eco soap

8.7: web.care/soap/what's good for the planet:

. biosphere books? nothing obviously about planet care .

. hand soap doesn't have phosphates that feel algae .

phosphates

http://www.laundry-alternative.com/detergentsinfo.htm

. phosphates are natural minerals important to the maintenance of all life.

Their role in laundry detergents is to remove hard water minerals

and thus increase the effectiveness of the detergents themselves.

The major laundry detergent manufacturers

no longer use phosphates in their formulations.

phosphates are not the only problem

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutrophication

. In contrast to freshwater systems,

nitrogen is more commonly the key limiting nutrient of marine waters .

laundry detergent phosphates

http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/full_text_search/AllCRCDocs/94-54.htm

An examination of a box of "Tide" and a recent phone call (November 30, 1993)

to Procter & Gamble probably reflect the current state of affairs

in the detergent industry. There are two types of Tide.

Boxes marked with an "0" have 0.0% phosphorus,

while those with marked with a "P" contain 10.9% phosphorus

(the box in Colorado has a "0").

These differences reflect Procter & Gamble's way of accommodating

different state or local laws.

Interestingly, the phosphate replacements in the "0" box

were the same silicates and carbonates the Industry had testified in 1971

were harmful to human health.

Procter & Gamble told me that they do not use NTA (in the U.S.)

because it is banned in certain states.

It was not until 1980, after years of extensive

risk assessment on NTA in drinking water supplies,

that the EPA declared NTA's cancer risk of two in a million

too small to pursue regulatory action regarding inclusion into laundry detergents

8.14: news.gear/Eco-Friendly Detergent:

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/green-trip-laundromat.html

Use Eco-Friendly Detergent

I've found that eco-friendly laundry detergent is comparable in price

to other detergents. There is no excuse for not using these

earth-friendly products. It's also one of the easiest

green things you can do.

Green detergent contains ingredients that are free from:

dyes perfumes chlorine petroleum-based surfactants

Instead you will find natural ingredients such as

baking soda, plant or soybean oil (instead of animal fat), and herbs.

In the past I would refrain from even looking at these products because I figured they were twice the price of my regular brand and probably didn't clean as well. I don't know what made me decide to try one of the products but I did.

I have to tell you that I absolutely loved the laundry soap and fabric softener. Not only did my clothes come out clean and fresh-smelling, but the fabric softener also left my clothes feeling soft and static-free.

The real test came when it was time for my son, who suffers from eczema, to put on his clothes. Not one hive, lesion, or irritation!

And I didn't have to run the clothes through a second rinse cycle, either (something I had to do with my regular brand of detergent). What a deal! I not only saved money and reduced water waste by eliminating the need to run my clothes through a second rinse cycle -- but I saved the environment, too, by eliminating harmful phosphates and other chemicals from entering the water system.

Use Vinegar Instead of Fabric Softener

Fabric softener often contains toxic chemicals

and sometimes animal fat and those fabric-softening sheets can be quite wasteful.

Add a cup of vinegar to your final rinse cycle

and your clothes will become softened.

Choose Front-Loading Machines

Front-loading washing machines save energy and water.