Of Fabric Softeners and Plastic Bottles

I am a sucker when it comes to nice smelling fresh laundered clothes. It's like comfort food for me. Maybe it brings back childhood memories or it makes up for the years travelling or using washing machines that left the laundry gray and murky looking and smelling. Several years ago I was able to buy a second hand Asco frontloader and there is joy in doing laundry again (just kidding).

While always limiting the use of chemicals in my life, I find it hard to say no to the fabric softener. The other day I needed more fabric softener and realized that the store where I buy most of my household items and dry groceries, did only sell softener in big plastic bottles. I was looking for those refill packages that make a mess, but use less packaging. No such luck. I almost walked away without the product...but as I said, I am a sucker for that nice smell. Ok, I thought maybe I can do without the smell, but who likes stiff, hard laundry? I settled on a product without perfumes...laundry is soft, but no fragrance.

Did I really need to research to find that fabric softeners contain chemicals that can be toxic to humans...no. For those reasons I have never dyed my hair, bleached my teeth or used pesticides in the garden...but duh, I am a sucker for that smell. I found an article on the Grinning Planet outlining the dangers and alternatives.

I will slowly cut down on my softener and will not buy a new bottle (funny, all I wanted to begin with was not buying yet another plastic bottle). Have to try adding vinegar to the rinse cycle. Vinegar is not necessarily my favourite perfume. Over the summer I will also hang my laundry outside more frequently to conserve energy on the drying.

Any hints and tip on how you deal with your laundry without damaging our environment or health are appreciated.

Out Of Balance

I've always felt compelled to wag my finger at the person tossing garbage out of a driving car, idling their SUV while sitting in a parking lot, driving around the block to drop the kids of at school and doing other stupid things that would harm nature and my enjoyment of it.

Unfortunately, my personal pet peeve is not so personal anymore. Our globe is at risk. The earth is warming, species are becoming extinct, habitat is lost, humans are getting sick. I believe, we can change. I believe it is possible to change the direction we are heading. All of us are in this together, but rather than wait for our governments to implement change toward sustainability (and believe me, as soon as it hits the pocket book, change will come) we can start changing small habits of ours... think before hopping in the car, using pesticides on your roses or heating the house with the windows wide open. Small changes by each of us can have a huge impact.