Detergents, a massive pollution that can and should be avoided

  Articoli (Articles)
  Valeria Fraquelli
  11 November 2022
  4 minutes, 10 seconds

We all use detergents. We wash our clothes and our dishes, and we look for those solvents that have the characteristics we like best: the fragrance, the softness of clothes, the cleanliness of tableware, the best anti-scale effect and so on.

We love to find our clothes smelling good and our tableware perfectly cleaned. But to achieve that, we pay, often without knowing it, a very high price both in terms of money and health, which is put at risk by various dangerous substances that lurk in all detergents. Even those that promised to respect the environment and our bodies.

Detergents are very polluting and irritating; they harm both the environment and our bodies. Although we often find green labels, with nice flowering lawns drawn on them and with children happily playing in nature, this is not always realistic. It is just greenwashing without any value.

Our health and the environment are at serious risk. There are in fact many children suffering from severe allergies caused by detergents. Needless to say, traces of solvent on clothes or dishes “migrate” onto our bodies and can create serious problems such as, for example, violent allergic reactions. Detergents are sneaky, they can stay on surfaces for a long time. In this way, they pollute a lot, and they cause severe damage.

In every home there are 15 liters of dangerous substances, including detergents and various solvents. Among them there are phosphates, the most aggressive and “evil”. What we use to clean our house, hoping to eliminate viruses and bacteria, is actually a real danger for ourselves and the environment. It is not biodegradable, and it is responsible for the eutrophication of water, a process that significantly decreases the production of oxygen in water and causes the uncontrolled growth of algae, with deadly consequences for the life of fish and other aquatic organisms.

Eventually, instead of making our homes safer and more sanitized, we make the air and household surfaces unsafe and dangerous to touch, especially if we have pets or young children touching everything and then putting their hands in their mouths. The most common detergents we find on the market release very dangerous particles that remain on surfaces, where we eat, sleep, or simply relax.

Microplastics and detergents residues from washing machines and dishwashers end up in the water of rivers, lakes, seas and increasingly spread pollution and deteriorate the natural environment. It only takes a few drops of detergent to create pollution. They are very dangerous solvents containing toxic substances for us, our pets, and the environment. They often settle on furniture and clothes, and they put our health at serious risk.

Using detergents means wasting water, water that we need right now and that has become the most important resource for our planet and for our own survival.

Detergents are chemicals and petrochemicals. They should not be used as if they were toys or water. They can cause inflammation, allergic reactions, and dermatitis with very serious consequences.

When they end up in the water, they cause uncontrolled growth of algae. Some of them are extremely toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms. We have already seen too many times seas and rivers filling up with dangerous foam, due to detergents. We have seen many times devastated and lifeless shorelines, with aquatic organisms lying dead.

The only way is to use environmentally friendly detergents, those solvents using natural products as much as possible and equally ensure cleanliness and hygiene without chemical fragrances attacking the skin and mucous membranes of the nose. Baking soda and vinegar are excellent natural remedies that work very well and guarantee perfect cleaning. But of course, we should never forget the old elbow grease. It is tiring but it is and will remain the safest and most effective way to do cleaning.

But beware of scams. You should look for the word “green” and above all you should read the ingredient list and all the certifications. It is easy, in fact, that under a green label with words such as “green”, “nature-loving”, “gentle on the skin”, hides a common detergent with quite a bit of greenwashing.

In conclusion, before buying a detergent, let’s think twice because there is nothing that cannot be cleaned with elbow grease and natural extracts.

Translated by Denise Praticò.

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L'Autore

Valeria Fraquelli

Mi chiamo Valeria Fraquelli e sono nata ad Asti il 19 luglio 1986. Ho conseguito la Laurea triennale in Studi Internazionali e la Laurea Magistrale in Scienze del governo e dell’amministrazione presso l’Università degli Studi di Torino. Ho anche conseguito il Preliminary English Test e un Master sull’imprenditoria giovanile; inoltre ho frequentato con successo vari corsi post laurea.

Mi piace molto ascoltare musica in particolare jazz anni '20, leggere e viaggiare per conoscere posti nuovi ed entrare in contatto con persone di culture diverse; proprio per questo ho visitato Vienna, Berlino, Lisbona, Londra, Malta, Copenhagen, Helsinki, New York e Parigi.

La mia passione più grande è la scrittura; infatti, ho scritto e scrivo tuttora per varie testate online tra cui Mondo Internazionale. Ho anche un mio blog personale che tratta di arte e cultura, viaggi e natura.

La frase che più mi rappresenta è “Volere è potere”.

Tag

Detergents Pollutants Pollution Toxic substances Green solvents Hazardous substances