Fabric softeners may top the list as one of the worst offenders of incredibly damaging chemical mixtures, and may be one of the products environmentalists had in mind when the term “indoor pollutants” was coined. Alarmingly, many of these toxins are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
We like to be as natural, organic and chemical free as possibly, and we though you might want to be too!
The article Safe Solution for Fabric Softeners by Dr. Mercola is extremely helpful and full of good tips and information. Please read it so you can start the process of becoming a chemical-free home!
Fabric Softeners Contain Toxicities Such as Phthalates
Phthalates have been linked to:
- Early onset of puberty
- Altered male reproductive tract development
- Lower testosterone levels in young males
- Altered hormone system function
- Reproductive and genital defects
- Lower sperm count in young males
Here’s a liquid fabric softener recipe from Everyday Roots
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of Epsom salts or coarse sea salt
- 20 to 30 drops essential oil
- 1/2 cup baking soda
Directions:
- Using a large bowl or pan, mix the essential oils with the Epsom salts first, then stir in the baking soda.
- Pour the mixture into a container with a tight-fitting lid.
One perk to this easy recipe is that you can always switch out the essential oils. It’s also easy to double, and you can use more or less essential oil for a stronger or weaker scent. A few more quick-and-easy fabric-softening ideas include:
- One-half cup of baking soda added when you wash your clothes. You won’t believe how soft they become.
- One cup of distilled white vinegar and one-and-half tsp. of your favorite essential oils combined in a spray bottle. Shake well, give your wet clothes 10 to 15 spritzes and toss them into the dryer. (Don’t worry — the vinegar smell will completely dissipate.)
- A crumpled-up ball of aluminum foil tossed in the dryer with your clothes helps get rid of static cling.14
- A clean wash cloth with a few drops of essential oil added to the dryer will give your clothes a lovely, completely natural aroma when you pull them out
Click here for more great recipes!
Note from Dr C. : One of my patients makes the most wonderful Lavender dryer sachets….check out The Old White House.com and look at all her wonderful chemical free house cleaning products she makes….and she is in Portland…so I would be happy to be the exchange point if needed.
