While it may get your whites whiter, chlorine bleach is hardly a healthy product to use. Chlorine bleach, also known as sodium hypochlorite, is a highly caustic product that can cause eye, nose, and skin irritation, and can be fatal if swallowed. And, when Chlorine is mixed with other cleaning products, the chemical reaction can be hazardous. Toxic chloramines gases are formed when chlorine is mixed with cleaning products that contain ammonia, and toxic chlorine gases are formed when chlorine is mixed with acids such as those found in most toilet bowl cleaners. Chlorine Bleach is responsible for a variety of environmental issues. When released into waterways, chlorine bleach can create organochlorines (a reproductive, neurological, and immune system toxin and suspected carcinogen) and contaminate drinking water. While most detergents use sodium perborate, another common type of bleach; sodium perborate is also a skin, eye and respiratory irritant and is dangerous if ingested.
The good news is that there are better ways to bleach. There are many common, safe products that you can use for natural whitening and brightening. According to The National Geographic’s Green Guide you can boost your detergent’s cleaning power and remove odours by adding one half cup of baking soda or washing soda (two related minerals) along with your detergent. You can remove stubborn stains by soaking fabrics in water mixed with borax, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, or white vinegar. National Geographic suggests that when you are choosing store-bought whiteners, look for products labelled “non-chlorine bleach”. Look for alternatives that contain either hydrogen peroxide or sodium percarbonate (an environmentally-friendly mixture of washing soda and hydrogen peroxide). Choosing natural cleaners with safe ingredients is a healthy choice; healthy for you to use and safe for the environment.
