Some laundry brands boast of being ‘phosphate-free’ (that’s because phosphates are illegal to sell in the UK due to environmental concerns and being linked to heart disease and osteoporosis. But many still use chlorine bleach and Benzisothiazolinone (hazardous to eye health, and banned for cosmetic use in Europe). Companies say it’s used as the only alternative to formaldehyde. But eco brands manage without it. And ‘blue dye no.1’ (often used as optical brightener) can irritate the skin, eyes and lungs.
Planet Detox Oxygen Bleach (Devon) is the natural alternative to chlorine bleach, an awful substance that kills everything it comes into contact with including marine wildlife (also a danger to children, pets and wildlife). Oxygen bleach (sodium percarbonate) releases oxygen when dissolved in water (over 40 degrees C) to remove stains and whiten clothes (without fading colours). It can remove limescale and mould, and is a natural disinfectant. Keep away from children and pets.
To use, just add one tablespoon to your laundry. To presoak stains (or brighten colours), add one tablespoon to a sink of hot water, and leave to soak before washing. You can also make a paste by adding a little water to a spoon of oxygen bleach, and rub on stains directly before washing. Oxygen bleach can remove blood, oil, red wine, deodorant, tea and coffee. You can also use it for cloth nappies, washable menstrual pads and period pants (use with a microplastic catcher, due to synthetic materials for waterproofing).
You have to use oxygen bleach with hot water to ‘activate it’, then it will last for a few hours. You can pour leftovers down the drain which will clean them and remove smells. You can also use it for general or heavy cleaning (2 to 4 tablesoons in a litre of warm/hot water) or to clean outdoor areas like fences (apply with a clean paintbrush, wait up to 15 minutes then rinse off with a garden hose, scrubbing off mildew). From cleaning mouldy tile grout to disinfecting kitchen mops, you can even use it (diluted) to clean your bins and remove mildew from fridges.
