Unfortunately, I have learned that getting clothes clean requires individualized attention. I asked a friend (whose lack of stains on her children I admired) what she does and she said that every night she collects the clothes from her four children and inspects for stains. All stained clothes get a treatment of OxiClean for the night and then get washed later. I finally decided to try a stain remover and this approach thinking that using a chemical might be justifiable over throwing out perfectly good but stained clothes. It was magic! I think the biggest factor is simply soaking it right away, but the stuff worked great.
Since then I have been using OxiClean guiltily thinking it was probably nasty for the environment but possibly justifiable until I got around to a more Green alternative. I told myself that it was certainly better than using bleach. Writing this blog got me looking into the ingredients in my beloved stain remover.
The Good News: OxiClean is described by some as an "environmentally friendly, natural" product. I was thrilled to find that OxiClean contains two active ingredients: Sodium Percarbonate and Sodium Carbonate. The first is baking soda and the second is washing soda. This stuff is just what my grandma used! These substances form oxygen, hydrogen peroxide and soda ash when mixed with water. The oxygen is what cleans and brightens. There are no phosphates or bleach, which are two of the worst environmental offenders in most laundry products.
The Bad News: What is not clear is what other fragrances or other ingredients might also be in there, but I am assuming there is something as it smells like more than baking soda and works better too. The container doesn't say what else is in there so that is a bit concerning. They do sell a "free" product without the dyes and fragrances, so by default it must be in the original. There is also a newer version apparently with "little blue crystals". No idea what that is but it sends off some warning lights to me. It is also not clear if the product also contains surfactants, which have a negative environmental impact. The fact that I can't get an accurate ingredient list makes me more concerned than anything. Also it is sold in a plastic container that is not recyclable.
I am certainly no expert on this and my research involves a brief before-breakfast search so I'd love to hear from others if you know differently or if you know of a more green product that works well and especially where to buy it locally. Looks like lots of other green household products contain the two active soda ingredients. Do they work as well without the "mystery ingredients?
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You can get a non-plastic tub version in the jumbo stores. It comes in a cardboard box and inside is a plastic bag. That is at least slightly more recyclable.
Unfortunately the jumbo size tends not to be the "free and clear" type version - and I've found the blue things to be both odd and irritating. For some reason when thrown in the wash first with cold water they form hard chunks that do not dissolve.
Love the free and clear stuff though - and thanks for the ingredient info. I too was using it guiltily not knowing the eco-impact.
I thought that Sodium Percarbonate is the same thing as disodium peroxydicarbonate, which, when mixed with water, makes hydrogen peroxide.
I think that baking soda is bicarbonate, not dicarbonate. I could be wrong, but that's what I've been reading on other sites.
bicarbonate is the same thing as dicarbonate. bi- and di- both mean 'two of'
Cheryl is correct.
Sodium bicarbonate is more correctly called sodium hydrogen carbonate. It has a pH roughly neutral.
Sodium peroxycarbonate is oxygenated sodium carbonate, and it takes two carbonate ions to hold onto a peroxide.
There is a line of products that remove stains and ordors, is eco-friendly and the company is green. I use Pre-spot to remove stains. Sol-U-Mel to remove ordors. And MelaPower and Soft to wash my laundry. There isn't a stain or ordor that I have not been able to remove. And the best thing is that it all arrives on my doorstep and because everything is concentrated, I save money. It is a wonderful company that cares about the environment and you. If you would like to learn more, please inquire and I will point you in the right direction.
The main ingredient that is useful is the sodium percarbonate. According to what I've read, it breaks down in water into hydrogen peroxide (which accomplishes the "oxygen cleaning," whatever that is but it does work), and soda ash, or washing soda, which is a common ingredient in many homemade cleaners. You are basically dealing with a soap and hydrogen peroxide combination.
So that all sounds good to me. The problem lies with all the other stuff, and I am never comfortable with using a product that contains undisclosed ingredients. So why not just buy the sodium percarbonate directly (online) and skip the rest? This is what I am going to do. One caution: I have read that pure sodium percarbonate is very concentrated so be sure to check this out if you buy.
I'll use up my small tub of oxi clean over the next few years, probably at the laundromat on some white rugs I have. Or put it out in front of my house -- I don't know.
I did a simple search on amazon for Sodium percarbonate, a product called Oxo-Brite came up. After a quick google search I found the product website: http://www.ecos.com/oxo.html#spec
It looks like this is oxyclean without all the mystery ingredients, made by a company that is concerned with being Eco-freindly. It says the plastic tub is recycleable and every ingredient is eco-friendly. Just wanted to share this if you haven't already found it yourself.
I've also used a product called oxyboost by natural choices. Haven't bought it in a while bc I have a huge box of oxi lean. It's ingredients are all listed. I believe there are only a couple. And it's much better for the environment.
I've also used a product called oxyboost by natural choices. Haven't bought it in a while bc I have a huge box of oxi lean. It's ingredients are all listed. I believe there are only a couple. And it's much better for the environment.
https://wercs.churchdwight.com/webviewer.external/private/document.aspx?prd=ING-1605%7E%7EPDF%7E%7EMTR%7E%7EING%7E%7EEN%7E%7E2010-01-15%2011%3A22%3A38%7E%7EOXICLEAN%20VERSATILE%20STAIN%20REMOVER%7E%7E&productName=oxiclean&productName_option=d__value~&productID_option=d__value~&language=d__EN&hidRequiredList=ConcatedValue%20=&queryString=language=EN
I live in California and have a couple citrus trees in my back yard. I use lemons daily, to freshen up and clean everything from the kitchen disposal, degreasing the stove top and counters as well as brightening my whites. I squeeze lemon juice onto the stain(s) and make a paste of borax and water and scrub the stain briefly (anywhere from ten seconds to no more than a minute depending on size and stubbornness). The stain at this point may still show up and even only had barely started to disappear, BUT the magic ingredient is to leave it out in the sun light with the stain remover still on it. Any where from ten mintues to a couple hours and the stain is gone. Then throw into washer with a load (or wash by hand). Extremely rare that I need to repeat it just once more, but usually on an older stain. I have gotten everything from blood, grease, chocolate and much more. I love to throw a splash of lemon, grapefruit or an Orange essential oil into my washing machine along with a quarter cup ( I measure it with my hand as a scoop) of borax to each wash. Sometimes I use lavender essential oil instead if the clothes don't need the boost of degreasing/whitening of citrus.
Sodium percarbonate is NOT baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Sodium percarbonate is a compound which contains 2 parts sodium carbonate (washing soda) and 3 parts hydrogen peroxide. When you add water the compound separates into sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide acts as a bleach and a disinfectant.
Your exactly right bake soda is sodium bicarbonate. But sodium percarbonate is baking soda and peroxide. Peroxide by itself is H3O. I am a chemistry major.
No. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Washing soda is sodium carbonate. Hydrogen Peroxide is H2O2. Sodium percarbonate is Na2CO3.H2O2 (adduct of washing soda and hydrogen peroxide).
After having cancer at a young age, I started looking for safe, healthy products for my home and young family. Luckily a friend told me how I could shop online from a company that had what I was searching for at wholesale prices. I have a science background so after much research I have now been using these in my home for 19 years. Great company with the science behind it. I can show you where to look.
What Company would this be?
What Company would this be?
Hydrogen peroxide is H2O2, hence its name (two 'H's PER two 'O's).
"Peroxide by itself is H3O. I am a chemistry major."
LOL, chemistry major! That's a MAJOR FAIL! LOL
Hydrogen peroxide is H00H. No such animal as H30. (There is, however, the ion H3O+, but that is another topic)
Yet another hilarious bit of nonsense
"Hydrogen peroxide is H2O2, hence its name (two 'H's PER two 'O's)."
Clearly, you have no clue about chemical nomenclature. When you don't know a thing about a topic, why don't you just keep quiet instead of giving out nonsense? The "per" indicates more oxygen than in the "parent" compound. In this case, the parent compound is good ol' water, HOH, also known as hydrogen oxide. So, hydrogen PERoxide tells us there is more oxygen than in the parent compound.
That is like saying carbon monoxide is the same as carbon dioxide.
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Hi miniaturegirl
I know it has been a while since you posted but I can answer your question "What company would this be?". The company they are talking about is Melaleuca. It is a shopping club. You buy a membership for a small fee (kinda like Costco) then you order once a month for anything you will use in your home such as non-toxic cleaning and laundry products, vitamins that actually work (they do the studies), bath and body products, weightloss and nutrition products, skincare and beauty products, basically everything you need to normally buy except your fresh food of course.
I don't sell it myself, actually you are not allowed to sell it. You can only invite someone to be a customer. I was so impressed that I did tell several friends about it many years ago and most of them are still shopping so I do get a little bonus each month which covers my monthly order.
Of course you don't have to tell anyone but I did :-)
Hope that answers your question. BTW when I first told people I was shopping there I heard a lot about them being a pyramid scheme but I did my research and that is absolute nonsense. People that believe that do not know what the company is about and obviously do not understand what a pyramid scheme is. Maybe they met some people who were illegally re-selling it and thought that was what they had to do. The company is very trustworthy but I guess some people just represent it in the wrong way. Anyway didn't mean to go on but thought I would let you know.
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I simply can't let this comment go. The simple fact is that Hydrogen Peroxide has a chemical make up of H2O2 it doesn't have 3 oxygen molecules. For an accurate definition of this chemical take a look here.
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Hydrogen-peroxide
The simple fact that so many people can get such a simple chemical makeup wrong is impressive... this is one of the basics you first learn in school... Its chemical makeup is even listed on the damn bottle... hydrogen peroxide with (H2O2) DIRECTLY under its name...
Give this one a whirl... KMnO4
No Mon- means one, Di- and Bi- mean two. Monoxide means one oxygen so CO. Dioxide means two oxygen so CO2.
I Found out its not the chemicals in oxyiclean, its the DANGEROUS FRAGRANCES AFDED, 4 IN BAKING SODA WITH OXYCLEAN, 3 ARE
ALLERGENS, WHICH one is banned on America and Europe in Cozmetics, but used as Fragrance added in Baking Soda!!! Please check MSDS on oxyclean
Yes!! When Fragrance is listed… it could be all sorts of things used to entice you but not good for our bodies / skin. Why do we need fragrance in our clothes anyways? Watch the movie called “The Stink”. I think it’s on Netflix (which I don’t subscribe to anymore. It was under documentaries. Very informative. Don’t be ok with fragrance being listed in anything you use.
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