only going to get as clean as the water used to launder it.  

Here are two water samples with laundry soap.  The left one is my neighbor's untreated city water with laundry soap.  The right is Rainsoft mechanically-softened city water with laundry soap.

Which water do you want to clean with?
​​

Test this at home with hard water

1. Grab a laundered cloth. 
   
2. Shove it into a mason jar full of water. 
   
3. Shake vigorously for a while. 
   
4. You will see the water turns grey as the residual soap and dirt are released into the water.  

Nice?  No. Gross!

Soap & Fragrances

The major fillers used in many detergents are insoluble materials that cause accumulation and buildup in laundry, washers, pumps, pipes, drain lines and septic tanks— and they also end up in our waterways.

Look for non-toxic yet effective products like Norwex Laundry Detergent which dissolves completely and does not accumulate or build up.  If you're cleaning with soft water, lucky you!  You can check off unnecessary fillers in your laundry all together and should also look into products like Natural Visions that are especially formulated for Rainsoft soft water households.  Just be sure to avoid artificial fragrances - choose unscented.

• According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) fragrances are considered to be among the top five allergens and can trigger asthma attacks.  Testing by EWG also revealed that 75% of the fragrances contain phthalates (pronounced “thal-ates”). Phthalates have been linked to diabetes, obesity and hormone disruption which affects both development and fertility. Mt. Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center has linked exposure to synthetic fragrance in first and third trimester prenatal exposure to ADHD and autism.​

The real problem is the water

Compounding the problem with the chemicals in the cleaning agents, municipal and tap water is full of contaminants like pharmaceuticals, nitrates, chlorine, herbicides, pesticides, lead, fluoride, arsenic as well as hard minerals like calcium, magnesium and manganese which make it impossible for clothes to be rinsed clean of dirt and oil with just soap.  Major chemical companies such as Proctor and Gamble, Lever Bros., and Colgate Palmolive understand that most households have DIRTY WATER, so they produce chemical-laden products that chemically-soften water.

<<Read more about Dirty Tap Water and How to Clean It>>

In the past, these companies made an unscented powder form, but today they fill plastic containers full of mostly water then add their chemicals and some fragrances and dyes to cover up the chemical smell.  Consumers pay high dollar for this "Cleaner". 

Did you know the average American family spends about $40 to $50 each month on cleaning supplies, roughly calculating to $600 a year?

How to clean dirty tap water that's making your laundry dirtier

Luckily for us residing in the United States, there are many ways we can clean dirty tap water full of minerals and rid our homes of gross bacteria and other contaminants which could be harboring in your laundry.

1. WATER SOFTENER SYSTEM Hard water is known to clog pipes, shower heads, and can eventually ruin your home appliances such as washers, dryers, dishwashers, etc (not to mention carry all kinds of bacteria and contaminants).  It also sticks to skin and hair allowing chemicals in our soap products to bind to the calcium and clog pores.  This leads to skin allergies and hormone disruption.  By purchasing a Rainsoft water softener system from The Detox Artist, our water softener systems remove positively charged ions typically from magnesium and calcium.  You no longer need to use harmful soap products in your home that are laden with chemicals intended to soften your water because you've got the softest, cleanest water on the block.
2. REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEM Using a membrane to purify water, an RO system removes all bacteria and viruses from the drinking water at a specific spigot in the home, and  also removes chemical contaminants at a molecular level such as nitrates, fluoride, arsenic, chromium, lead, pesticides, herbicides, etc. (to name a few).
3. WHOLE HOUSE CARBON FILTER  Incoming water is polished and clarified by the whole-house taste & odor filter that removes chlorine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other chemicals that are often found in tap water. Typically, the QRS filter is placed ahead of a RainSoft water conditioner (softener) and feeds it very clean water, allowing the two pieces of technology to work together, and helping the conditioner to last longer.

Count the ways you and your family use water.

1. Drinking
2. Cooking
3. Bathing
4. Doing laundry
5. Housecleaning
6. Watering the lawn
7. Washing the car
8. Giving the dog a bath

Keep it clean, folks!

About Rainsoft by The Detox Artist

The Detox Artist, LLC is a trained contractor of Rainsoft of Des Moines - an authorized dealer for Rainsoft.  Based in Des Moines, IA, The Detox Artist services the 1.2 million water consumers in the 75-mile area throughout Central and Southern Iowa including Greater Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Newton, Ottumwa, Indianola, Oscelola, Lamoni, Corning, Atlantic, Adair, Panora, Perry, Carroll, Ames and Webster City. Rainsoft of Des Moines has been servicing these areas since 1978. We offer home water softener systems, drinking water filtration systems, problem-solving water filtration systems, and whole house air cleaner systems.  Now also servicing The Greater Ozarks with Aquasani, Inc. of Springfield, MO.
​
We specialize in water filtration for both commercial businesses and residential homes.  If you would like an estimate, schedule an appointment with us by calling (515) 289-6263 and we will take a look at what's going on specifically with your water.

We offer Lifetime Warranty and Product replacement service.
 Call: 515-289-6263

---

by Erica Abell-Holland
​At The Detox Artist by RainSoft, we offer in-home water quality tests to all prospective customers.  Book now!