Use Eco Laundry Aids

Did you know that DEFRA (the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs) were proposing to phase out non-organic phosphates by 2015? Non-organic phosphates are chemicals found in many household cleaning products. The trouble comes when they’re introduced into the water cycle by leaving our homes in our dirty water via normal household waste pipes. Excessive amounts in the water cycle leads to overgrowth of algae and other aquatic plant life - often in water far away from our own home. This in turn will of course have an effect on the ‘food chain’ in the water concerned - and other agencies are concerned it may even affect our own food intake.

The American Environmental Working Group were warning about evidence of widespread levels of chemicals from cleaning products in the water cycle as long ago as 2007. They pointed to modern studies which found some of the chemicals from cleaning products harm wetland and marine wildlife. Triclosan was highlighted as one chemical which causes disruption to the thyroid gland in frogs. Worryingly, it was also pointed out that there are great similarities in the ways both human and frog human thyroid glands function. The article also pointed to disruptions to the breeding cycle of fish associated with certain levels of chemicals, which of course then enter the human food chain.

Clothes washing detergents and fabric softeners which include non-organic phosphates are easy to avoid. In fact, you don’t have to buy detergent at all. You can now do a quick and easy ‘green makeover’ on all your laundry and don’t worry, there’s no time consuming work to do. Eco Balls just go in the washing machine to safely remove dirt from clothes. Laundry airers save on expensive electricity used to run a tumble dryers and I really love the vintage look of Victorian style airers. When you need to dry things very fast, Dryer Balls save a lot of electricity and time. They go in with the clothing and cut down the average tumble drying time by 25%. They also save you using fabric softener and make the ironing easier. Overall, you’ll spend less money, use less energy and there’ll be no waste chemicals coming from your pipes.