350,000 chemicals on the market—do we really need more?

Laundry detergent is steeped in tradition: we tend to do things the way we always have, without being particularly inclined to innovate or even aspiring to create more sustainable laundry detergents.

 

 

Or—or rather, we do try, by using more chemicals so that we can lower the washing temperature. But is that really the right way to go? 
Should we solve energy problems by genetically modifying bacteria and microorganisms to produce stronger chemicals for laundry detergent?

 

If we apply the same theory to another area, say the shower, how would it feel to start washing yourself in cold water but with more chemicals to save energy? Probably not entirely acceptable? "Replace your shower gel and hand soap with an enzyme-based cleaning product so you can save energy by washing yourself in cold water."

 

This is a strategy used to perform well in the laundry tests that are conducted and publicly announced with great fanfare. These tests are designed to handle every possible and impossible stain, with one clear purpose—to sell as many chemicals as possible.

 

For a laundry detergent to remove absolutely everything in a laboratory test, it needs to contain a wide range of different chemicals. Chemicals that have to be produced and transported, that remain in your clothes, sit against your skin every day, and are released into wastewater.
Honestly, it is quite rare to accidentally soil your clothes with absolutely everything, meaning that you need all these chemicals. I would say such cases are extreme exceptions. So most of the chemicals we pour into the machine are not actually needed; they are only there to perform well on television and in case you happen to have eaten blueberry pie, put a lasagna in your inside pocket, fallen on the lawn, and worked on your car at the same time ;)

 

Multinational conglomerates are happy to sell at least three different laundry detergents and a fabric softener to maximize the order value of each purchase. Saying that only one product is needed—not four—is neither profitable nor popular at every level. Nor is it commercially advantageous to sell one product that replaces four.

 

There are an estimated 350,000 different types of chemicals on the global market, and we passed the planetary boundary for novel chemical substances a long time ago.

 

Since 1950, chemical production has increased fiftyfold and is expected to triple again by 2050. We do not want to be part of this!

 

That is why we developed an all-purpose laundry detergent based on soap—a circular product. We use far fewer chemicals than other liquid laundry detergents on the market, and fabric softener is built into the product. It contains no enzymes, which means you can wash all your clothes with it, including wool. (Enzymes are often produced through the genetic modification of bacteria and microorganisms.)

 

In other words—one product instead of four! Fewer chemicals, but the same (if not better) results. But how does it work with difficult protein stains? Laboratory tests using stubborn protein stains would probably show poorer results in cold water. But honestly—how often do you forget that you have a raw egg or a lasagna in your inside pocket, and if you wash difficult protein stains at 40*C, do they disappear? If you do end up with difficult protein stains, you can also pre-treat the stain and wash as usual—it will disappear easily.

 

Learn more and shop here -> https://vasterbottenssapa.se/products/tvattmedelpaket-citrus