When I first started this clean living journey, one of the areas I found was most important to 'clean' up was the laundry room. We are constantly exposed to the chemicals found in detergents, scent boosters, dryer sheets, and stain removers from clothes coming in contact with our skin - but the washer and dryer are also two of the most significant sources of airborne contaminants as well. The more that I read, the more I realized that the laundry room was a great place to start changing out products. Here are some of the changes that you can make to reduce your family's exposure:
1. Use clean detergent
It seems obvious, but the best place to start is by using a laundry detergent that is non-toxic and contains clean ingredients. I was shocked to find that "clean" brands weren't as clean as I had hoped and that even products geared towards babies were unsafe (just look up the ingredients in Dreft!). Using a detergent that does not contain parabens, phthalates, and other toxins is key. Here are a few of my favorite brands, which range in price, size, and smell!
2. Get rid of your dryer sheetsDryer sheets are one of the worst offenders of emitting harmful chemicals and they are bad for your dryer. Not to mention the environmental waste of throwing out a sheet with every load of laundry. An easy substitute is wool dryer balls. Dryer sheets can be expensive and I would go through them quickly - so these wool balls ultimately save me money and made my clothes dry faster. They don't prevent static cling quite as well, especially when the ball starts to wear down, but it is well worth the small sacrifice for cleaner living.
3. Forgo artificial fragrance
As much as we all love a clean laundry smell, using scent boosters or scented dryer sheets just isn't good for you! Although some of the detergents I suggested have a pleasant smell (Noodle & Boo smells like a newborn baby) one of the easiest ways to have scented laundry is by using a natural essential oil on your wool dryer ball. Make sure these don't use artificial fragrance or harmful ingredients, but then it's as simple as applying a few drops to the ball before you throw it in with your laundry and the smell carried through to your clothes.
4. Find a clean stain remover
I will admit to being a religious Shout user in the past; it certainly works well at removing stains from clothes. But I could just smell the chemicals seeping from the bottle as I sprayed and always felt the need to scrub my hands after. When I started getting baby stains on everything, I knew I needed to find a cleaner alternative. I love Miss Mouth's Messy Eater spray - it has gotten out everything Sloane has ever spit up or pooped on and I even use it on my own clothes!
By swapping out or ditching some of these products, you can drastically improve both the air quality and toxin exposure in your home and still have laundry that is 'cleaner' than it ever was!
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Having read your article, I have gained a wealth of information. I appreciate you providing fragrance-free laundry detergent such useful information. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteYesss!!! I use Molly suds because of you. We love it here!!!
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