Why Should We Use Cold Water and Eco-Wise Detergents?

Today’s new products deliver clean laundry using cold water according to a recent article in Healthy Living Healthy Planet Natural Awakenings Magazine, February 2011.  According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an average American family annually washes nearly 400 loads of laundry.  Because heating the water accounts for 90 percent of the energy used by a washing machine, using only hot or warm water in a top-loading electric washer annually produces an average 2,407 pounds of CO2 pollution–equivalent to two cross-country flights.

Many conventional cold-water detergents still contain toxic chemicals that when drained, end up in waterways, creating a host of environmental concerns and exposes wildlife to endocrine disruptors.  For both clean and green clothes, buy biodegradable laundry detergents made with plant oils and other natural ingredients that are free of phosphates, bleach and surfactants such as petroleum-based nonylphenol ethoxylates, or NPE.  Kinder to the planet, greener choices are also gentler on our skin surface.

Consumers concerned about killing bacteria, dust mites and other allergens may be tempted to turn on the hot water tap for sheets, linens and undergarments, but Philip Tierno, Jr., Ph.D., a professor of microbiology and pathology at the New York University of Medicine, says that most of the hot water people use is not hot enough anyway.  He says that, “You need the water that’s between 140 and 150 degrees to kill germs.”  However, turning your hot water tank to 140 to 150 degrees may be too hot for your taste and could cause burns to the skin.  Tierno, author of “The Secret Life of Germs”, notes that the sun is one of nature’s most efficient germ killers.  That means that hanging clothes on the clothes line outside and airing pillows, blankets, clothing, shoes, etc. is an effective germ killer and a great eco-option. Tierno says that ultraviolet radiation kills germs and is just as effective as bleach.”  This is good news.

Natural disinfectants that can be added during rinsing include white vinegar (one half cup per load); grapefruit seed extract (one teaspoon per load), tea tree oil (two teaspoons per load), and lavender or peppermint essential oil (a few drops per load), which also brings a fresh fragrance to our laundry.  No need to buy expensive fabric fresheners that may have chemical ingredients, too.

I have used all these essential oils and white vinegar as disinfectants and they are great, in my opinion.

Articles from Natural Awakenings and The Secret Life of Germs