Green Your Laundry For Earth Day

With Earth Day approaching, it's wise to be mindful of the products we use to do our laundry.  Laundry is an integral part of our daily life and it's very important to keep it organic and non-toxic.  The average consumer uses commercial mainstream detergent, fabric softener, and bleach, and the toxic combination takes a serious toll on the precious eco-systems and wildlife.  Commercial detergents contain phthalates, which are carcinogenic plastic compounds, lung irritants, and fragrance, which contains at least 5,000 petro-chemicals, none of which are regulated by the U.S. FDA.  When you consider the fact that the average consumer does laundry once or twice a week using these toxic products, and there are at least a million people in every major U.S. urban city, the statistics are staggering.  In addition to the toxic residue polluting and harming your health and your family's health, imagine the harmful damage the toxic petro-chemicals have on the environment.  The toxic residue goes through the pipes, seeps into the groundwater, and pollutes the air.  When you consider the staggering number of people doing laundry using these toxic products, that's a horrifying amount of pollution. 

These products are especially harmful to people who suffer from severe chemical sensitivities and asthma and other respiratory illnesses.  The lungs are terrible things to waste.  The best way to prevent health problems is to use 100% organic non-toxic laundry products.  Baking soda, white distilled vinegar, and Borax are very effective in cleaning clothes.  You can also add organic essential oils to your laundry for improved smell and efficient cleaning.  Lemon, orange, lavender, eucalyptus, and mint essential oils are very effective in providing safe organic aromatherapy and are anti-microbial.  These products are very efficient and completely biodegradable.  

For a large load, you can use this mixture that my husband and I've used for many years:  One Cup of baking soda, one Cup of white distilled vinegar, and half a Cup of Borax.  It's best to use a measuring cup for accuracy.  Many environmentally conscious people throughout North America and abroad have been washing their clothing this way for many years and they continue to do so on a regular basis.  It’s wise and sensible to use organic non-toxic laundry products in order to reduce our carbon footprint on Planet Earth for us and future generations.  What's your favorite way of doing organic non-toxic laundry?