Clean Home Challenge | Day 8
Grab your Thieves cleaner here and jump into the challenge when you’re ready! Search ‘clean home challenge’ in the search bar to pull up all of the tasks!
Day 8 | Let’s wipe down the washer and dryer!
Pour 2 cups of white vinegar, ½ cup of baking soda and 1 capful Thieves cleaner into the wash drum. Use a stiff nylon brush to scrub the interior. At the hottest temperature setting, run a wash cycle.
Grab your Thieves Cleaner and a cloth. Wipe the top, sides, and fronts of your washer and dryer with your Thieves cleaner
Don’t forget to wipe down the door and seals around a front-loading door regularly, and leave it ajar so mildew doesn’t build up inside.
Laundry Lurkers
Did you know that conventional laundry soap is a leading cause of skin allergies and irritation - especially in children? We don't often think about it, but the residues left on clothes and linens from conventional cleaners sit on our skin, often causing low-level irritation. Not to mention the chemical load that leaves over time! Even the ‘green' options may contain hidden sulfates, dyes and fragrance, among other things!
Plus, almost all conventional options contain optical brighteners! Optical brighteners merely give clothing the appearance of being clean. By reflecting blue light, optical brighteners give the illusion of whiter-looking fabrics. The design of these chemicals is to absorb directly into fabrics and remain on clothes well after washing.
Meet the gang known as the ingredients you might find in your current detergent:
Fragrance: "Manufacturers combine a number of chemicals to produce a fragrance—so you’ll believe your clothes are clean because they smell clean—and they don’t have to list those chemicals on the label because of trade protection. As we’ve seen, some of those chemicals can be very toxic."
Cleaning agents (surfactants): "These are included in the formula to help the product clean better. Examples include chemicals like quaternium-15 (known to release formaldehyde, a known carcinogen) and petroleum distillates (linked to cancer and lung damage)."
Stabilizers: "These chemicals help stabilize the formula, so that it lasts longer on the shelf. Examples include polyalkylene oxide or ethylene oxide, which are linked with eye and lung irritation, and even dermatitis."
Bleach: "Bleach may be used separately or may be included in the detergent itself. It’s known to irritate skin, eyes, and lungs, and when it mixes with wastewater, it can form toxic organic compounds that have been linked with respiratory issues, liver, and kidney damage."
1,4-dioxane: "This is a chemical by-product of detergent manufacturing. In independent tests, Women’s Voices for the Earth found 89 parts per million (ppm) in Tide Free & Gentle and 63 ppm in regular Tide. They helped increase awareness, and Proctor & Gamble agreed to reformulate to reduce levels to below 25 ppm. Future tests should show whether they made good on that promise."
Brighteners: "You’ll find these in detergents advertising their “brightening” powers. Brighter whites! Brighter colors! What’s creating all this brightness? Chemicals that actually remain on the clothes to absorb UV light and help clothes “appear” brighter. We’re talking things like naphthotriazolystilbenes (linked with developmental and reproductive effects), benzoxazolyl, diaminostilbene disulfonate, and more. Since these remain on the clothes, they are likely to come into contact with skin."
Any guesses what Laundry soap we love?!
