The following is an excerpt from the planetary home of Jeffrey Holland and Alexandra Zisu (Clarksonport, 2010). From sourcing local organic food to safely cleaning the kitchen sink, Planet Home provides a roadmap for anyone who wants to make greener and healthier choices at home. As the co-founder and former CEO of Seventh Generation, the most trusted environmentally friendly home furnishing product brand, author Jeffrey Hollender is one of the most important authorities in natural and conscious life. Planet Home is an unparalleled resource for learning how to pack light without sacrificing you The quality, richness and unique comfort of the home. This section is taken from Chapter 9, "Laundry."
Laundry (and tableware) detergents are often less toxic than other traditional household cleaners-but this does not mean that most of the chemicals used in laundry rooms are safe for humans or the environment. In fact, they can cause both direct and long-term harm.
You can choose to use natural products and better chemicals for cleaning and whitening, which can easily and significantly reduce the potential dangers in the laundry room. Use common sense and avoid any bottles that are labeled "danger," "corrosive," or "skin irritation." Store all laundry detergents out of the reach of children and pets. And, no matter what you use, don't use too much-this is a waste of detergent and money, and the excess residue will actually attract dirt to your clothes.
Because there is no standard definition of "natural" or "non-toxic", it is difficult to know what to look for. Following these rules of thumb should eliminate most non-natural detergents in any given store.
Reprinted with permission from Planet Home, published by Clarkson Porter, a division of Random House Company, 2010.
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