u/Far_Palpitation_4042

I make lots of posts in this sub, but one thing that I don't see a lot of talk about is how "poisonous" these detergents are. Over the past decade, and maybe even before then, different cleaning products, like the big name laundry detergents, have received scrutiny due to containing a byproduct known to be a "likely human carcinogen", 1,4 dioxane. There were even reports about a New York ban in recent years due to these detergents containing high amounts of this byproduct.

Laundry detergent is a good thing, guys. As scary as it might be for some to read the ingredient labels, if you don't use detergent, then your clothes are not going to get truly clean. Detergent is made to emulsify grease and lift dirt, bacteria, and other impurities from your linens to be washed away with water.

Laundry detergent is designed to do one thing: to clean your clothes. Companies like Procter & Gamble, the parent company of Tide and Gain, has stated that their detergents comply with state guidelines and have redesigned their detergents so that they're safe and that the 1,4 dioxane in their products are in trace amounts. There is no such thing as people getting cancer from using laundry detergent to wash their clothes. People have been making videos and social media posts about how Tide and these other detergents are poisonous chemical cocktails that are not healthy to humans or the environment.

It's just soap!

Every chemical, including water, is going to cause harm if not used properly. Using these detergents to wash your clothes, you'll be fine unless you have very sensitive skin. If you do, there are free & clear options that have no dyes or perfumes that are safer choice certified. If you're drinking or bathing in laundry detergents, chances are decent that you'll experience harm from these chemicals, because being exposed to them in those ways is not what these products were intended for. Contact with your skin through freshly washed clothes is much more safe compared to putting these chemicals into your body.