Optical Brighteners and Other Laundry Detergent Chemicals You Should Avoid

Clothes tend to naturally yellow over time. Since most big brand laundry detergents are fighting to provide you with the "brightest and whitest" clothes, they've had to devise ways to counteract this natural occurrence. What's their solution? Optical brighteners.

These optical brighteners are designed to trick your eyes into thinking that your clothes are less yellow than they actually are. This happens because they are actually dyes in most commercial laundry detergents that alter the way clothes reflect light. If you remember your science lessons, light is made up of a color spectrum. The optical brighteners absorb the ultraviolet light and give off light in the blue region of the light spectrum. The blue light negates the yellow tinge to the clothing and tricks your eye into thinking that the fabric looks whiter. It also makes the clothes look brighter because it gives off more visible light.

"I've used powdered detergents in the past and have had issues with it leaving residue on my clothes as well as causing itchy rashes. I have been slowly detoxing my house from chemicals and haven't found a solution for laundry.....until now!!! LOVE IT!!!!! No residue, clothes are clean and best of all, no itchy rashes!!!!" - Mikki

Optical Brighteners are not new

In the “old days” people used to use “bluing” (a blue dye) for the same effect. The blue color somewhat canceled out the yellow tinge and made the clothes appear white.

Optical brighteners may be known by other names such as brightening agents, fluorescent bleaches, optical whiteners, fluorescent brighteners, or fluorescent whiteners. Regardless of what they are called, they are made up of different chemical compounds. Laundry detergents do not list what chemicals they use and in fact, may not include the fact that they use optical brighteners on their ingredient list at all.

What are the problems with using these chemicals as optical brighteners?

1. They’re designed to bind to the clothing and remain. If you were able to rinse them off, they wouldn’t be doing their job. Because they remain on your clothing and sheets, they come into regular contact with your skin. This is not healthy for your skin and can cause rashes, irritations, and sensitivities compared to the safety of natural laundry detergents.

2. They are not readily biodegradable. Therefore they can be harmful to fish and other animals and plants.

3. They can also cause your clothes to feel stiff unless fluffed in the dryer or washed with a fabric softener. Laundry washed without optical brighteners will feel much softer even if line dried.

4. Long term effects are still not known. Since they can cause issues in people with skin irritation and sensitivities, it should still be avoided.

"I REALLY like it. Clothes are very clean and fresh without the chemicals in my old, well- known detergent. Skin condition has DRAMATICALLY improved ! ! ! ! ! Ordered some for my son and his family who are having skin issues. I believe this will be a BIG game changer for them as well. Thank y'all so much for your commitment to healthy living without all of the chemicals that we have previously been using on the LARGEST organ of our bodies." - Judy H.

Another interesting fact is that if you wash clothes with detergents using optical brighteners, you can put them under a black light and they will actually glow. For this reason, we’ve been told that military personnel are not supposed to wash their uniforms with any detergents using optical brighteners because it makes their uniforms highly visible with night vision goggles.

Detergents that use optical brighteners make the fabric stiffer, can be irritating to your skin, are bad for the environment, and do not even make your clothes any cleaner. Your eyes may think your clothes are cleaner, but it’s just an optical illusion.

If you want to learn more about Goat Milk Soap Laundry and true, natural clean, read this blog

What Laundry Detergents do not have Optical Brighteners?

Instead of chemical-laden detergents with optical brighteners, Goat Milk Stuff makes a goat milk laundry soap that is a healthier and safer way to clean your clothes. The laundry soap makes your clothes look and feel clean without relying on optical illusions.  

Have you made the switch to a Natural Goat Milk Laundry Soap yet?