Articles

BY MARILEE NELSON

Sadly, many people are wearing clothing that has been washed with toxic laundry soaps and fabric softeners.  After repeated washings our clothes become incorporated with the chemicals and dyes from the detergents. Since toxins can enter the body not only by inhalation through the respiratory tract, but also by absorption through the skin our bodies receive a double dose from these scented toxic laundry products. The clothing appears white and bright because of the chemical whiteners, yet they are a toxic waste by-product and a menace to our health. The synthetic fragrances may seem pleasant, but they are synthetic and neurotoxic. Most people don’t get sick immediately by wearing the garments, but the absorption of these chemicals/metals consistently over the long term presents a potential for immune system depression and illness.

To detoxify clothing and sheets that have been washed in conventional toxic detergents*, a detoxification procedure is necessary. Sleeping on sheets or wearing clothes that have been washed in conventional detergents contribute to the chemical load that the body has to detoxify. This is especially an issue when sleeping because at night when the immune system is supposed to rest and repair, it instead has to use its energy to detoxify chemicals from the Bedding & Mattresses and pajamas. The kidneys and liver have to work harder through the night instead of rejuvenate and repair. It may take several treatments to remove detergent residues especially if fabric softeners have been used. If clothes are contaminated with mold or pesticides, a more extensive procedure is needed.

Possible Materials Needed

• Baking Soda – available at grocery stores; can be used as a boost to other soaps
• 20 Mule Team Borax – available at grocery stores; can be used as a boost to other soaps
• Branch Basics * – This is a virtually odorless enzyme product made from green leafy vegetables. It is natural product and human safe, meaning it would not harm you if ingested. Branch Basics breaks down hydrocarbons, is a degreaser, decontaminator (breaks down chemicals), kills mold and all gram negative bacteria such as e-coli, shigella, salmonella, and gram positive bacteria such as staph, and streptococci.
• Sodium Sesquicarbonate – Dr.Erlander (1-626-797-7004; sold by the pound at 79 cents/lb) or for less expensive option, can be bought in bulk at a chemical supply company in your city (Lab Safety Supply, Sciecne Lab, etc.)
• Grapefruit Seed Extract by Nutribiotics – available at Whole Foods and other health food stores (www.nutribiotic.com 1-800-225-4345) Especially useful if there is any mold in clothes or Bedding & Mattresses
• BOC (Biological Odor Control) by Medina – (www.medina.com 1-888-249-1124) Has no scent, must use with cold water. Medina does decontamination work all over the world. BOC is made up of algae (biological base of all their products) and is used in hydrocarbon degradation, chemical decontamination, VOC decontamination, etc. It will not kill mold, but slows it down and takes the odors down by neutralizing the mycotoxins (the metabolic byproducts of mold that many people react to.)

Procedure:

• Take sheets or clothes and place in washing machine with hot water. Let soak several hours, all day, or overnight with one of the following:
  • 1 – 2 small boxes baking soda
  • ½ – 1 cup Borax
  • ¼ - ½ cup Sodium Sesquicarbonate
    Note: Using the baking soda and borax combination or Sodium Sesquicarbonate (bought in bulk) above is probably the most inexpensive way to go. If that does not work, then proceed to products listed below.
  • ½ cup Branch Basics* (5 parts water to 1 part Branch Basics) – Also spray a 5 parts water to 1 part Branch Basics Concentrate on soiled areas
  • Grapefruit Seed Extract – Include 20 – 40 drops GSE with load if clothes or Bedding & Mattresses have any mold contamination
• Wash and double rinse sheets or clothes in the morning (Note: after clothes and sheets have been detoxified, then overnight soaking is not necessary)
• Repeat as necessary
• Hang clothes out in the sun to be exposed to UV rays. Turn clothes inside out to minimize fading. This will also help to outgas the chemicals from the clothes.
  If there remains a strong odor in the clothes, then use BOC
  • 1 – 2 cups BOC – Soak overnight in cold water (hot water kills the enzyme action)
  • Wash in the morning with one or more of the soaps above

IMPORTANT

• Fully detoxified clothes and Bedding & Mattresses will have no fragrance
• It can take a long time to detoxify clothes fully, especially if fabric softeners have been used. Just keep washing and sunning them.
• For the Chemically Sensitive: To protect those recovering form illness from the fumes that may be generated when drying these clothes, ventilate the laundry room. Place fans facing out of nearest window (in the laundry room, if possible) to draw fumes out of the house. Do not have fans facing out of other areas of the home because these fans will draw air from the laundry room throughout the house.

*Case Study: Conventional Laundry Detergents

Larry Wayns Harris, registered microbiologist

Registered with the American Academy of Microbiology in Clinical and Public Health, Harris specializes in Biological Weapons Defense, Infectious Disease Control and Clinical Laboratory Techniques used to identify bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasitic infections pathogenic to man. Harris has been interviewed over 30 times by CNN, 60 Minutes, and Diane Sawyer on Prime Time. He is also the author of “Bacteriological Warfare – A Major Threat to North America.” Larry Wayne Harris’s research reveals very interesting developments within our home environment that most people are totally unaware of.

The Problem

Harris gave a friend a sample of Branch Basics to use in her laundry. The friend called Larry a week later and said to him “What did you give me? I have broken out and have a rash on my body. It began shortly after using your so-called safe solution.” As a scientist, he started investigating.

The Study

Mr. Harris ran a test on a piece of clothing that had been washed countless times with a standard detergent and weighed it on a lab scale. He discovered that in the first wash with Branch Basics, the article weighed less, but the metals were actually brought to the surface of the fabric by unbinding them. This, of course, could create a greater exposure to the metals, and certain individuals that would be allergic or sensitive to nickel or chromium could possibly experience a skin rash or other symptoms. However, when this same fabric was washed four consecutive times in Branch Basics, it was free of metals/chemicals and weighed 7% less.

The Results

Through fully-accredited laboratory testing, Harris discovered that heavy metals are bound to our fabrics as a result of utilizing such everyday detergents as Tide, Cheer, or All, etc. This is due to an ingredient added to the detergent known as aluminum silicate, which binds the metals into the clothing as opposed to releasing them into the wash water. This results in a buildup with repeated washings. A close personal friend of Larry’s who works with the EPA advised him that the EPA would be very upset if these chemicals were to be released down the drain into the water. Instead, the manufacturers find a way to keep it in the clothes that we wear every day!

Conclusion

In summary, 7% of the article’s weight had consisted of heavy metals and chemicals, which are placed into most detergents as part of their cleaning and whitening process.

When articles are washed 4 consecutive times with Branch Basics, they can be freed of metals/chemicals and worn safely.

Take-Home Message

IMPORTANT: If you previously washed your clothes, especially undergarments, in standard laundry detergent, we highly recommended that you wash them at least four consecutive times in the wash cycle before wearing them.