Once you make the switch to natural laundry soaps and cold water washing, the need for chlorine bleach may creep into your laundry habits. Yet chlorine bleach is harmful to humans and the environment; the good news is alternatives exist. These alternatives are nontoxic or less toxic and will allow you to keep your whites white with a clear, green conscious. Although bleach manufacturer Clorox claims bleach does not enter groundwater, the addition of bleach to water can free chlorine that can result in the formation of chloroform. Bleach can also combine with ammonia in septic and drainage systems, thus resulting in monochloramine, which is dangerous to wildlife. Furthermore, bleach is harmful to humans. Bleach off gasses for a period of time. Bleach fumes from sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach) can cause pulmonary embolisms in susceptible people. In addition, 25,000 children a year in the United States experience an accident involving bleach, such as ingestion, and it is the most common household chemical involved in poisonings. Despite these risks, many groups find household bleach use to be safe, as paper bleaching, pesticides, and plastics manufactures pose greater threats; however, alternatives do exist.
