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LAUNDRY DETERGENT ALLERGIES

Stella Starr, Pet Perspectives for TheDogPlace.org

Nasal allergies, itching, skin problems? Read revealing report on the least toxic laundry detergent for dog beds, blankets, bed sheets and your apparel!

Isn’t it ironic that the laundry detergent you use to clean your clothes can actually make them risky to wear! My cats suffered from the last washing of their round beds. I hadn’t done anything different in their surroundings or food but they were scratching and constantly grooming and went off food.

I called a friend who shows Afghan Hounds because she knows everything about skin and coat care. The first thing she asked me was had I used flea spray or anything new on their skin? No. Then she asked if I had bathed them or washed their bedding? I laughed at bathing my cats but then caught myself. I had washed all their round beds in a new “low suds” detergent. We decided there must be a connection so I did some research.

I may have found the solution for common allergies in people and pets!

Most detergents nowadays contain ii Phthalates (Instant Information). I learned that phthalates are industrial solvents (chemical thinners or cleaners) that soften polyvinyl chloride (PVC), right, like that plastic water pipe. Phthalates are fairly new because they were developed to increase the flexibility and durability of plastics which, when you think about it, are relatively new too.

The point here is that synthetic fabrics are like plastic whereas we once wore natural fibers.

When I called the editor to share what I was on to, she told me her father was a “silk spotter” in the dry cleaning business and that “back then” (in the 30s) the only fabrics were cotton, wool, and silk. She said wool and silk clothing wasn’t “washed” it was “spot cleaned” with a chemical that said “poison” on the jug her father kept in the storage building. She couldn’t remember its name, but she called me back a few minutes later to say was tetrachloroethylene. She also said her father died early, from lung cancer.

I verified that tetrachloroethylene is still used in dry cleaning machines whereas in the 40s and 50s it was used “by hand” in cleaning silk, wool, and cotton fabric. So, what does that have to do with your laundry detergent? It is a lesson in how little we know about things that can kill us!!! Big business has to sell product to stay in business.

So in some kind of weird one-upmanship somebody decided to put phthalates in our laundry detergent. What is that I wondered? Most places said it boosts cleaning power (by dissolving dirt and stains) but I’m glad I kept looking because then I found a very credible website that said phthalates “damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive system — particularly the developing testes... according to animal studies.” ^{Ref #1}

Well! I knew I was on to something and my poor cats would thank me.

Here is what you should know before loading your washing machine! You’ve probably heard of sodium lauryl sulfate but did you know that its other form, sodium laureth sulfate is probably in your laundry detergent, your shampoo, and in that expensive pet shampoo? That stuff has been linked to a lot of health problems, from organ toxicity (including reproductive organs) to eye and skin problems. It is a significant problem in people and several websites said it causes neurotoxicity!

Do veterinarians know this? If "industrial solvents" harm people what does it do to animals???

Concerned, I looked it up. Wikipedia defines neurotoxicity as “an adverse effect on the structure or function of the central and/or peripheral nervous system.”

I thought about my grandkids. Could the explosion of violence and rioting going on in “developed countries” (those that use modern laundry detergents) be because today they wash clothes in machines instead of the river like you see on old movies and travel shows? When you think about it, and I have, modern cleaning products are just one of the toxic problems that harm us today. Chemicals are everywhere, in everything, even our toothpaste…

Do you brush your teeth with petroleum? Well did you know toothpaste is petroleum based? My neighbor across the street likes to keep tabs on my writings. He said to look for toothpaste that says something like it is “derived from the vegetable sources of coconut and/or palm kernel oil.” He said he uses Tom’s Of Maine toothpaste but I looked it up and it includes sodium lauryl sulfate. I also found Natures Gate and it includes something called sodium lauroyl sarcosinate. I am not advising anything other than that you do your own search online for toothpaste ingredients.

He also pointed out that the mouth tissues are very thin and absorbent. Anything that goes in your mouth gets quickly into the blood stream. I must have raised an eyebrow because he said “That’s why medication that needs to be fast-acting goes under your tongue.” Oh! Of course he’s right!

Word to the wise (tooth fairy) don’t laugh… my cats keep their teeth white and bright. It must be something in their saliva. I know dog show people brush their dog’s teeth (they say give him raw beef bones which is the way nature cleans carnivore’s teeth!) but check the label and see if you can determine what’s in that toothpaste!

Then remember to check your laundry detergent.

Ref #1 https://noharm-uscanada.org - Phthalates, a family of industrial chemicals used to soften PVC plastic and as solvents in cosmetics and other consumer products, can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive system — particularly the developing testes — according to animal studies.

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