The Ahh-Mazing Powers of Natural Dryer Balls!

Natural Dryer Balls

I have to admit it, I love dryer balls!  There are so many reasons that I love them, but the #1 reason is that they leave my laundry smelling Ahhh-Mazing!!  Oh, and there are a lot of ‘green’ reasons to love them too: they minimize drying time, they don’t emit harmful toxins like dryer sheets, and they are reusable. 

Like my laundry wash, I love to try out new scents with our dryer balls, this month I am using our new scent: Sandalwood Rose.  It is such a clean, fresh and light scent and it is so yummy on our sheets!  We have just finished testing on our new dryer ball rescenting kits, and you can now scent your dryer balls at home each month to keep them smelling yummy too!

I am often asked, “How long do dryer balls last?” We have 6 that we use each time we use our dryer.  I have had them all for over two years, and there are still no signs of them ‘wearing out’.  I do rescent them often, but that is mostly because I love to have yummy scents on our laundry! 

Dryer balls work by breaking up the clumps of wet clothes, which allows them to dry more quickly.  This is especially great when you are drying heavy loads like towels, work pants or bedding!  I have found that when I am drying our bedding I have to go in and shake them out of the blankets about half way through the drying cycle to make sure that they don’t get stuck in there!  I have noticed that we are able to dry even a big heavy load in about 45 minutes instead of the hour it was taking before.  And less time in the dryer equals more money in your pocket!! 

I am also asked, “are dryer sheets really TOXIC?” and the answer is YES!!  They really are!!  There are a lot of resources out there that can give you more information on the subject – but for a quick overview…there are at least SEVEN toxic substances in dryer sheets that can affect the central nervous system.  They include: Alpha-Terpineol, Benzyl Alcohol, Camphor, Chloroform, Ethyl Acetate, Linalool and Pentane!  For more information on what these can do to your body we recommend reading The Brain Wash by Michelle Schoffro Cook {it can be found on Amazon}. 

There is no magical number for how many dryer balls to have, but I suggest at least 4 per load to really start to see an impact on the time the load takes to dry.  But if you want them just for the scenting joy, you can start with just one! 

Ready to add some dryer balls to your laundry routine?  Check out the beautiful ones we have to offer from Shelly Rose Designs! 
http://www.ahappygreenlife.com/dryerballs.html

Have A Happy Green Day!

Kristin Ward
Owner, A Happy Green Life

The hazards of non-natural laundry detergent

Have you ever wondered what ingredients are used in your laundry detergents? If you haven’t you should, just think at least 95% of your day your body and the bodies of your family members are in contact with clothing and linens that have been soaked in detergent. So what is in laundry detergents? If you are using non-natural laundry detergents the ingredients contain carcinogenic, hormone disruptors, and other hazardous air pollutants.  

In a recent study by the University of Washington, researchers found that 25 organic compounds including seven hazardous air pollutants were released from laundry that was washed in non-natural detergent. Two of the chemicals are listed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of cancer causing chemicals. If you are like me who runs at least 7 loads of laundry a week you are freaking out! How does this happen? Well, laundry companies are not required by law to list their ingredients. They also aren’t regulated like other products because they are not applied directly to human skin-even though we all know they are directly touching human skin constantly.

“Optical Brighteners” are used in non-natural laundry detergents. These are synthetic chemicals that are used to make your clothes “glow” under ultraviolet light. Your clothes look bright, but they are really deteriorating. These brighteners are built to stay on your clothes; they build up and prevent your cloth diapers from absorbing and your military uniforms glow like the sun when looked at with night vision.  They also rub off onto your skin causing a rash that looks like a sun burn, and seep into waterways and build up inside fish.

Phosphates are often found in non-natural detergents.  These phosphates work as a super-charged fertilizer for algae in your washing machine-ever have stinky towels? Chances are it is due to algae growing in your washer. If you use these products they can build up in your washer in your tubes, in the pump, in the door seal! Just about everywhere! If it isn’t cleaned up your stinking clothing will have to be tossed and so will your washer.

All of these chemicals find their way into the environment and end up in the water that we drink, the soil where our veggies are growing and into the animals that we eat. They are also constantly being released into the air from your dryer vents and finding their way into our atmosphere.

So now that we know how bad laundry products can be what do we do? First, check your detergents ingredients. If it contains benzene and acetaldehyde dispose of it with your other hazardous materials, these two chemicals are cancer causing.  If it contains optical brighteners or phosphates give it the old heave-ho! If you can’t find a list of ingredients for your laundry detergent that should be a red flag, they have a reason for not showing you what it is made of. The easiest solution is to find yourself a natural laundry detergent, specifically one that isn’t afraid to tell you what it is made of. The University of Washington recommends that you don’t use more detergent than you need. Most of the time you are just washing sweat and fragrance out of your clothes, this shouldn’t require a ton of detergent. They also say to, “Wash only full loads of laundry and with cold water. Making the switch to the cold cycle will save about $60 a year on your power bill because you'll be giving the hot water heater a break."

If you are interested in making the change to natural laundry detergent (and I think you should) check out http://www.ahappygreenlife.com/ and our new laundry wash line that is safe for your clothes and skin!
-Amanda

Toxins

Ever wonder about what type of toxins are found in the area you live? You need to check out http://scorecard.goodguide.com/ This is an amazing website that allows you to enter your zip code and then provides you with the toxin, air, water, and environmental justice facts for your community.

I put in the zip code for my neighborhood and found out that my county was ranked one of the dirties/worst 10% of all counties in the U.S. The site even provides you with a list of the top polluters in your community, the top polluter in my community released 63,620 lbs of hydrochloric acid into our community (this toxin creates acid rain and smog).

Looking at the site for my community I found that three of the top polluting companies had toxic spills that contaminated our local water ways-this is scary. It is especially scary because I didn’t know about this. I find that this is a major problem, people are not aware of the environmental problems in their communities. If we want to take care of our planet we all need to educate ourselves and become involved. I implore all of our readers to check out the site and find out how your community ranks, if you don’t like what you read take some action. Write your local governments about your concerns, if we don’t take action things will never change.

-Amanda

The Dirty Dozen

I have a gross confession to make; I never wash my fruit before I eat it. I know there are pesticides on it, my mom reminded me every time I picked up a store bought apple, but I guess I just didn’t care. I think it’s a little bit laziness, a little ignorance and a lot of the thought, “they wouldn’t sell something edible covered in poison.” After I did my research I can assure you I will be washing all of my fruit from now on!

Pesticides do serve an important purpose. Farmers use pesticide to kill insects, weeds and disease. They stop rats, mice, flies and other insects from eating and contaminating the food and prevent harmful molds and microbes from growing and poisoning humans.  They just aren’t meant to be ingested.

The Environmental Protection Agency has stated that an estimated 10,000-20,000 pesticide poisonings happen each year. The Center for Disease Control reports that pesticides may cause respiratory, gastrointestinal, allergic or neurological symptoms (such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers). In addition to that there are numerous studies linking pesticides to ADD, Asthma, Cancer, and birth defects. These studies aren’t just linking farmworkers who handle the pesticides but regular every day people like you and me who eat fruits and veggies and are exposed.

The Environmental Working Group released a report in 2010 naming the worst fruits and vegetables for pesticide exposure, they have been named the dirty dozen.

The Dirty Dozen

Celery

Peaches

Strawberries

Apples

Domestic Blueberries

Nectarines

Sweet Bell Peppers

Spinach, kale and collard greens

Cherries

Potatoes

Imported Grapes

Lettuce

The produce listed in the Dirty Dozen were found to each contain 47 to 67 separate pesticides per serving, this was after the produce was cleaned with the USDA’s high-power pressure water system. It is thought that the produces soft skin absorbs the pesticide which results in the high number of contaminates. If you love the Dirty Dozen as much as my family does it is recommended that you purchase it organic or grow it yourself. Why take the chance of exposing your family to harmful poison? And remember to always wash your produce!!
-Amanda