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Laundry Care Products

The Point is Clean Clothes
When you pull clothes from the machine, do you detect a faint crackling sound? Do you see tiny bubbles emerging from the compacted folds? That's because there is still detergent in the fabric, which means the clothes aren't clean, and if fabric softener has also been added to the wash cycle they REALLY aren't clean. These residues act as magnets for more dirt in the next wearing.

Less is More
Laundry detergent has become pretty powerful stuff over the last few years, and for most of us, our habits have remained basically the same. We usually squirt or scoop the same about of detergent that we used to, but now these products are so concentrated half that much is often appropriate. We are also adding more products to the mix, between pre spotting, bleach or bleach alternative, and fabric softener. Consequently, our clothes, sheets, and towels retain a concentration of soap that builds up over numerous washings because they never fully rinse clean.

http://www.fabriclink.com/careproducts.html

Laundry Pre-Treatment

Out, Out Damned Spot
Much of the ultimate success of laundry depends on checking for problems before items reach water. Grimy socks, coffee stains, motor oil, chocolate, wine, or blood needn't ruin clothes if caught in time.

The Steps
Obviously, treating an accident soon after it happens is best, and often tepid water, soap, and light rubbing action will do the trick. If a trace is still evident upon pre-washing inspection, pre spotting with a pretreatment product or non-bleach detergent is generally sufficient. Pretreatment sticks, gels, or sprays are usually solvent based, so they are geared especially for oil-based spots, and most conventional detergents include enzymes which tackle various food stains. Between solvents or enzymes, most stain issues can be successfully addressed before general washing.

Soaking
The kindest, gentlest answer for almost any spot situation is to soak the item in cool water with whatever product is deemed necessary for the situation. Food stains respond well to enzyme presoak products and detergents because they break down the proteins involved. Soaking is especially good for ground in dirt, and often the most effective additive is a non-chlorine bleach mixed with a bit of detergent.

Heat Sets Stains
Even if a stain is still present after washing, there is usually recourse if it's caught before being set either in the heat of the clothes dryer, or by direct sunlight on the clothes line. However, once an item has dried completely by either of these ways, there is little chance to reverse the situation.

Proctor & Gamble's comprehensive web site for stain removal. Includes traditional, or Make-at-Home recipes as well as conventional products for elimination of spots and stains on washable fabrics.

Laundry Detergent

The Heart of the Matter
Over the years, laundry detergent has replaced laundry soap because it cleans better. Soap tends to leave a scum build-up on clothes, and detergent rinses out more completely.

Three Categories of Detergent
As with dish soap, general cleaners, or personal care products, Green Martha breaks laundry cleaning products into three categories: Conventional, Alternative, and Traditional. Conventional cleaners are products your mother probably used. They are familiar from years of TV and magazine ads that often sport "New and Improved" on their colorful labels in the laundry detergent aisle. Alternative laundry products have developed within the last 30 years as environmentally benign substitutes to the harsher ingredients found in conventional detergent. Traditional cleaners are sometimes called mix-at-home recipes because they are blends of household ingredients that were the precursor to conventional laundry detergent.

Conventional and Alternative detergents usually contain three enzymes to work on releasing food stains. Amylase is effective on starch, protease for protein, and lipase for fat based spots.

Detailed listing of attributes of various laundry products:

Conventional Laundry Detergent
Conventional laundry detergents appeared at about the same time as washing machines because their standardized measurements and ingredients helped washing machines to function reliably. The modifications happened gradually, but stronger and more effective additives changed these products as chemists and manufacturers sought to reduce costs and improved performance over the years. However, nasty side effects were eventually attributed to some ingredients.

Phosphates
Phosphates are a known example. They soften water so detergents can clean more thoroughly, but they also promote rapid algae growth by nutrient loading. Extreme cases rob oxygen from bodies of water to the extent that fish die. (Click here for more info) Now many manufacturers list "Phosphate Free" on their labels, but since they rarely list product ingredients, consumers are hard pressed to know the effects of other ingredients.

Proximate Hazards
This practice is legal when a manufacturer considers its components to be proprietary information. According the Federal Hazardous Substances Labeling Act (FHSLA), producers need only label active ingredients that are considered to be "proximate" hazards, but not inert ingredients that may have long term, or chronic effects.

Federal Hazardous Substances Act:
http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/fhsa.html

Alternative Laundry Detergent
As the environmental consequences of pollution became evident in the 60's, source investigations revealed that laundry detergent, as well as other household cleaners and solvents, played a part in growing toxicity to bodily health, indoor air quality, and the life of plants, animals, soil and water. Alternative laundry products were developed as a response to health and environmental problems attributed to conventional cleaners.

Information Please
Believing that informed customers are their greatest allies, manufacturers of alternative laundry detergents made their reputations on promising that their products do not contain harmful chemicals. Almost without exception, alternative laundry products have their ingredients listed on the packaging. This way customers can make informed decisions when purchasing detergent.

Clear Differences
Besides listing product ingredients, alternative laundry products biodegrade in a timely manner. Beyond that, there are clear differences between individual products. Instead of petroleum based surfactants usually found in conventional products, some alternative cleaners start with orange or citrus oil, while others use palm or coconut oil as a base. Some are fragrance free, and some incorporate plant-based scents. Others include borax or washing soda to boost effectiveness, and everything is listed on the ingredients panel.

Traditional Laundry Detergent
The last group was originally the first and only category for laundry detergents or any other cleaner. Back when laundry was either washed at home by hand, or sent out to be done by hand, the laundress made up her own cleaning solutions. Hence, traditional cleaners are sometimes called mix-at-home recipes because they aren't bought ready made from the store.

Traditional laundry detergent tend to appeal to folks who have either grown up making up their own cleaning solutions, or are the inquisitive sort who want to invest themselves more completely in the process of cleaning.

Straight from the Pantry
Many of the ingredients come straight from the kitchen pantry: white vinegar, lemons, baking soda, and salt are some. Others include borax and washing soda. All of these ingredients are powerful chemicals that produce effective cleaners when mixed correctly, but they are also capable of being toxic. Therefore, it's important to clearly label any container used to store and/or dispense traditional cleaners. It's also a good idea to list the recipe right on the container, with the date it was made up, and of course store it out of the reach of young children.

Some Mix-at-Home laundry soap recipes

http://snider.mardox.com/lsoap.html

Bleach, and Bleach Alternatives for Laundry
Bleach, also known as sodium hypoclorite, is called the universal sanitizer because it disinfects on contact. Combined with its excellent ability to whiten, bleach has been a very successful laundry staple for years. However, the shadow side of this chemical has been emerging for years as ever-greater quantities are produced for our consumption.

Warnings About Bleach
The 1990 Clean Air Act lists chlorine as a hazardous air pollutant, and in 1993, the American Public Health Association passed a resolution advocating that American Businesses terminate the use of chlorine. Even so, chlorine bleach is an ingredient in many laundry products, and sometimes it is even scented to be more pleasing to the nose. This is very dangerous to human health, especially children's.

The most important fact about bleach is that a chlorine bleach product must never be used with a product containing ammonia or other acid based chemicals like vinegar. The mixture produces toxic chloramine gas, which destroys the oxygen content of air in enclosed spaces. Short-term effects range from mild asthmatic symptoms to serious respiratory ailments. (Click here for more info)

For people who can't see their way clear to give up chlorine bleach when doing laundry, precautions beyond ventilation are important. Use it sparingly and never full strength. Chlorine bleach will eat away whatever textile it's applied to, so dilute accordingly, and of course be careful not to splash on skim or eyes.

Chlorine Bleach Alternatives
Because the bleach substitute question has been an issue for many years, various conventional and alternative cleaning product manufacturers do offer other choices. "Color-safe bleach" is the term used for oxygen bleach, and although it may take longer to work, it's very effective. Other alternatives are made from hydrogen peroxide, or sodium hydroxide. All of these products will list their ingredients. Cronig's carries Ecover, Ultra Natural Non-Chlorine Bleach, which is made from hydrogen peroxide and breaks down into water and oxygen.

Traditional mix-at-home recipes for whitening call for borax, and for disinfecting, add ½ cup of white vinegar to the wash.

The Virtues of Vinegar to kill bacteria, mold, and germs: http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/home/164

Fabric Softeners
Fabric softeners are the result of laundry product manufacturers seeking an answer to static cling. Static cling usually happens from the friction of materials with synthetic content rubbing together in an over-heated clothes dryer. Some time after the advent of fabric softeners, scent became an important product feature, so now a days, some people use softeners specifically to add fragrance to laundry.

How They Work
Fabric softeners are available either as a liquid to be added to the rinse cycle of the wash, or as dryer sheets to be tossed into the dryer. Either way, their static reducing function is to coat laundry with a thin film that breaks the electrical charge between items.

Unintended Consequences
However, unintended results develop with repeated use. Flame retardancy in children's clothes can be compromised, fabric absorbency can be retarded, and according to Fabric Link, "the moisture management characteristics of high performance fabrics used in active sportswear" can be inhibited.

Fabric Link's observations and cautions on fabric softener: http://www.fabriclink.com/FabricSofteners.html

Personal Anecdote
Green Martha once stayed in a Bed and Breakfast that provided thick "white" oversized towels that were dingy, and faintly oily to the touch because of fabric softener. They weren't particularly absorbent, and the scent was overpowering.

What's in Some Conventional Fabric Softeners
An even more serious consideration is the chemical makeup of many fabric softeners. The May 2000 issue of The Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health reported on the airborne release of toluene, styrene, phenol, thymol, xylene, and trimethylbenzene from five commonly available fabric softeners

Ordering information for ingredient study from Anderson Laboratories: http://www.andersonlaboratories.com/

What's in Alternative Fabric Softeners
There are alternative fabric softeners made from vegetable based ingredients for folks who want a safer product, and their contents are listed on the side of the package. For a Traditional or Mix-at-Home fabric softener add 2 ounces of baking soda to the wash cycle or 2 ounces of vinegar to the rinse cycle. However, simply shaking out items as they are removed from the dryer will do the trick.

Annie Berthold Bond's reflections and warnings about fabric softeners: http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/home/198

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