

Why Your Laundry Is Filthier Than You Think - abtinf
http://tucker.liberty.me/2014/05/26/filthy_laundry/

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colanderman
I'd believe this article much more if the author's agenda was even remotely
related to laundering clothes.

"Your laundry is filthier than you think because THE GUMMINT!"

Protip: Sodium percarbonate (i.e. OxiClean) does a great job of cleaning
clothes (in addition to detergent); it releases hydrogen peroxide in solution
with water, which is a decent (though not perfect) disinfectant and oxidizing
agent. But it's not banned by The Man so it's not as exciting as the civil
disobedience of wasting water or polluting rivers with phosphates.

~~~
hollerith
what you refer to is also known as oxygen bleach.

I have been using oxygen bleach in the kitchen and on my tile floors for many
years. it is good stuff, but makes cotton washrags wear out and come apart
much faster -- maybe ten times faster.

in the kitchen, I solve this problem by using nylon microfiber rags, but
clothing made of nylon is uncomfortable.

so, although I put oxygen bleach in my washer periodically (to kill germs that
persist between washer loads) I do it only when I am running the washer
without any cotton clothing in it.

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sp332
_The principal source of effluent phosphorus was from phosphates used in
laundry detergents._
[http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/full_text_search/AllCRCDocs...](http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/full_text_search/AllCRCDocs/94-54.htm)
This contradicts the article's claim that most phosphorus pollution was from
"big agriculture".

Edit: although that may be more true now than it was in 1994. _The largest
source of phosphate discharge into surface water is agriculture, mainly from
fertilisers, but also livestock feed, followed by human sewage and then
detergents._
[http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2011/June/24061105.as...](http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2011/June/24061105.asp)

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deadghost
So what? It's not like there's no bacteria on our bodies and the cute critters
regenerate to original levels plenty fast.

My clothes haven't fallen apart after years of use.

Guy just sounds like a loony bacteriophobe whose only point I've considered
was whether the machine rinses out all the detergent.

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mathattack
I've always assumed that the P&Gs of the world were making stronger soap year
over year. Isn't the idea that we had magically clean clothes in the past just
wishful (wistful?) thinking? Kind of like, "When I was young, kids had
respect!"

------
abtinf
This guide has some proposed solutions for cleaner clothes:
[http://liberty.me/guides/free-your-laundry/](http://liberty.me/guides/free-
your-laundry/)

~~~
salibhai
This guy's recommendations are quite selfish. Use banned phosphates despite
the fact they cause large amounts of algae growth in public lakes. He also
recommends using the hottest water possible, and the most amount of water so
your clothes will be "crisp, fresh, and clean".

I suspect that if we actually tested clothes cleaned via traditional laundry,
they would not be full of algae, mold, and bacteria as he claims.

~~~
deadghost
Hot water also shrinks clothes and fades colors.

