Your Fresh-Smelling Laundry May Be Toxic

Gather App
Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support AutomaticWasher.org:

gansky1

gansky1

Well-known member
Platinum Member
Joined
May 2, 2001
Messages
13,193
Location
Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!
Steve (gyrafoam) sent this to me today - very interesting reading. I come in contact with all sorts of smells, chemicals and probably toxins all the time in the cleaning biz. There are many air fresheners - most all sprays, plug-in oils, candles, gels, etc. that I can no longer tolerate. The powerful detergents, softeners and additives are repulsive to me - one of the reason I won't allow any Mexican detergents and am gravitating more and more toward unscented or very lightly scented products. Perhaps we are perfuming ourselves into health issues?

There was a movie called Safe with Julianne Moore about this subject - she suffered from severe reactions to common chemicals and pollutants. It was a rather "slow" film but it was thought provoking.

http://www.ajc.com/health/content/health/stories/2008/07/31/health_toxic_fragrance.html
 
I second that

Is there anything out there now with light lemon, like fab was at one time. sl. lemon fragrance and CLEAN. The descriptions of some these new-fanlged scents remind me of the drink menu at an asian theme restaurant, I am a tide guy but "mountain spring" reeks to my sense of smell. It often seems the Plain versions are not on the shelves or maybe they get "snatched up" early before i shop.
 
I agree that many additives, chemicals, scents, etc., will eventually be linked to many common physical ailments. It's not always that each additive or chemical, individually, is a problem; It's the witches brew of hundreds of them intermingling in our systems that is the problem. We're inundated with them 24/7.
 
No "stank" in our laundry or cleaning supplies, pl

Unscented everything laundry-wise and household-wise, using washing soda and borax for the most part. Can't stand scented candles, "plug-ins" or other "fresheners"...start choking if around anything like that. Maybe it has to do with growing up in the 60s with asthma, and having a mom (AND A DOCTOR!) who chain-smoked...yep, the Doc would have a ciggie hangin' outa his mouth every time we walked into his office...it was a different world then, most definitely...
 
I usually use "green" type detergents--Seventh Generation and other similar brands. There are various reasons for this, but one of the major reasons is that I can't stand the heavy scenting that the detergents normal people use.

I bought a small sample of one popular brand. The scent was nothing short of overwhelming--the laundry area smelled almost like a perfume factory had exploded. The clothes, once dried, were wearable...but had a strong, lingering scent.
 
When you think about it, our laundry has a smell, our shampoo and soap have a smell, we put on hair products and perfumes that smell, we get into cars with scents, we spray our homes with scents... When does it stop?
 
Light Lemon Scent Detergent

Yes-- There is a nice Light Lemon Liquid Detergent out there if you can find it. I've found it here at Target. It is Tide 2X Pure essentials with Citrus Extracts, Lemon Verbena Scent. It smells sort of strong right out of the bottle, but leaves a very light scent on clothing once washed-- Seems to clean well also.
 
One of the primary issues with today's cleaners is that they don't contain "soap." Most "409" or "Fantastic" cleaners are just a huge pile of chemicals, no lye based products or something close to that. Love Murphy's Oil Soap, also Simple Green, and sometimes with ammonia for added punch.
Last weekend, our long time cleaning lady (15+ years), Patricia, cleaned all the washable surfaces, such as baths, kitchen and all floors with vinegar and water. Amazing how clean everything was (was ... 2 dogs, CockaPoo and German Shepard 9 month puppy with a domination complex). Also, she loves Electroluxs and loves our Ultra Lux. She could sell these machines and make a fortune.
Interesting.
More to come .....
~Pat
 
Anti-perspirant deodorants

A very interesting thread,actually for a fair while I have been a little concerned also about underarm anti-perspirant deodorants,many make me scratch and itch in the armpit.
I have tried a few non-scented ones which do seem to be a bit better, however I wonder also about the aluminium ingredients which seems to be in virtually all of them, apart from a few which are aluminium free,but which do not work as effectively.
There have been a few medical reports done on these which clears the aluminium ingredients of any danger, but I guess you can never really be totally sure can you?.
Any thoughts anyone?.
Cheers.
Steve.
 
It may be worth being worried about anti-perspirants

I know I've heard some rumblings of worry and concern. Some alternative medicine people have even gone so far as to suggest that it may be a cause of breast cancer. This may go too far...but whenever I hear any sort of "health hazard" rumbling, I wonder. I can remember a time when there were those rumblings about hydrogenated fats (commonly used in margarine). At that time, these rumbligns which were dismissed. Times changed, mainstream medicine learned a few things, and in the US, they have to list "trans fat" levels on nutrition labels.
 
Aluminum may not be causing your itch. More likely the problem is one of the glycols, or maybe alcohol (check your labels). Unless you're allergic to something, itchiness comes from overdrying the skin.

Try waiting an hour or two after you shower, before you apply deodorant. If the itchiness is reduced (or gone altogether), you found the problem.
 
If I grow a few more eyes maybe I'll see better.
I could use a few more arms and hands too----maybe even a second head (brains included).

I'll keep right on using my VIVA, FOCA, and Suavatel thankyou!
 
Many artificial smells are repulsive to me as well. Honestly, the smell of dryer sheets make me want to hurl.

Found and old box of "Spic and Span". Found the scent to be subdued and acutally pleasant.

8-5-2008-06-27-35--Toggleswitch2.jpg
 
Turn your arm-pits into charm-pits!

As far as avoiding aluminum goes in deodorants/anti-persperants, the problem from my perspective is that the ones that don't have this ingredient are deodorants "only" and tend to (try to) cover natural stink with artificial stink. Many are very heavily scented. I use these when I have run out of the usual anti-persperant/depdorant and the constant perfume wafting from the arm-pits reminds me to go buy the "real thing"

Notice the "unscented" one. Have not tried it in that I don't relish being all damp and stinky "under there".

8-5-2008-06-34-42--Toggleswitch2.jpg
 
Damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

Scenario:

Beautiful woman on a train from Paris to Amsterdam. Red spaghetti-strap dress, nice face, hair make-up. Even I turned around to take in her beauty.

She lifted here arm to light a cigarette and I nearly fainted from the perfume-over-stink and the hairy armpit jungle that was plainly visible. Her teeth were also, black, brown, yellow missing and rotted. Did I mention she had very hairy legs?

Lesson:

1- Preventative maintenace is not a bad thing.
2- You never know what is cultural until you step out of your culture. I'm used to women shaving their pits.

That being said, there is no shame in a man trimming his pits to have less odor and wetness. Problem with that is the deodorant then comes into closer contact with the skin and may be more readily absorbed into the body.
 
There is another

category also...coffee.

A colleague at the office insists on using vanilla flavored coffee. It reeks of a chemical odor. I can't stand the smell and it gives me a headache.

Why is it the people who love scented items are also the ones who bath in perfumes and cologne??

It's one reason I avoid shopping malls. I hate walking into a store and some trollope is waiting to spray you down with the newest overpriced stinking perfume on the market.
 
The worst I've run into is Bed, Bath & Beyond in Santa Cruz. Man I can't even breathe in there.
 
And I was beginning to think it was just me. As was mentioned in an earlier post, "original scent" is anything but. What gets me is how I can be riding my bicycle and passing by folks walking or jogging, their scent completely permeates the air around them. How is that possible?? This explains a lot about why Americans (at least) are so addicted to scented "everything".
As for underarm deodorants, you might want to check the label for Zirconium or Zirconium Silicate - which used to be (and may still be) used in Colgate toothpaste. Turns our a British study from waaaay back in the 1950's mentioned how Zirconium caused cancer in test animals. What a shock.

As for me, I use Crystal Body Deodorant Spray. It contains NO aluminum & is fragrance and Paraben Free (thecrystal.com). It's sold in the natural foods section of my local grocery store. And as it contains no aluminum, it won't stop perspiration, but it does stop odors - using, according to the label: Aqua (purified water), Natural Mineral Salts, Potassium Alum.
 
WOW!

That makes you think! Scary!
I am so glad that they did not talk about FDS!
I would be in trouble!!!!
Brent
 
LOL - FDS!

Just stick with plain vinegar and water in the bag on the back of the bathroom door (that nobody talks about) and you'll have nothing to worry about. For those especially difficult days, try a few drops of Lysol in the brown bottle. Doctor recommended - in 1939!
 
One must understand, constant exposure for long periods of time to the same scent or scents made from similar chemicals, renders one basically unable to "smell" the fragrance. Some call it the "old ladey syndrome", you know middle-aged or elderly females who have been wearing the same scent since their youth, and now pour it on with a heavy hand because they can no longer smell the scent on themselves. Never mind those around or down wind are gasping for air!

Indeed many air fresheners actually contain chemicals to deaden one's sense of smell, that way one does not detect the unpleasant odor they were meant to be getting rid of.

Natural and or herbal scents are not always better than man made. Lavender, rosemary, and host of other popular herbal scents can actually cause mild to severe allergy reactions in some people. Some find the scent of lavender soothing, it gives others migraines.

Have never forgiven Henkel/Germany for changing Persil sensitive to having a rather strong scent. The unscented or lightly scented version was much better. New scent hangs around for ages, even on things that have been laundered weeks ago and sitting around in drawers.

Proctor and Gamble, Henkel, and many other detergent makers have patents on perfumes and scent delivery chemicals for laundry products that actually cause the fragrance to bind to laundry and remain there longer. It is claimed consumers complained whatever scent their laundry came out of the washing machine with, was gone by the time laundry was dried and put away.

The above explains all those horrid scented detergents from Tide, such as "Tide Simple Pleasures", that smell like a cheap tart on a budget.
 
I have heard of the use of bleach in that bag, Greg. YIKES!

~Natural Mineral Salts

Well, according to a bottle of specialty Israeli shampoo to stop hair-loss....

Salts (ionic compounds) are used in products like Head & Shoulders brand shampoo to block sweat glands. This in turn prevents flakes of skin (dandruff) from falling, but it also may contribute (bottles says "does contribute" to hair loss) by killing the hair follicle.

So it looks like all anti-perspirants block the sweat glands which means a dryer set of pits, but also block the natural process of heat and toxin removal via sweating.

Remember when mousse and hair spay and product were "De rigeur"? They made me feel extremely hot (blocked sweating of head) and my thought was "These are gonna contribute to baldness". Dropped all usage and right quick, too! Still have thinng hair. Curses high levels of testosterone and DHT! *LOL*

So is there a decent deodorant that is effective, (nearly) unscented and does not containa aluminum?
 
I too have noticed how some people get carried away with scents. Our tenant uses way too much Downy Lavander/Vanilla softener. When the dryer is running it smells like a French Whorehouse and not in a good way. I use Downy April fresh...love the smell and it makes the clothes fresh smelling. I used to love the Downy Mountain Fresh but somehow lately the scent is a bit much.
Even people that use way too much cologne have something they are trying to hide like a funky smelling ass or have not showered in a few days. I worked with this woman that was considered the town "public utility" and she would get banged all weekend long then come back to work without a shower. PU and one night she was ripe and I told her. She wasnt happy with me but hey I thought she is making my nosehairs curl she needs to wash. I believe that if your foul smelling and and you dont notice it yourself then something is really wrong.
 
It seems that the scents are getting stronger and stronger in detergents and fabric softeners. I can't walk down the laundry detergent isle in the supermarket without going into a sneezing fit. It doesn't stop till I am way away from it. I have had to change tables in restaurants cause of someone wearing too much perfume or cologne. Again I can't stop sneezing. Funny people will say are you ok or allergic to something, and I reply yes its you and your bathing of perfume that I am allergic to. Can't take strong scents anymore just sets my head to reeling.
Jon
 
Toggles Is Correct

Anti-perspirants are just that, stop one from "sweating".
Deodorants merely cover up or otherwise neutralise body odor.

Many Europeans simply do not use the former because they view (quite rightly) perspiration as a natural body function, and would no more seek to arrest it than they would not going to the loo. Covering up the odor is another matter, hence the fondness for perfumes going back ages.

Being totally clean and having BO, especially under the arms can and often do go together. It all depends upon one's body. There are persons who can bathe and within one hour or so, the "smell" is back.

Cornstarch and baking soda make great alternatives to deodorant body powders based upon talcum.

One must remember skin is the largest organ on the human body. Anything one comes into contact with over a long period of time can eventually become absorbed into the body. This includes underarm products and scented laundry products that leave residues behind.

More to worry about, in that when one is sleeping the body is actually more open to absorbing things via the air and skin. Hence persons not being bothered by say a scented laundry product on their clothes during the day, but nearly gagging to death at night from breathing in the same fumes.

L.
 
> Being totally clean and having BO, especially under the arms can and often do go together. It all depends upon one's body. There are persons who can bathe and within one hour or so, the "smell" is back. <

The harder/longer a guy scrubs his underarms when bathing, the faster (and worse) they'll stink again. People who use washcloths and scrub every trace of anything from their underarms are the ones who stink again within an hour. They're forcing their bodies to produce a lot more bacteria and oil to replace what's been stripped.
 
Ohh i hate overbearing laundry products. i love gain (that statement alone makes me sound like a hypocrite) but sneeze while using it and have stopped since. i love downy and suavitel but i do not overdose one capful is enough or half!!! i also only use watery generic softeners for my sheets. I always felt its not good to breath in heavy perfumes. I go light with cologne always and i stick to certain brands of deodorant so i wont itch i use clear liquid deodorants if, its a blue or white stick NO!!! and as for perfumed detergents i *usually* if i pick it stick with 'ALL' regular or free and clear and always add a cup of baking soda. even the 'all with softener' is good i love the 'fresh twist' smell really light and not overbearing and rinses out really good!
 
and if you're talking movies.....

........let's not forget lily tomlin in, "the incredible shrinking woman"! remember how those sprays in the car finally did her in.
 

Latest posts

Sponsored
UnlistMe
Back
Top