Laundry Detergent Ecos and Purex and now Borax

I try to buy products that are as naturally derived as possible without spend a crap load of money.  I've been buying "Ecos" laundry detergent with hopes that it has fewer toxins and hormone disrupters than the traditional supermarket brands.  Dealing with PCOS and the hair loss thing really sucks so I try to do whatever I can to prevent female baldness :(.  I decided to check out EWG's website for laundry detergent ratings.  While there are 36 products that received "A's", Ecos wasn't one of them.  Ecos received a "C." But to my surprise "Purex" has two products that at least get a "B.".

Ultra Purex Powder Detergent with Renuzit, Mountain Breeze 

Purex 2 Color Safe Bleach Powder 

While there are 36 rated "A" brands, Seventh Generation is the only product I recognize that I can occasionally find in this less than environmentally conscious county in NC.  I'm happy to say that people are becoming more aware.  Considering the price of Seventh Generation, I will opt for the "B" rated Purex until I can finish my research and make my own laundry detergent.  If I see a grade "A" product on sale somewhere I'll be sure to pick it up... if I have an app or something to help me remember which brands are best :/.

Have suggestions, ideas, comments, questions?  Leave them for me here.  I'm fairly new to all of this so don't get too scientific on me :).

Oh, here's the link to EWG's Laundry Detergent grades:  http://www.ewg.org/guides/categories/9-Laundry?page=1

Happy Laundry Day!

Update:  Borax gets a flaming "F" from EWG which was shocking.  I thought this would be safe as a booster to my laundry and I use it often.  I had hopes to make a safer laundry detergent with it and now I see it has a big F-bomb!  Well, here's to doing your research.  Here's the link:  http://www.ewg.org/guides/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=borax&x=-1175&y=-86&page=1&per_page=15.  I'm on a mission to find a truly safe laundry detergent recipe.  Natural doesn't always mean safe, FYI.



"First, is it safe? NO. It is actually listed as a poison, pesticide, and a fungicide. It is poisonous, especially to young children. Even as little as a teaspoonful could prove fatal if swallowed by a young child. For this reason, be very careful if using it anywhere near food and wipe up spills immediately.

From the National Institute of Health:

The infant death rate from boric acid poisonings is high. However, boric acid poisoning is considerably rarer than in the past because the substance is no longer used as a disinfectant in nurseries. It is also no longer commonly used in medical preparations.

Studies by the EPA have linked it to reproductive problems, kidney and liver problems, nervous system issues, and it is a skin and lung irritant. The other big issue with borax is that it accumulates in your body. So, the more you use it the more toxic it becomes to your body. Chronic exposure is especially harmful in children.

As far as green, borate is an open-pit mined mineral and borax is toxic to aquatic life. Environmental Working Group senior scientist Rebecca Sutton wrote a great article here.

From Rebecca:

Borax and its cousin, boric acid, may disrupt hormones and harm the male reproductive system. Men working in boric acid-producing factories have a greater risk of decreased sperm count and libido. According to EPA’s safety review of these pesticides, chronic exposure to high doses of borax or boric acid causes testicular atrophy in male mice, rats and dogs.

Animal studies reviewed by the EPA indicate that while the female reproductive system is less sensitive to borax, exposure to it can also lead to reduced ovulation and fertility. Borax and boric acid can cross the placenta, affecting fetal skeletal development and birth weight in animal studies of high-dose exposures.

Find the full blog post here."  http://naturalmommie.com/2011/02/borax-not-the-safe-green-alternative-we-thought-it-was/