To live a truly green and healthy life, simply changing what you eat and  how often you exercise  can make a huge impact; but why stop there? Your home is your haven, and it is meant to keep you and your family safe and comfortable. Unfortunately, there are certain products common to many homes that might be damaging your health, and a main offender may be in your laundry room. Many commercial varieties of laundry detergent contain  pollutants, chemicals, and artificial preservatives, all toxic to human health.

The Dirty Truth Behind Clean Clothes

When selecting a laundry detergent, it’s common to breeze past the unpronounceable ingredient list that is printed on the back of the product. However if you do look at the ingredient label on most commercial laundry detergents, you’ll probably notice that surfactants are listed. This ingredient is a wetting agent that helps water penetrate fabrics. The term “surfactants”isn’t simply one ingredient but a reference to a number of different  chemical ingredients, and surfactants can release benzene, a toxin linked to cancer and reproductive disorders.

The puzzling thing is that many of the chemicals that are used in brand name detergents aren’t really geared toward keeping our clothes clean. In fact, most detergents are simply aesthetic enhancers, only improving the smell and appearance of clothing. Don’t think the rinse cycle will protect you either — the ingredients in these detergents are known to agitate our health and can contribute to  allergies.

What You Can Do

The answer is simple: use organic laundry detergent.

Organic laundry detergent does not contain  chlorine, phosphates, and other artificial additives that are dangerous to human health. They are also free of synthetic dyes and perfumes, both of which can cause allergic reactions in some people and skin outbreaks in others.

Chemicals found in conventional laundry detergent emit fumes that are constantly inhaled throughout the day. Breathing in chemical fumes, even at minute concentrations, may have damaging consequences on endocrinological  and neurological health.  When you use organic laundry soap, you and your family are avoiding those dangers.

Further, phosphate, a common chemical added to laundry detergent, has significantly damaged the environment over the past 40 years. The use of phosphates in detergents has been increasingly scrutinised, mostly due to their poisonous effects on fish and the environment  Choosing organic detergent can help reduce the chemicals that invade our natural landscape.

In direct response to consumer demand, many manufacturers are attempting to go green  with their products in an effort to protect the environment and satisfy their customers. Also, many laundry detergents are now being sold in smaller, concentrated forms, which some say can reduce waste.

However, the best alternative for environmental and physical health is to purchase organic detergents made with natural, certified ingredients. They are more gentle on fabrics, healthier for our bodies, and safer for every living thing.

www.wakeup-world.com