Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Laundry Products

 

While I have known for some time that commercial cleaning products possess dangerous ingredients that can pose serious risks to our health, I had no idea what I was in for when I really started doing my homework! I was blown away to learn about the extent that the products I thought were cleaning and purifying my clothing and linens were in fact coating them in dangerous chemicals!

Is there anyone else out there that believes, or believed at one time, that if a 'mainstream' product is sold in a well known store and is sold by the bazillions, that it must be safe to use? Many assume that because a product is seen time and time again in television commercials and newspaper ads, and is blanketed on the shelves of every store known to man, that it must be safe...right? And what about the products that slip "green" or "gentle" into their names? That must mean that they are a safe alternative for the environment and for my well being...right? RIGHT???

It is an understatement to say that it was very hard for me to swallow the fact that the ads we all know so well, and the products that make us believe they have our best interest in mind, are actually chalked full of dangerous, toxic ingredients that have been scientifically proven to jeopardize our health!!

To make matters a million times worse, did you know that laundry detergents are not legally required to list all ingredients on their labels?? While harmful ingredients are often absent from the product labels, tests conclude that they are most certainly present in the products. And the ingredients that are hidden from the consumer in these so called "trustworthy" products are proven to cause cancer, allergies and asthma, and birth defects, among many other very serious health problems.


A 2008 University of Washington study found that 99% of leading laundry detergents released cancer causing chemicals that are considered legally toxic and hazardous by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)!! Most of the ingredients were NOT LISTED ON THE LABELS!!! Laundry detergent companies are clever about hiding those toxic chemicals by calling them by another name..."but a rose by any other name would smell as sweet".

The most lethal chemical found in leading laundry detergents is called nonylphenol ethoxylate. (Say that 5 times fast!) The chemical is so toxic...it is banned in Canada and ALL of Europe! Yet the United States continues to use it!! Nonylphenol ethoxylate (let's call it NE) is also a primary ingredient in pesticides, a product whose sole purpose is to poison and kill living creatures! In addition, 'NE' imitates the hormone estrogen, which can cause serious damage to the body when it enters the bloodstream. The Journal of Pesticide Reform shows strong evidence that this chemical causes severe damage to heart and muscle function.

And do not even get me started on dryer sheets!!!!

How many of us use dryer sheets because we want our laundry to have a "fresh scent" when it comes out of the dryer? We have all been taught to equate fragrance on our laundry to cleanliness. But the fact of the matter is that the artificial fragrance in cleaning products, especially dryer sheets, actually equates to extremely toxic chemicals. And when used in the dryer, the toxic chemicals are coated on your laundry. True cleanliness is the absence of scent. The "fresh smell" on your laundry after using dryer sheets is truly just the presence of a dangerous chemical substance.

Some food for thought: Dryer sheets are so toxic that unused, they are required to be discarded at a toxic household product plant. They absolutely must not be thrown away in the trash! However, once they have been used in a dryer, they can be diposed of with your other household garbage. Why? Because the toxic element on the dryer sheets is now coated all over your laundry!!

"Hold on a minute! I've been using commercial laundry detergents and fabric softeners all my life and I'm just fine!"

Just like lead poisoning, the damage is not immediate. Exposure to the chemicals will gradually compromise your health over time. After the chemicals come into contact with your skin, they seep into your bloodstream. So, by washing your clothes, towels and linens with chemical laundry detergents and drying them with chemical fabric softeners, your clothes are literally being coated in the toxic chemicals. And upon wearing the clothes, sleeping in the bedding or wiping your body with the towels, it takes only 26 seconds for the chemicals to seep into your blood stream!!!

While severe damage to your health is a gradual process, you may already be exhibiting some of the initial 'mild' symptoms! Over time, the build up of toxic yuck in your body can begin to wreak havoc on your immune system and overall health. Do you have dry, itchy or irritable skin where your clothes come in contact? Or do you ever get a headache when you clean with chemicals???

Now, there are obviously many causes of diseases like cancer. And laundry detergents and fabric softeners are not the only culprit. But the fact of the matter is that health compromising ingredients are knowingly hidden in commercial products. And all the while, cancer rates in the United States are increasing dramatically, from 1 in 5 people not that long ago to 1 in 3 today! 1 in 3 people will battle cancer in their lifetime!

I have seen far too many loved ones succumb to this horrible epidemic. I lost my beloved uncle two years ago after a 5 year battle with prostate cancer. And I felt helpless as my dear daddy was diagnosed with bladder cancer last year. After intense chemo and an invasive surgery to remove his bladder, he is cancer free! It is my mission to spread the truth in hopes of decreasing the likelihood of others succumbing to this horrible disease.

In the month of April, I am donating 25% of Norwex sales to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, an incredible organization that raises money to provide life saving treatments for cancer patients. My sister is a pivotal player in the LLS mission! She has fundraised thousands of dollars and run hundreds of miles in support of this incredible organization!

This is a picture of my sis about to cross the finish line at her most recent LLS marathon...while getting a high five from our dad, whom she runs for. xo


 
While there is no single "quick fix" to prevent the diseases that run rampant today, removing toxic chemicals from our homes is certainly a huge step in the right direction!

So, what alternatives are available?

Norwex provides healthy and effective products that alleviate dangerous chemicals from the equation!


 

The Norwex Ultra Power Plus Laundry Detergent is a highly concentrated superior stain removing powder for use on all fabric types. Unlike commercial detergents that use fillers such as ground up whale bone, peanut shells and chalk to add bulk and a false sence of value, the Norwex  detergent is 100% pure and contains NO FILLERS. Depending on your type of washing machine, a 1 lb. bag will wash between 80-400 loads of laundry! Because the Norwex detergent is free of fillers and is composed only or pure cleaning power, top loaders only require about a tsp. of detergent and front loaders only require about a tsp. and a half! When you don't pay for the bulk of fillers in commercial detergents, you save a considerable amount of money!

Not only do the fillers added to commercial detergents make you pay more for less, they cause clothes to become dingy and to wear more quickly. The absence of the added junk in the Norwex detergent means that the only thing touching your clothes is a safe, 100% biodegradable cleaning machine, that makes whites whiter and colors brighter.

The Norwex Dryer Balls are one of my favorite Norwex products! They alleviate the use of fabric softener! And they actually perform better and fulfill more jobs than fabric softeners claim to do...all the while, eliminating dangerous chemicals from your laundry.

 
 
The unique design of the dryer balls lifts and seperates laundry, while softening fabrics. This reduces drying time, static cling and wrinkles, naturally and without chemicals.

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