As I was paying, the girl working there told me to not use fabric softener on the clothes as it would "clog" the pores therefore ruining the non-stink and breath-ability feature. Hmmm, ok. I took her word for it and kept my workout clothes separate from the rest of the laundry. The next lightbulb went off when I was making our bed with freshly laundered sheets and realized they felt kind of waxy. That's not normal, right?
Come to find out, that is NOT normal. So what is fabric softener anyway? It's a combination of chemicals that coat textiles with a thin layer of lubrication. This makes clothes feel softer and wards off static. Think about that though, each time you wash your clothes you add another layer of "lubrication" to them. Over time, this ruins the textiles, causing them to repel moisture and wear out faster. Isn't the purpose of a bath towel to absorb moisture? Yep, thought so. If ruining your clothes isn't enough, here's a list of chemicals commonly found in fabric softener:
~ Alpha Terpineol: Causes Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders, meaning problems relating to the brain and spine such as Alzheimer's disease, ADD, dementia, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, seizures, strokes, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
~ Camphor: On the EPA's hazardous waste list. It is easily absorbed through body tissue, causing irritation of eyes, nose and throat. Camphor can also cause dizziness, confusion, nausea, twitching muscles and convulsions.
~ Chloroform: Inhaling its vapors may cause loss of consciousness, nausea, headache, vomiting, and/or dizziness, drowsiness. It may aggravate disorders of the heart, kidneys or liver. Its effects worsen when subjected to heat. Known to cause cancer.
~ Benzl Acetate: This substances has been linked to pancreatic cancer. Its vapors can be irritating to eyes and respiratory passages and it can also be absorbed through the skin.
~ Ethanol: on the EPA's hazardous waste list, can cause central nervous system disorders
~ Ethyl Acetate: This substance, which is on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list, can be irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract. It may also cause severe headaches and loss of consciousness, as well as damage to the liver and kidneys.
~ Limonene: a known carcinogen that irritates eyes and skin
~ Linalool: A narcotic known to cause respiratory problems and CNS disorders. In animal testing, exposure to linalool has resulted in death.
~ Phthalates: Used in scented products to help the scent last longer, phthlates have been linked to breast cancer and reproductive system problems.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034617_fabric_softeners_toxic_chemicals_laundry.html#ixzz2OhagTrY4
Scary, huh? And if you're using the liquid version, your dumping that into our water supply system. Yikes!
This is all fine and dandy, but I still want my clothes to feel soft. Spoiled much? So what can we use to make sure our towels aren't a giant piece of sandpaper? My preferred choice is Distilled White Vinegar. The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener and static cling reducer, and attacks mold and mildew. You'll also notice no "fading" in darker colors - that's truly just leftover soap making it look dull. I put the vinegar in the same dispenser as I would the fabric softener. And don't worry about the smell - I PROMISE that you will not smell it on your clothes. I have added a few drops of lavender essential oil just to brighten my day, but you honestly can't smell it once the clothes are dry.
I will have more posts on the awesomeness of white vinegar later, but do yourself a favor and go buy a big jug. It will only set you back a couple bucks. Then you can rest easy on your fresh non-chemical coated sheets!
Look - Mr. Clean even loves white vinegar.
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