Powder laundry detergent is manufactured with many synthetic chemicals that harm our health and the environment. Other than cleaning agents, laundry detergent contains some substances that are not needed, but they are included to make the products more appealing to the users.
Fragrance or scents of laundry detergent that you smell are also artificial. They are of many types and added to many products around us.
Unscented detergents are free of these fragrances and thus cause less harm. However, there is something more to it that most of us do not know. Look at the disadvantages and benefits of scented and unscented detergent powder.
Scented Detergent Powder
Manufacturers add some synthetic chemicals and oil to the laundry detergent to mask the smell of natural substances from which the detergent was manufactured. Since the scent of natural chemicals is unpleasant, manufacturers add fragrance to detergent to make it seem more appealing.
There is no issue with scented detergent powder, but the real problem arises when we wear clothes washed with such detergents. The chemicals that give scent to the detergent are almost always harmful. These chemicals stay in touch with our body the whole time we wear clothes. As a result, we catch allergies and other skin problems.
“All that glitters is not gold” completely describes the working of scented detergents. They can be life-threatening for people with sensitive skin. They can trigger the allergy, and in most cases, these detergents are found to be involved in causing several skin issues.
Our minds are programmed so that we believe if the clothes do not smell all flowery and pleasant, they might be dirty, which is not the case.
The chemicals that are involved in cleaning clothes are both synthetic and natural. These chemicals do not have a pleasant smell. When clothes are washed in such detergents, people do not like the scent they give. This is why manufacturers came up with the idea of using artificial fragrances to make the clothes smell fresher and better.
How is Unscented Detergent Powder Different?
Unscented laundry detergent is free of those artificial fragrances that cause mere harm. There is no inclusion of chemicals to mask the smell of other chemicals used in the detergent.
Yes, such detergents are available in the market. They are usually labeled as “organic” or “hypoallergenic.” People nowadays tend to move more towards such detergents instead of opting for a fragranced detergent that is ultimately harmful to their health.
Is Unscented Detergent Powder Harmful?
We can say with great certainty that every household cleaning product is formulated with fragrance. We are so used to living in a synthetic scent that the adverse effects they cause often remain unnoticed.
Even if the products are labeled as “unscented,” they still contain some form of fragrance, which is not mentioned on the label. This varies from brand to brand. This is why you need to do proper research on such products before bringing them home.
Chemicals like surfactants, preservatives, and fragrances are very toxic. They affect the lives of humans and animals. Aquatic animals will most likely suffer from toxins since water drains into the oceans and lakes. The chemicals are not disposed of properly. As a result, every living thing on earth has to suffer.
These chemicals cause allergies, asthma, and other respiratory and skin disorders.
The only solution to these toxins is to eradicate them from your life. Choosing more natural products over synthetic ones can make your life peaceful and disease-free.
Read More: Are Fabric Softeners Good for Asthma?
Why Should I Use Unscented Detergent Powder?
Unscented detergents are the best for you if you have sensitive skin. They are a lot better than the scented ones. We have discussed the difference between these two above. Let us see the benefits unscented detergent can provide us with.
Benefits
- Perfect for Sensitive Skin
Laundry detergent contains hundreds of chemicals that can cause several skin problems. If you avoid one, the other chemical will be there to harm you. Even if you treat the allergies with medication, they will return after a while. The best solution is to discard the root cause of the allergy, which is the detergent. In this case, hypoallergenic or natural powder detergents will be the best fit for you. These detergents do not cause any allergies and keep your clothes clean and your mind tension-free.
Learn More: Can Your Detergent Impact Your Acne and Skin? - Best for Babies’ Clothes
Whether or not your baby has sensitive skin, using unscented detergent for its clothes is a good approach. Babies are prone to carrying germs and diseases quickly since their immune system is under development. Children cannot easily bear what we can take easily. They mostly have sensitive skin. As a preventive measure, include a good quality unscented powder detergent in your laundry. This way, your baby’s soft skin will be protected from harmful irritants. It will prevent any allergic reaction. - Eco-friendly
Unscented powder detergent keeps you and your home safe from many toxic chemicals. At the same time, it is good for the environment. Nothing will enter the water and air when no toxin is in the detergent. As a result, we will have a share of a clean and healthy environment that we need to live in for a long time. Opting for unscented detergents depicts how much you are concerned for the well-being of others. - It Cleans Well!
Unscented detergents are free of fragrances. The rest of the ingredients are added in the same amount as in any ordinary detergent. Even if you go for hypoallergenic detergents, there will be a lack of toxins. Natural cleaning agents that are added to such detergents work, as well as synthetic ones. There is no doubt that we are only influenced by the flowery smell coming from freshly washed clothes. Even without fragrance, the clothes are still clean and germs-free. - Lesser Health Risks
You will never understand sensitivity unless you have a skin problem. Even if you are not sensitive to chemicals, remember that you are still exposed to them, and your body absorbs them. Nonetheless, our body tries to adjust to the environment, but being fed with chemicals daily is something our body cannot tolerate. This is why unscented powder detergent is essential to prevent skin diseases in the future.
Harmful Effects of Fragrances
Collectively, fragrances can cause a lot more damage than good. It reportedly involves an allergic reaction, respiratory disorders, hormonal imbalance, and other skin issues. However, these effects are not caused by all fragrances. There are a few of them that are majorly involved in causing harm.
Your body gets exposed to fragrances about a hundred times every day. Almost every household product contains fragrances; when you use these products, your body absorbs a fraction. Though the amount is negligibly tiny, our body cannot completely detoxify the chemicals. In the beginning, we do not see any symptoms, but it can cause severe damage to our skin in the long run.
The use of fragrance and other such toxic chemicals is often linked to respiratory disorders and cancer. Besides that, so many fragrances degenerate our nervous systems and disrupt the endocrine system. Allergy, affected fertility, mutagens, and liver damage are some of the effects of odors.
Non-biodegradable Fragrances
Most artificial fragrances are non-biodegradable. These chemicals travel with wastewater, reaching big water bodies like oceans and lakes. The chemicals get mixed in the water and harm the aquatic animals. Fish have a mucus layer that prevents them from bacteria and other parasites. The harmful chemicals destroy this layer, thus damaging the gills of fish.
These contaminated fish also become a part of human food. Eating such fish can cause many problems in human beings.
How to Choose the Best Laundry Detergent?
Laundry detergents are usually found in liquid, powder, and pods. When you choose either of these for your laundry, we need to go further and list more specifications in our laundry detergent.
Let us see in detail what things we need to focus on.
Type of Clothes
The first thing you need to consider is the type of clothes you want to wash. Detergents for washing delicate baby clothes and heavily soiled clothes are different. There is a difference of an ingredient or two in various types of detergents. For instance, if you have to wash white clothes more often, you must have a detergent with bleach to keep the clothes bright. Nowadays, detergents with softeners are also available that dismiss the need for fabric softeners.
Fragrance
The fragrance is an essential component that you should consider before buying detergent. Many people like scented detergent to get a fresh smell whenever they remove the washed clothes from the dryer.
If you want scented detergent, you will find a good variety in it. There is a natural-smelling detergent that may smell like the ocean. Then there are floral scents. Jasmine and lavender are the two most common ones. You can also get a detergent that smells like a mixture of flowers.
However, unscented detergents are also available in the market for people with sensitivity. These are the best detergents if you already have any respiratory disorders.
Other Ingredients
Some people like to opt for as many eco-friendly products as they can. If you are one of those, you will be happy to know that environmentally-friendly powder laundry detergents are also available. Let us look at the ingredients you should look for in a detergent.
- Biological enzymes are added to remove a specific type of stain, like milk or grass. However, you should avoid it if you have sensitivity, as it can irritate you.
- Brighteners help to keep the clothes bright, preventing the fading of dark clothes.
- Surfactants lower the surface tension of liquid, that is, water, effectively removing greasy stains.
- Preservatives are one the most essential ingredients since they prevent the proliferation of molds. However, these preservatives are unsuitable for human health and the environment as they can cause skin and eye problems.
Size of Detergent
Detergents are available in a variety of sizes. Powder detergents are better as compared to liquid ones in the sense that they have a longer shelf life. With that said, there is no harm in stocking bulk powder detergent when you get it at a reasonable price. If your home has decent storage space, I recommend you store the detergent to save a few bucks.
Type of Washing Machine
You will need a specialty detergent if you use a particular washing machine. For instance, high-efficiency washing machines require a special detergent that is made to be used only in that machine. If you add any ordinary detergent, they might get damaged due to the suds formation.
Read More: 10 Laundry Detergent Types You Must Know
In Conclusion
Unscented detergent powders are way better than scented ones. However, we cannot rely on what is written on the label. The detergent labeled “hypoallergenic” would still contain allergens in it. The only solution to this problem is to try the product yourself.
If you still see your asthma worsen after using hypoallergenic powder detergent, the chances are higher it contains artificial scents or fragrances. Switch to a better and more reputable brand in this case.
Even if nobody at your home has sensitivity, opting for an unscented detergent is still a good choice. This way, you protect yourself and the environment from exposure to unwanted chemicals.