Who says Effective Laundry Detergents Need to have Bubbles & Poisons?

We all want nice clean, fresh smelling clothes. But, what if…those laundry detergents you’re using leave toxic residues on your clothes, in the air, and in the environment?

One look at the vague laundry detergent ingredient labels should be enough to make us put that item right back on the shelf - especially if it has a warning box and a call poison control statement. This is a strong indication that this product has NO place in our homes or to even be manufactured, in my opinion.

I have tried so many “natural” and “organic” laundry products over the years and not one of them has been terribly effective at cleaning my clothing. The one that really got me was “Lavender” scented. I paid nearly $10 for a large bottle expecting it would smell nice and clean well…nope! It stank, actually smelled link a synthetic/chemical lavender (which it no doubt was), it took a large amount to clean my laundry. Simply put, I hated it and felt I was, well, taken to the cleaners. What a waste!

That was many years ago. Fortunately, Young Living made a cleaner, an all-purpose household cleaner, called Thieves which has REAL essential oils in it, is nontoxic, won’t ruin me or the environment - AND - it’s cheaper than store bought products!

Here’s a little side-by-side price check:

For “regular” degreasing and cleaning Thieves Household Cleaner costs .64 cents per quart (32 oz.) when added to water as directed.

For “heavy” degreasing Thieves Household Cleaner costs $1.27 per quart when added to water as directed.

Other cleaners (using 22 oz. bottles as an example)
Formula 409 costs $3.29
Lysol Disinfectant costs $2.89

Buy Thieves Household Cleaner

Here is a list of some pretty nasty ingredients you may want to keep in mind when purchasing cleaning products:

Linear alkyl sodium sulfonates (LAS):
These synthetic surfactants are commonly listed as ‘anionic surfactants’ on labels, and are one of the most common surfactants in use. During their production process, carcinogenic and reproductive toxins such as benzene are released into the environment. They also biodegrade slowly, making them a hazardous in the environment.

Petroleum distillates (aka napthas):
These chemicals have been linked to cancer, lung damage, lung inflammation and damage to mucous membranes.

Phenols:
According to the National Institutes of Health, phenol is toxic and people who are hypersensitive to it could experience death or serious side effects at very low exposures. Plus, it is rapidly absorbed and can cause toxicity throughout the entire body. Typically, death and severe toxicity result from phenol’s effects on the central nervous system, heart, blood vessels, lungs and kidneys.

One common surfactant in U.S. laundry detergents is nonyl phenol ethoxylate (this chemical has been banned in Europe, and was found to slowly biodegrade into even more toxic compounds). Studies have found that this surfactant stimulates the growth of breast cancer cells and feminizes male fish.

Optical brighteners:
These synthetic chemicals convert UV light wavelengths into visible light, which makes laundered clothes appear whiter (although does not actually affect the cleanliness of the clothing). They’ve been found to be toxic to fish and to cause bacterial mutations. Further, they can cause allergic reactions when exposed to skin that is later exposed to sunlight.

Phosphates:
These chemicals are used to remove hard-water minerals to make detergents more effective, and to prevent dirt from settling back onto clothes during a wash. A major problem with them is that, when released into the environment, they stimulate the growth of certain marine plants, which contributes to unbalanced ecosystems. Many states have banned or restricted the use of phosphates for this reason, and you may see laundry detergents advertised as “low-phosphate” or “phosphate-free.”

Sodium hypochlorite (household bleach):
This is a chemical precursor to chlorine, which is highly toxic and involved in more household poisonings than any other chemical. When it reacts with organic materials in the environment, carcinogenic and toxic compounds are created than can cause reproductive, endocrine and immune system disorders.

EDTA (ethylene-diamino-tetra-acetate):
EDTA is a class of compounds used as an alternative to phosphates to reduce mineral hardness in water, prevent bleaching agents from becoming active before they’re put in water and as a foaming stabilizer. EDTA does not biodegrade readily and can re-dissolve toxic heavy metals in the environment, allowing them to re-enter the food chain.

Artificial fragrances:
Many of these can be made from petroleum (see petroleum distillates above), and do not degrade in the environment. They’ve been linked to various toxic effects on fish and mammals, and often cause allergies and skin and eye irritation.

Be careful what you buy out there, don’t spend extra money on chemicals and poisons you don’t want!

What I like most about the Thieves Household Cleaner is that I only need “one” cleaner that does absolutely everything. 3-4 capfuls will do a load of laundry, 2-3 capfuls does dishes in my diswasher, straight from the bottle removes stains on clothing and carpeting, 1 capful cleans the toilet bowl, diluted in a spray bottle cleans my tub, floors, sinks, countertops, fingerprints on the wall, mirrors and windows, and more! If my tub or sinks have a lot of heavy soap scum I use the Thieves Household Cleaner and I sprinkle a little baking soda as the abrasive (which does the trick real nice).

I probably save about $20 a month using the Thieves Household Cleaner, for a family of two - plus, I have a lot more space in my cabinets. We ONLY need "one" good one!