By Michael McCullough, D.C.

Lets talk about something that almost everyone wears on their clothes, breathes onto their pillow cases, destroys many septic systems and leaches into the lakes and streams. Think about it when you lay your face down on your pillowcase, especially in the winter when it is cold your warm moist breath breaks down the following chemicals:

For those of you that listened and watched the story about the Bassett hound in Portland that bit a hole in a bottle of liquid Tide and then laid in the tide will understand what I am talking about. Go here to see story: News story about pet dog.

Consider what you are wearing on your clothes and the safety of what you have in your house…not to mention what you are doing to OUR environment!

Phosphates (phosphorus - a fertilizer that causes algae to grow and depletes oxygen out of the water.)
Chlorine Bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite)
Lye (Sodium Hydroxide)
Ammonia
Phenols
Fillers

An assortment of toxic chemicals with un-pronounceable names like Nitrilotriacetic Acid (NTA). The Merck Index refers to NTA as a substance we may reasonably anticipate to be a carcinogen (cancer causing substance.) Amazingly it is still allowed in our laundry compounds.

Consider the residue from the caustic detergents, oily-film fabric softeners, fats and talo, chemical perfumes and dyes, phosphates that are against your skin all day and covering your body at night? Asthma is up 400% in the past 20 years it must be a genetic problem??

Why are these caustic ingredients used in laundry detergents? Because they soften the water and enhance performance. Phosphates and other caustic ingredients contributed to the virtual death of Lake Erie in the 1970’s. These ingredients also contributed to the ruining of Cascade Reservoir in Idaho. In the future the government will be requiring that all manufacturers must remove phosphates from their products. I have to ask the question….why haven’t the manufacturers taken the responsibility to remove the phosphates and other caustic ingredients without the government forcing them to do it? Melaleuca Inc. has never used phosphates and caustics for over 16 years in their home hygiene line of products! Unfortunately in the 1980’s the general public was not concerned about caustic chemicals in their homes or OUR environment.

According to David Kullberg’s new publication, House Work May Be Hazardous to Your Health, many areas of the country are requiring laundry detergents to be low-phosphate. Now manufactures replace phosphates with caustics. The misconception now is that low phosphates are safe. They may be safer for the environment, but they are 100 times more caustic than phosphate detergents. Caustics such as Lye (sodium hydroxide or potassium hypochlorite) clean by a chemical reaction that burns or eats away other substances. Caustics also wear out your clothes faster and dull the fabric’s colors.

Why would any rational thinking individual want to use the above, when they can use a safer, more effective non-phosphate, non-caustic clothes detergent for about one half the price? Maybe it is because mom used it and they cannot break their habit. For those of you who are not already using the new EcoSense Melapower clothes detergent, Melabrite whitener, PreSpot and MelaSoft, you owe it to yourselves to try it. Save some money and use a safer more effective product. You might be surprised that you can breath better at night and have fewer allergies and don't’ forget the fact that dust mites don’t like the smell of the Melaleuca oil that is in the Melapower. By the way, headlice don’t like the smell of it either!

If you would like to read more about this you can buy David Kullberg’s publication called Housework may be Hazardous to Your Health, available through RM Barry call 1-888-209-0510.

Michael McCullough, D.C.