DETERGENTS AND THE NEWER WASHING MACHINES

by Lawrence Wilson

All information in this article is solely the opinion of the author and for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

Contents

I. TOXICITY OF ALL DETERGENTS

II. THE FAULTY NEWER WASHING MACHINES

III. CLEANING ALTERNATIVES

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I. THE TOXICITY OF ALL DETERGENTS

DEFINITION

Detergents are all synthetic chemicals that contain at least surfactants and hardeners. Most contain many other chemicals, as well.

While the ingredients may be “natural” in origin, they are altered when one makes detergent and ALL OF THEM ARE TOXIC.

Some plants naturally contain detergent-like substances such as soap nuts and Extreme 18X. These are better, but still need to be used with care.

However, chemically synthesized detergents are all quite toxic, although they are sold in health food stores and promoted as “green” and “safe”.

Our research indicates they are not safe. Soap is much better. Please listen and do not use them! See the recommendations below.

HISTORY

Soap is an ancient human invention that dates back at least several thousand years. Detergents are a relatively new invention.

The first detergent was synthesized in 1916 in Germany. During the First and Second World Wars, there was a shortage of soap and this spurred research into alternatives for soap. The popular detergent, TideÒ, first was sold in 1943 and has remained popular. Since that time, the amount of detergents used in the world has literally exploded.

This is causing a serious and worsening health and environmental problem in most all nations. The detergent problem gets very little attention and needs much more attention.

SYMPTOMS OF DETERGENT TOXICITY

Detergents ALL poison the liver. They may not cause overt symptoms. However, they may cause or contribute to broken blood vessels in or under their skin (petechia).

Other symptoms include poorer overall health and lower energy.

The“All-natural” and “Plain and Fragrance-free” detergents are just as toxic as the standard detergents sold in supermarkets.

RECOMMENDATIONS

At this time, we suggest:

For laundry: Use Extreme 18X by Naturoli. It is made of soap nuts, a natural soap product.

You can also use plain castile soap for laundry.

Another alternative is to make your own laundry soap. Here is a recipe from one of our clients:

150 gr baking soda
150 gr crystal soda (or soda crystals)
100gr salt
100gr grated soap (I use hand-made Aleppo soap, but any block of soap will work)

Beware, crystal soda or soda crystals is Na2CO3, it is not the same as baking soda, which is NaHCO3 and you can't just replace it with that. You can get both types in most supermarkets here (in Europe), surely they have the same in the USA (I am not sure.)

Mix up the ingredients in a bowl and use 2 tablespoons per wash. The person who recommended it boils some water and mixes the 2 spoons of powder in a cup of boiling water. Then she pours it in on top of the clothing in the washer.

If you throw the powder directly on the clothes it can cause some white stains on darker items.

Also, if your washing is smelly, you can also add some white vinegar to the wash load. It removes most smells.

For dishes: We suggest plain soap or Bon Ami or a plain scouring powder. We don’t recommend Extreme 18X because dish soap touches your hands and perhaps your food, and Extreme 18X is slighty toxic.

Bon Ami does not leave a film and keeps the sink the cleanest, in our experience.

For the body: We prefer Grandpa’s Pine Tar Soap or Alafia Black African soap. Other mild natural soaps such as castile soap are also okay. Homemade soaps found at craft fairs and farmer’s markets are also generally good if they don’t contain a lot of extra herbs or other ingredients.

For general house cleaning: Use a steam mop on hard floors. It is the cleanest because it does not use any soap, yet it cleans quite well. You can spray a little soap on the floor with it, but this is usually unnecessary and gums up the floor.

Plain white vinegar is also an excellent cleaner for floors and does not leave much of a residue.

Do not use any detergents of any kind. They all build up on the floor and will poison you, your pets and the environment.

AVOID Calben brand products that advertise they are natural, but in our view something is not right about them.

The Environmental Working Group reviews detergents and rates them. However, we don’t agree with their ratings. We think they are all toxic and best avoided.

OTHER TOPICS

WHAT IS IN DETERGENTS?

Chemicals that are problematic include surfactants, stabilizers, foaming agents, fragrances, phosphates, and others. They include coconut products that are naturally derived substances. However, they are altered to produce the common surfactants that are found in all detergents. This is when they become toxic chemicals.

These chemicals build up in the soil and in water supplies. From there they find their way onto our crops and into the entire food supply. They also contaminate all the oceans of the earth today, and therefore affect all marine life on the planet.

LABELING

To compound the detergent toxicity problem, some chemicals are not listed on detergent labels. For this reason, consumers have no way to know about them.

II. THE FAULTY NEWER WASHING MACHINES

All newer washing machines do not wash the detergents and dirt out of the clothes well enough. The new machines either do not have an agitator (large pole-like structure in the middle of the basin) or it only moves slowly.

The ruination of the washing machines has been mandated by the American and perhaps other governments, supposedly in the name of saving water.

We think the truth is that they are an attempt to poison people with detergent residues and reduce cleanliness in the entire population.

What to do?

1. Write to your senators and Congressmen about the washing machine problem and insist that the regulations be removed.

2. Get an older washing machine – more than about 7 or 8 years old. Make sure the washer:

- Has an agitator. This is the large structure sticking upward in the middle of the washer basin.

- That the agitator moves vigorously, and does not just swish the clothing around gently. If it just moves slowly, send it back.

- That the top does not lock if it is a top loader. If it locks, you can’t open it up and see if the agitator is really doing its job correctly. So get one that the top does not lock.

The washing machine sales people will say that the old washing machines ruined your clothing. Maybe a little, but they also cleaned the clothing, unlike the new ones.

III. CLEANING ALTERNATIVES

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

This is an excellent cleaning chemical and disinfectant at 3% strength. You can use it anywhere safely. Some people add it to their laundry, for example.

An interesting use for peroxide is to spray it on the dashboard and upholstery of your car and it will get rid of odors and dirt.

BEWARE - when concentrated (35%), hydrogen peroxide is very corrosive and burns your skin and everything else. So if you buy the concentrated peroxide, you must dilute it properly.

BAKING SODA AND WHITE VINEGAR — TWO POWERFUL MULTIUSE CLEANING AGENTS

In preparation for the Statue of Liberty's 100th anniversary in 1986, 99 years' worth of coal tar had to be removed from its inner copper walls, without causing damage. Baking soda — more than 100 tons — was the cleaner of choice,²⁸ so there's a good chance it can remove dirt and grime around your home too. Here are a few examples of how it can be used:

· Nonscratch scrub for metals and porcelain.

· Nontoxic oven cleaner — Sprinkle 1 cup or more of baking soda over the bottom of the oven, then cover the baking soda with enough water to make a thick paste. Let the mixture set overnight. The next morning, the grease will be easy to wipe off. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge and wash the remaining residue from the oven.

· Drain cleaner — To unclog a drain, pour one-half to 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, then slowly pour one-half to 1 cup of vinegar in after it. Cover the drain and let sit for 15 minutes. If it bubbles like a volcano, it means it's working as planned. Flush with a gallon of boiling water. You can also use some 35% hydrogen peroxide in a clogged or smelly sink.

· Carpet deodorizer — Liberally sprinkle baking soda over the carpet. Wait at least 15 minutes, then vacuum thoroughly.

Distilled white vinegar is another cleaning staple that has a long history of use. Depending on your age, you may recall your grandmother washing windows with a mixture of white vinegar and water. Indeed, it makes for a great window cleaner, but it also has disinfectant properties, with research showing white vinegar is useful for disinfection against Escherichia coli (E. coli), provided it's a freshly prepared solution of at least 50 percent vinegar.²⁹

For disinfecting purposes, one study found spraying vinegar, followed by hydrogen peroxide, was effective for killing a variety of bacteria, including E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella.³⁰ You can also spray white vinegar onto a dusting of baking soda to clean your tubs and tile floors.

A vinegar and water mixture makes a great all-purpose countertop cleaner as well, but for stone counters, use rubbing alcohol or vodka with water instead, as the acidity of the vinegar may harm surfaces such as marble and granite. For heavier-duty cleaning, like mildew on your bathroom grout, spray vinegar straight onto the area, let set for 30 minutes, then scrub with a sponge and warm water.

15 Ways to Clean With Lemons

Lemons, both the juice and peel, can be used throughout your home for cleaning and deodorizing. For example, you can use them to clean and freshen your:

Garbage disposal — Freeze lemon slices and vinegar in ice cube trays. Place a few frozen cubes down your disposal for cleaning and freshening. Alternatively, simply run some lemon peel through your disposal.

Refrigerator — Soak a sponge in lemon juice and let it set in your fridge for a few hours; it works better than baking soda to remove odors.

Room freshener — Simmer a pot of water with lemon peels, cloves and cinnamon sticks on your stove.

Humidifier — Add lemon juice to the water in your humidifier, then let the machine run for deodorizing.

Fireplace — Dried citrus peels can act as kindling in your fireplace, adding a wonderful smell and acting as a flame starter. Simply set the peels out to dry for a few days before using.

Trash cans — A few lemon peels added to your garbage can will help with odors.

Cutting boards — Sprinkle coarse salt on your cutting board then rub with a cut lemon to freshen and remove grease. This trick also works for wooden salad bowls and rolling pins.

Coffee maker — Run a cycle with plain water, then add a mixture of lemon juice and water to the water tank. Let it sit for several minutes, then run the cycle through. Repeat this process once more, then run another plain water cycle (you'll want to wash the coffee pot and filter afterward to remove any lemon taste).

Furniture polish — Combine lemon juice and olive or jojoba oil to make a homemade furniture polish. Simply buff with a cloth.

Hardwood floors — Combine lemon and vinegar for a grime-fighting nontoxic floor cleaner.

Cat box — Place lemon slices in a bowl near your cat box to help freshen the air.

Windows — Lemon juice cuts through grease and grime on windows and glass. Try combining it with one-fourth cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 cups of warm water³¹ for a phenomenal window cleaner.

All-purpose cleaner — Combine water, baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice for a wonderful kitchen or bathroom cleaner.

Hands — Add lemon juice while washing your hands with soap to help remove stubborn odors like garlic.

This article will be updated with new product recommendations as we find them.

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