Eco-friendly laundry detergent

For those looking to incorporate more eco-friendly, chemical-free options into your lifestyle, making your own home-made cleaning products is a great start to healthier living. Often times we assume if were eating healthy and exercising were doing well in the health world. But what we often seem to miss is the health hindering items we use every day in our homes. Our homes are our safe place, so I want to help you keep it that way. Making your own cleaning products like this eco-friendly laundry detergent, will help you save money, reduce your use of plastic and use of toxic chemicals. Keeping you, your family and the planet healthy.

So why should I really make my own detergent?

 

Your Health:

Many commercial or conventional choices for laundry detergents are made using pollutants, chemicals, and artificial preservatives, such as phosphates, nitrogen, ammonia and chlorine. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) categorizes many of these chemicals as “volatile organic compounds." All of which are toxic to human health. "Surfactants" which apply to a variety of chemicals also found in detergents release a toxin called benzene. When inhaled throughout the day, even on a small scale, has been linked to health issues like enhanced allergies, cancer, and even reproductive disorders. Toxins that are unnatural to our body disrupt our endocrinological and neurological systems causing disorders on a cellular level.

The Environment:

If the chemicals listed above aren't good for us, their definitely not good for the environment. After using detergents in your washer, they are then washed down the drain where water is sent to wastewater treatment facilities. Here contaminants are to be removed before the water is sent back to local waterways. However, not all contaminants are actually removed and build up in underground water tables, streams, rivers, and lakes. Polluting waterways and taking years to break down safely and for fresh water to return to safe levels. Water pollutants such as Phosphates can cause eutrophication, which severely disrupts the healthy balance of nutrients in rivers and streams causing lack of oxygen, algae bloom, fish kills and other Eco-system collapses.

Majority of detergents out there today are packaged in disposable plastic containers. These containers also contain toxic chemicals and leach into detergent making them more potent. Plastic containers aren't biodegradable and often times can't be recycled properly. Making them a candidate for landfills, and or dumped into our oceans. Further polluting the environment and natural species, and destroying eco-systems that live in these areas.

How can I help?

Do your research or make your own! Even a lot of "green products" out there are just a marketing gimmick and aren't really that Eco-friendly, just read the label. Or you can make it easy on your self and stock up on the essentials for your own home detergent. This recipe cuts out the bad stuff and cuts down on  disposable plastic. I purchased a glass jar that I just keep refilling when I'm out with this simple and easy recipe. Let's get washing!