enzymes in laundry detergents

But since you can easily get both bio and non bio powders anyway the choice exists, so no need for extra products.

No one in our family seems to have any issues with bio powders, but I hate the perfumes put in most powders - much to strong a smell.

In message , charles writes

not convinced by the claims for SLS.

Anyway re my friends issue, I can't remember if they have identified the ingredients. It doesn't happen with most things, only certain ones so probably not a common ingredient.

It is common enough certainly but I'd be very surprised if it provoked significant allergic reactions in any more people than the corresponding traditional sodium or potassium fatty acid based soap.

All of them will sting in the eyes though some more than others. They are designed so that one end loves water and the other loves oil.

Wetting agents are very effective at emulsifying oils in water and don't care where the oils come from. They will degrease your skin just as easily as they work to clean the dishes of grease and food waste.

And in toothpastes. Some people claim links to mouth ulcers.

SLS-free toothpaste is available.

Owain

That is very good to know. I'll start looking.

In message , Chris French writes

Sounds like the same problem my wife developed. After chasing a few red herrings she pinned it down to methylisothiazolinone (MIT), a preservative added to a great many of these things. The benzo- derivative is also quite widespread. Sensitivity turns out to be really quite common.

P.

You'd think they'd start banning some of this crap...

Or perhaps better, being forced to give "allergy" style labels to any product that comes into contact with the body with known bad compounds in bold.

Yes, both are available, but all the bio have pink stinks in them and they affect my eyes, nose and throat if too strong or long. Having an additive with no extraneous 'extras' would give a bit more choice.

That's true.

I use Ecover Bio washing powder, it does have some perfume in but it's mild compared to the usual stuff. I don't mind that at all.

Or Biotex add to a wash

Persil non bio seems not too bad in our family.

I considered that (already use Ecover's non-bio) as it's not so likely to have so many nasty things n it.

Right, I didn't know that existed.

When I have worn clothes that have never had optical brighteners used on them (neither in manufacture nor in laundry), I seem to be of far less interest to small flying things. Anyone else noticed?

What were the herrings dyed with? We should be told!

And what do you think you are doing claiming MIT? Doesn't everyone now it is Monoiodotyrosine!!!

"Monoiodotyrosine is a precursor of thyroid hormone and results from iodization of tyrosine at the meta- position of the phenol ring.

Two units can combine to form 3,3'-diiodothyronine. One unit can combine with diiodotyrosine to form triiodothyronine, as occurs in the colloid of the thyroid follicle.

It is abbreviated "MIT"."

AIUI, you can get some non-bio detergents in the rest of the EU, because (possibly among other reasons) they're necessary for washing silk & wool, but other countries don't sell bio & non-bio versions of the same products in parallel.

No, but I have a theory (or maybe an excuse) that eating garlic & spicy food keeps em away. (A relative of mine used to say that cigars were good insect repellents, & cheap cigars were more effective.)

In message , polygonum writes

Don't know -- we never caught them...

Pleased to find, though, that my distant memory of a dye called Brown FK

-- "For Kippers" -- was correct. That one has now been banned.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, surely :-)

P.

I wash Goretex & other "technical" clothes separately with Nikwax Tech Wash (or soap flakes if I'm out of Tech Wash). I think you can use normal liquid detergents on them, but it's better to use soap or something specialized, & you definitely don't want to use fabric softener. I'd expect the special products to be available in most of the developed world now.

Most people use too much detergent in their wash which coupled with low water machines means that the clothes are probably not rinsed enough.

Yes, the Which tests showed that eco low water washing machines rinsed very inadequately. It's simple enough to repeat the rinse cycle a few times, even though it;s a pain.