“Scary findings on popular #laundry detergents marketed to families.”

Like many moms, my commitment to a greener lifestyle was strengthened after having children.

I’m careful about what we eat and am selective about products we use to keep our home clean.

It probably goes without saying that in a house full of boys (I have three), there’s a lot of laundry. I know that some cleaning products are marketed as safe and healthy, but in truth, what’s in the bottle can hurt you.

Women’s Voices for the Earth recently released a report, Dirty Secrets: What’s Hiding in Your Cleaning Products?, which revealed high levels of the cancer-causing chemical 1,4-dioxane hiding out in Tide® and Tide Free & Gentle® . 1,4-dioxane is a known cancer causing chemical and has been linked in animal studies to increased risk of breast cancer.

This toxic chemical, 1,4-dioxane doesn’t appear on the product label or on the product website, so consumers have no way of knowing it’s even there.

What’s up with that? When you hear Tide Free & Gentle® there’s an assumption that the laundry detergent is free of anything that could possibly harm your family.

Right? Unfortunately that’s not so.

There are so many families who have placed their trust and rely upon Tide to keep their clothing clean. That’s why after reading about this study I felt compelled to start a petition demanding that Procter & Gamble (makers of Tide) strip this harmful cancer causing chemical out of Tide Free & Gentle®.

As it turns out I’m not the only one who wants these cancer causing chemicals out of their Tide laundry detergent. Almost 80,000 consumers have signed the petition and and dozens of health organizations have come forward voicing their concern, but Procter & Gamble have ignored all of us who have contacted the company demanding the removal of this cancer causing chemical.

The part that I’m having trouble wrapping my head around is that Procter & Gamble in 2010 reformulated its Herbal Essences® shampoo to eliminate 1,4-dioxane. So there’s no question that they can remove this cancer causing chemical. So why hasn’t it happened?

Procter & Gamble is taking the position that levels of 1,4-dioxane are safe in its detergents.

Say what? There is no safe level of a known cancer causing chemical.

The Tide website says: “Safety: The Most Important Ingredient in Tide®.” It’s time that Tide® lived up to this motto-1,4-dioxane doesn’t belong in their laundry detergent.

Johnson & Johnson, another massive consumer products company, announced in July that it’s stripping 1,4-dioxane from all of its products worldwide. There’s no reason that Procter & Gamble can’t do the same.

If you’re interested in joining almost 80,000 others who don’t want a cancer causing chemical in their Tide® laundry detergent please sign this petition.

Together we can make a difference.

Lori Popkewitz Alper is the founder and editor-in-chief of Groovy Green Livin, a site dedicated to sharing simple green living tips and current information on sustainable living. Lori is a green living educator, social media consulstant, freelancer, blogger, borderline vegan and recovering attorney. She lives in the Greater Boston area with her three sons, chocolate lab and groovy husband. Connect with Lori on Groovy Green Livin, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or LinkedIn.

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Editor: Olga Feingold

 

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