Eco-Healthy Ways to do your Laundry

I haven't done an Eco-Healthy tip in awhile so today seems like a good day to do one. I make my own laundry detergent for both cost and to help reduce the amount of chemicals that end up on my families clothes. However there are some other ways to help  reduce the chemical exposure in our laundry.

1. Use 1/4-1/2 cup of vinegar to your wash as a fabric softner.

2. Throw wool balls or an old wool sweater to eliminate static and improve dryre efficiency.

3.  Use hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach to whiten oyur clothes.

4. To remove stains use hydrogen perixide, baking soda lemon juice or corn starch.

Here are a list of chemicals that are in laundry detergents and what they diseases they are linked to:

Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs)       Reproductive Harm

Monoethanolamine (MEA)                 Occupational Asthma

Phthalates                                             Reduced fertility, Increase risk of breast cancer,  
                                                               Increased allergy systoms and asthma in children

Synthetic musks: galaxolide and tonalide      Hormone disruption, increase risk of breast cancer