When ultraviolet light hits optical brighteners coating your clothing, the brighteners convert UV rays into visible light to create an optical illusion. (This illusion is really noticeable under a black light.) This tricks the eye into thinking the clothing is whiter and brighter, and therefore cleaner than it really is.
Interestingly, optical brighteners do not work unless they remain ON the clothes after washing, therefore leaving a chemical residue on your clothes. You will have noticed this if you have ever had clothes dried on the clothes line. Growing up, we did not have a dryer and ALL clothes were hung on the line to dry -usually a unfavorable chore I was given :( When we would take the clothes off the line, they had this stiff or uncomfortable "crisp" feeling. The culprit, optical brighteners!
Even worse, this chemical residue left can cause allergic reactions to your skin (or your child's more sensitive skin). Not only that, these optical whiteners contain chemicals that can be toxic to fish and other animal and plant life. These chemicals are not readily biodegradable and thus adding pollution to waste water, negatively affecting water quality and plant and animal life.
Seventh Generation laundry detergents are free of ANY/ALL optical brighteners and are non-toxic. To see proof of that, take a look at the picture of my little experiment. The shirt on the left was washed with a bottle of laundry detergent I had present at the time and the one on the right was washed with the Seventh Generation laundry detergent. Both shirts are brand new out of the bags and identical. Notice how the one on the left looks just a bit brighter than the one on the right? (I know my picture is not the best, this was taking with my ancient digital camara under blacklight, but you can still see a difference.) This has definitely convinced me to pay more attention to what I am washing our clothes in.
Seventh Generation is generously offering a giveaway to one of my readers. You have a chance to win your own set of laundry products from Seventh Generation.
To enter, leave a comment on this post (email entries are not accepted and will be deleted, anon comments need an identifier at the end so I know who you are if you win).
I want to know what your favorite tip is to keeping your family healthy.
One entry per reader. This giveaway will end on Sunday, December 12th. Good luck everyone.
Oh, and if you would like to start saving now, go here to print a $1 coupon off Seventh Generation laundry detergent.
Disclosure: Seventh Generation, through MyBlogSpark, provided me with the information, products to sample, the shirts and the blacklight. They are also offering the laundry products to one of my readers. I was not compensated in any other way for this post and all opinions are my own.
15 comments:
We'be been eating more whole foods and reducing sugars in the foods I make.
Audrey
I like to clean with 'green' cleaners. Lemons, baking soda, vinegar and also Seventh Generation. They have all the cleaning benefits of the harsher cleaners but I'm far less nervous about my baby to be putting his mouth on everything or my sister who bakes on the cabinets. Being able to use the cleaners any and everywhere really cuts down on the germs and I can do so without any worries. Keeps us healthy!
Eat lot's of fruit and veggies but most important wash hands so simple and easy. Keep clean.
We use lots of hand sanitizer to keep the germs away!
Pick me! pick me!
Try to keep the dust out! Allergies get to my boys and the dust is the one thing I try to eliminate....dusting and sweeping as often as I can is my trick
I don't know of any healthy tips that aren't already talked about everywhere, but I like to get my son and I out of the house as much as possible to the park, zoo, etc to be in better air then the exhaust filled air that is always around the house we live in for now here in sw Houston.
Thank you for the chance to win and try a healthier cleaning option
eat more fruits and veggies and less red meat
eating whole foods, vitamins from a natural source, washing hands but staying away from chemical filled hand sanitizers and using seventh generation and other natural type cleaners.
Hand washing when ever we get home from any were and every were! And using a baby wipe to wipe a kids hands does not get them "clean" it just wipes off the globs of yuck! It amazes me the # of kids we know that don't wash there hands with soap and water as a habit but just wipe them on a cloth and think there clean! Yucky! -(gets down off soap box)- LOL
We got a water cooler system here at the house and since I no longer buy anthing in a can or pouch to drink my boys have no choice but to grab water instead of sucking down sugar drinks!
Wow, I would love to win. It seems simple but just remembering to wash our hands often helps a lot!
kathrynbaby2004@yahoo.com
When we bake desserts etc. we usually put 2/3 the sugar the recipe calls for. You can't taste the difference.
We wash our hands many times throughout the day and try to make our meals from scratch/use fresh products. :)
Eat homemade food instead of going out- saves money and I can be in charge of what to put in the pot. Also wash hand frequently.
Post a Comment