One Load at a time… Keep your laundry clean with this easy fix.
As a mama of a newborn, I have chosen cloth diapering. My husband and I do a lot of laundry! Between spit-up, leaks, and the diapers themselves, we go through detergent like crazy. This is an area of our lives that really makes an impact, as everything that touches our little one’s sensitive skin can absorb and affect his development for life.
There are so many brands of laundry products out there. Most claim to leave your clothes smelling summer-breeze fresh. The truth is, many of these brands have harmful chemicals that linger in your clothing, giving the essence of a fresh smell that lasts for days, thanks to the phthalates and other toxic ingredients lurking within.
My husband and I took a trip to Costco yesterday. In someone’s cart, I saw the largest bottle of fabric softener I had ever seen. Fabric softeners work by utilizing surfactants. “The primary type of surfactant used is cationic surfactants, which have a positively charged head, specifically quaternary ammonium compounds like distearyldimethylammonium chloride (DSDMAC) and diethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride (DEEDMAC).”
The most comprehensive data we have is from the Environmental Working Group website. Their site rates toxicity from “Verified” being the best to an “F” rating being the worst, attributing to breathing hazards, cancer, reproductive harm, and more!
Beware of Fragrance
Most scented products in the stores contain phthalates, which we know to have a host of cancer-causing, hormone-disrupting, obesity inducing effects. No one wants to expose themselves or their children to these health issues, but how are we supposed to know where to start?
Let’s take a look at how you can use the brands you love better by comparing ingredients based on their EWG rating:
Downy Wrinkleguard Liquid Fabric Softener and Conditioner, Fresh
- Ingredients
- Moderate
- Asthma/Respiratory
- Some
- Skin Allergies and Irritation
- Moderate
- Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
- Moderate
- Cancer
- Moderate
- Environment
EWG Rated F
Polymers, Fragrance, Dimethicone, Amodimethicone, Diethyl Ester Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride, Anisaldehyde, Hexyl Cinnamal, Methoxypolyoxyethylene Melamine, Terpineol, Dialkyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chlorides (DDAC), Pentasodium DTPA, Formic Acid, Polyquaternium-33, Citronellyl Nitrile, Benzyl Acetate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Ethyl 2-Methylbutyrate, Allyl Cyclohexylpropionate, Cis-2-Tert-Butylcyclohexyl Acetate, Gamma-Undecalactone, Hexyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetoacetate Ethylene Glycol Ketal, 2,4-Dimethyl-3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, 2,6-Dimethyl-7-Octen-2-ol, Acetoxydihydrodicyclopentadiene (Mixture of Isomers), Hexyl Salicylate, Isobutyl Methyl Tetrahydropyranol, D-Limonene, Methyl Dihydrojasmonate, Methyl Beta-Naphthyl Ether, Citrus Species Leaf Oil Terpenes and Terpenoids, Mixed Sour and Sweet Orange Oil Terpenes and Terpenoids, Sweet Orange Oil, Polyquaternium-37, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes, Tricyclodecenyl Propionate, Hexylene Glycol, Water, Calcium Chloride, and Ethanol.
So, do you need fabric softener? Not really, but if you do like it, here are some natural alternatives and even some versions of the same brand that score worse on the EWG. You don’t have to make huge changes; just reaching for the less toxic version of a product can drastically reduce your chemical exposure, and you can feel good about making changes without giving up your routine.
Here’s the same brand, same basic concept of fabric softening that works in the same way, but with far fewer ingredients:
Citrus Species Leaf Oil Terpenes and Terpenoids, Mixed Sour and Sweet Orange Oil Terpenes and Terpenoids, Sweet Orange Oil, Alpha-Terpineol, Citronellyl Nitrile, Tricyclodecenyl Propionate (Hexahydro-Methanoindenyl Propionate), Ethyl Acetoacetate Ethylene Glycol Ketal, 2,4-Dimethyl-3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, 2,6-Dimethyl-7-Octen-2-ol, Verdyl Acetate (4,7-Methano-1H-inden-6-ol, 3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-, acetate), Acetoxydihydrodicyclopentadiene (Mixture of Isomers), Anisaldehyde, Benzyl Acetate, Benzyl Salicylate, Ethyl 2-Methylbutyrate, and Water.
Now, if you’re already a plastic minimalist, or you want to go 0-100, here are some alternatives we know you will love.
Plain white vinegar is such a helpful tool for stains and brightening.
Castile soap is a good emulsifier to get those suds going.
Essential oils, if you like scented laundry, mix a few drops into your soap.
Homemade detergent, natural cleaning blogs like Lemons Lavender & Laundry are great resources for recipes. I love Hopewell Heights on YouTube for all things cloth diapering, laundry, and motherhood.
Our Top Picks!
These products bear the EWG Verified® mark, meaning that “the product meets EWG’s strictest standards for health and safety. It avoids any of the ingredients on EWG’s “Unacceptable List” and provides full transparency of ingredients, including fragrance.”
– EWG
- AspenClean offers multiple scents for both liquid and powdered detergents!
Attitude Baby Home Essentials Laundry Detergent, Unscented
Laundry Sodas
Whether you’re new to the edit or a seasoned chemical warrior. These little fixes are great for the whole family.
