Common Laundry Detergents

• Fragrance: Manufactures combine a number of chemicals to product 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. Some of these chemicals can be very toxic, but we don't really know what we're really being exposed to!
• Cleaning Agents (surfactants): These are included in the formula to help product to clean better. Examples include chemicals like 
  • quaternium-15 - known to release formaldehyde, a known carcinogen and used to embalm bodies
  • diethanolamine - linked with skin and eye irrational and possibly liver problems
  • nonlphneol ethoxylate or NPE - toxic to nerves, irritating to skin, potential hormone disruptor, toxic to aquatic life
  • linear alkyl benzene sulfates or LAS - irritating to skin and eyes and toxic to aquatic life. Benzene on its own is a carcinogen
  • 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. And yet we wonder why we can't clear up these lingering skin issues.
• Bleach: Bleach may be used separately or may be included in the detergent itself. It's know to irrigate 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 Earth found 90 ppm (parts per million) in Tide Free & Gentle and 63 ppm in Regular Tide. They helped increase awareness, and Proctor & Gamble agreed to reformulate to reduce levels below 25 ppm. Future tests should show whether they made good on that promise. Past history is not looking good - I don't have a lot of confidence in the progress being made here.
• Brighteners: You'll find these in detergents advertising their "brighting" powers. Brighter whites! Brighter colors! What's causing 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.
• Phosphates & EDTA: Manufacturers use these to make detergents more effective in hard water, and to help prevent dirt from settling back on clothes when they're washing. These chemicals have long been associated with environmental damage, particularly in our streams and waterways. They cause algae blooms that damage ecosystems. Many detergents have eliminated these, but they're often using ethylene diamine tetraacetic act (EDTA) in its place, which does not readily biodegrade, and has been found to be toxic in animal studies.

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