Part 1: The ultimate laundry guide for the green dog!

Happy New Year everyone!!!

For a dog, there are few things better than rolling around in freshly dried laundry, but not many!

I know! The smell, the warmth in the winter; I love getting my scent all over the bed after Mum changes to clean sheets.

But what you may not know is that many of the laundry detergents, dryer sheets, laundry additives, stain removers and bleaches that many use to getting that laundry clean may contain some dangerous chemicals that expose your dog to life altering toxins.

Let's take a look!

Popular and common laundry detergents, laundry additives, dryer sheets, stain treatments and bleaches can contain a wide variety of chemicals that may help clothes get cleaner, but pose a danger to dogs and humans!

They can include everything from:

• Surfactants that can be harmful to aquatic life; 
• Borates that have been shown to be endocrine disrupters and pose allergic and skin reactions; 
• Colorants that pose general systemic/organ effects, damage to DNA, and cancer; 
• Optical brighteners and bleaches that may cause developmental and reproductive effects, kidney and vision damage, and cancer; 
• Fragrances that are many times unlisted and undefined that have been proven to create respiratory illnesses, allergies, affect the nervous system and more.

You can read more about these toxic chemicals and their effects on the Environmental Protection Agency website.

Manufacturers of consumer products are not required to disclose the ingredients of their products, so how do you know what's healthy and what's dangerous? 

Our friends at the Environmental Working Group have analyzed 100's of laundry products and their ingredients to help you determine the safety and health of your laundry products for you and your dog. Not surprisingly, only 60 products contain ingredients that are safe, and over 500 products contain ingredients that are toxic, unhealthy and dangerous.

So what's a dog lover to do?

We recommend utilizing safer, environmentally friendly and healthier products to get your laundry clean. Highly rated and recommended laundry detergents include products from:

• Ecover
• Seventh Generation
• Planet
• Martha Stewart
• Whole Foods and a few more.

You can view all the safer, healthier laundry products listed (and rated A) on the Environmental Working Group's website.

There is one more way you can have healthier laundry and safe money! Check back later this month for our series of posts to learn how you can make your own healthy, safer laundry products for the health of your dog!

Part 1: The Ultimate Laundry Guide for the Green Dog!
Part 2: How to make your own healthy, safe laundry detergent for the health of your dog!
Part 3: How to make your own healthy, safe dryer sheets for the health of your dog!
Part 4: How to make your own healthy, safe laundry stain remover for the health of your dog!

Sources:
Science Daily 'Toxic Chemicals Found In Common Scented Laundry Products, Air Fresheners'
Enviromental Protection Agency
Environmental Working Group
Photo: Randy Robertson on Flickr.