Human Health and Environmental Dangers of Scented Detergents

Human Health and Environmental Dangers of Scented Detergents

When you hear detergent products promising to keep your clothes smelling fresh as a petal all day, you really can’t say no. I mean, what are your options? “Smell like strong body odor!” That’s really not going to sell anyone. The promise of smelling good all day is appealing, at least, that is, if you don’t know the health risks that come with scented laundry detergents. Who are we kidding?  We all put a good amount of stock in how we look and smell. The question is, what are you willing to risk to smell good? Did you know that many of the scented products in your home contain chemicals that can be extremely toxic and hazardous to your health? Most homeowners don’t know that one of the most toxic household cleaning products is scented laundry detergent.

Do you even know what’s in the blue liquid you put in every load of laundry? Every single piece of fabric that touches covers your body 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year (except the occasional shower,) is soaked for an hour in… what?  Does your detergent container list all of the ingredients, or does it have the same dreaded line that I saw on my container before I made the switch… “Product includes biodegradable cleaning agents” or “Ingredients include biodegradable fabric softening agents.” Or how about the one on the back of the tide box, perhaps which warns to seek immediate first aid and call poison control immediately if reactions occur. What does yours say? Go ahead! Take a short detour to your laundry room, pull the container off the shelf and look. Most of us have never questioned the products we see advertised on our big screen television. Our parents had these products, we have always used these products, (nevermind the rising rate of cancer or any possible correlation), and we are teaching our kids that these products are safe enough to use on them. Are they? Let’s take a look, and then let’s discuss what you can do about it.

Dangers of Scented Detergents Due to Toxic Artificial Fragrances

Dangers of Scented Detergents Due to Toxic Artificial Fragrances

The hazards of scented detergents range from adverse effects on human health to risking the integrity of our environment and the living creatures in it. With the rate of consumption of scented soaps, taking into account how much detergent is used on a weekly basis in nearly every home across the United States, it is quite alarming that most of us are unaware of the dangers of artificial fragrances in laundry detergents.

What’s troubling about scented laundry detergents is that most of the artificial fragrances are not disclosed to the public. Since ingredient compositions are allowed to be confidential, we can’t be 100% sure what synthetic fragrances are used in any specific detergent.  Consider your orange medley scented soap. Do you think there are thousands of workers in Florida peeling oranges to liquify them for our laundry? No. So where does the orange scent come from? The truth is, we don’t know, but we are starting to get a pretty good idea.  Keep reading, and pay attention to the statement containing the phrase “having a pungent, fruitlike odor,” and consider where this fresh smell in your detergent comes from.

The average consumer doesn’t know the chemicals used to give detergents an artificial scent. However, we do know some of them. It’s been said that one-third of your average scented detergents contain at least one hazardous cancer-causing which has been flagged by the Environmental Protection Agency. On August 26, 2011, CBS news released an article called “Scented laundry products release carcinogens, study finds.” This was over six years ago. Read the article here: Carcinogens have been proven, not only to cause cancer but a slew of other health problems which we will explore in more detail, below.  

1. Impacts to Human Health

One research study showed that a normal load of laundry using detergent and dryer sheets pumped over 25 hazardous pollutants into the air, including the carcinogens acetaldehyde and benzene (Benzene is commonly used in the petrochemical industry and found in petroleum-based products.)  A standard google search defines acetaldehyde as “a volatile, colorless, water-soluble liquid, C2H4O, having a pungent, fruitlike odor: used chiefly in the silvering of mirrors and in organic synthesis.” It also has been stated by the National Center for Biotechnological Information (NCBI)  to cause cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract, the liver, the large intestine and the female breast. If I’m honest, that makes me a little nervous. But finding out that there are OVER 25 of these chemicals produced by a single load of laundry? That is terrifying!

Your standard detergents that have been on the shelf before the past five years are mostly petroleum based, as opposed to the newer “more pure and eco-friendly” plant-based detergents. Petroleum-based artificial fragrances containing benzene (one of the toxic chemicals in scented laundry detergents) are connected to skin and eye irritation, stinging nostrils, the triggering of asthma attacks and allergies, and difficulty concentrating, which points toward neurological damage. Aside from these terrifying human health hazards, the other dangers of scented detergents are to our collectively shared environment.

2. Environmental Impacts of Scented Detergents

The environmental dangers of scented detergents are far-reaching. Artifical fragrances made from petroleum are not biodegradable. Since most of the fake scents of soaps are non-biodegradable, they stay with the wastewater which eventually finds its way to large bodies of water like lakes, rivers, and oceans. Most detergents can kill fish if the concentration of absorbed detergent reaches just 15 parts per million. It doesn’t take much to affect these poor fish. Detergents and dryer sheets can also destroy the mucus layers that protect the fish from parasites and bacteria and can cause severe damage to their gills. Not to mention the fact that many Americans are fish eaters. Contaminated fish increase the risk of human food-borne illnesses. Fish eggs are also brutally killed and this impacts the balance in the aquatic wildlife in profound ways.

Let’s take it one step further. Let’s talk about air-pollution.  Studies show that dryer sheets also contain these many types of carcinogens.  Dryer vent emissions are essentially unregulated! This means the carcinogens emitted by dryer sheets could potentially be pumped straight into the backyard where your children are playing. Have you ever walked by a laundry-mat?  What do you smell? You are mostly breathing in the secondhand toxic chemicals of conventional detergents. We have realized, as a society, the dangers of secondhand smoke due to carcinogens. So why are the dangers dryer sheets and detergents going unnoticed? Is it because they smell better than cigarettes? That seems wrong on so many levels!  I remember a commonly aired commercial from my childhood, long before flat screens, where the mom pulls a beautiful, soft white baby blanket out of the dryer and wraps her sweet diaper covered baby in it. What I don’t remember is hearing the tagline, “Oh, the sweet smell of carcinogens!” The question I propose to you, now that you are aware of these hazards, is “now what?”  What can you do about it?

 

How Can You Remove Fabric Softener Smell?How Can You Remove Fabric Softener Smell?

Fabric softener gives clothes a fragrant smell that is hard to remove. Now that we know the dangers of toxic chemicals in scented detergents, the first step we take is to stop using scented detergents. Begin using eco-friendly, non-scented detergents. If your clothes have lingering fabric softener smells, then it’s best to remove this smell. It’s imperative for your health that you drive out those remaining toxins.

The most effective way to remove fabric softener smell is to use a non-toxic special detergent with additives specifically designed to eliminate tough odors. OdorKlenz Laundry is a company that provides detergent additives that effectively remove the most potent odors – from sweat to urine and even fabric softener scent. That may seem counterproductive right? Do I really need to use a product to remove my current product? Yes! Yes, you do. Not to sound melodramatic, but it’s important to reduce your risk of cancer for yourself and your family immediately, without delay.

These products from OdorKlenz are made without harsh chemicals and are eco-friendly. The best part is that you can see the ingredients of OdorKlenz from the home site, nothing is hidden, and the ingredient details are listed as well.  Go to the home site OdorKlenz, and you will see a few tabs at the top, one of which is labeled “OdorKlenz Ingredients.” Click on the tab and read through the detailed disclosure of the product ingredients This will give you the peace of mind that the ingredients in these products are not only free to the public, but safe, and according to the ever-growing group of raving OdorKlenz fans, overwhelmingly effective!

Now, some cleaning processes are exhausting and can take hours. Not OdorKlenz. To use these products, just add a few scoops into the washing machine and let it run. It really is that simple. You will notice the difference after just one washing cycle.

Conclusion

It’s easy to fall trap to the idea of keeping our clothes smelling like lilacs all day. However, it is not beneficial to our health, or to our environment. Now that you know better find products that are safe to use on a daily basis which will reduce the risk of cancer and other side effects. Before you begin use of these new products, it’s best to remove the scents of fabric softener and other scented laundry detergents with OdorKlenz and to steer clear of all toxic, artificial fragrances in detergents.

 

Our Recommended Solution…

The OdorKlenz Laundry Liquid offers the important step in eradicating odors out of your fabrics. Have confidence in an odorless wardrobe and trust that your linens will be free of any funky smells. Ideal for any fabric odors including smoke, grease, body odor, mildew, fragrances, chemicals, urine, or musty smells. Just use 1/4 to 1/2 a cup in your laundry load, mixed with your regular, unscented laundry detergent.

  • Contains No Masking Agents or Fragrances
  • Safe to Use on All Washable Fabrics
  • Provides Complete Odor Elimination. Say Goodbye to Foul Odors and Fragrances in Your Clothes for Good!

We are confident that our OdorKlenz Technology will drastically reduce the odors in your home, if it doesn’t live up to your expectations, we will issue a full refund within 30 days of your purchase!

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Hear What People Are Saying About Us…

“There is nothing else better at keeping the fragrance out of my clothes…. I love OdorKlenz laundry!”

Sarah S. -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“My husband is a diesel mechanic and unfortunately I am responsible for washing his filthy clothes. He was complaining about the diesel odor (this was after washing them) so I found OdorKlenz online. It is amazing. No more odor on his clothes or in my washing machine. I love this product. It works like nothing else.”

Jean J. -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“We washed some clothes and forgot them in the washer. After several days we found them smelling very musty. We washed them again with just normal laundry soap and the smell did not go away. We washed again with approximately half a cup of OdorKlenz Laundry Additive and the smell was gone!”

Marc R. -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Your products are the best on the market, thanks for making my laundry fresh smelling and clean!”

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