Clean Homes and Consciences

We want the best for our family. It’s the part of our lives we aren’t willing to cut corners for (nor should we be). So, when your spouse complains of a rash along his/her collar or your child complains that the area around their waistline itches (again), it’s time to reconsider your cleaning habits.

And there’s even more at stake on top of that. As a live clean aficionado, you know that your decisions don’t just affect your family circle. All of our choices have consequences that extend beyond family to include our neighbors, our environment and even the air we breathe.

So what’s the kink in what you keep under your kitchen sink?

The products we use now

Many conventional household products employ harsh agents for the sake of so-called cleaning effectiveness, but harsh is not necessarily helpful. Like soaps that utilize sodium lauryl sulfate to encourage foaming, household products often follow suit with everything from phthalates to formaldehyde (the prior of which has been suggested to be linked to possible birth defects in several scientific studies(1)).

That’s pretty bad, but the honest truth is that some controversial ingredients aren’t outright dangerous – the trouble starts after they’re used. For instance, chlorofluorocarbons, while generally “safe” for household use, can undergo significant changes in the upper atmosphere, potentially rendering the substance dangerous to the stability of the ozone(2). These are the sort of studies that make a person think twice before bringing questionable products into their homes, let alone washing dishes with them.

So, where do you turn?

The products that (science says) make a difference

Enter Modere’s family-friendly household line. No longer are dishes cleaned and laundry freshened at the price of your family’s safety. Intense effort and care went into the formulation of Modere’s Fresh Space, Dish Wash, Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener so that their customers can rest easy knowing their cleaning products have been cleaned of harsh and controversial chemicals.

The prime difference from conventional products and the shining armor of the new Modere household line is that no SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons), phthalates, acetone or formaldehyde went into the making of any product.

Even better, Dish Wash, Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener are readily biodegradable and gray water safe primarily because they lack these harsh agents and residues*. Somehow knowing that the waste from your chores (like cleaning the kids’ soccer jerseys for the umpteenth time) pose less of a risk to the environment just makes it all seem easier. That’s the benefit of conscientious cleaning.

But you don’t take our word for it because the science speaks for itself. A protocol test known as the OECD 301D measures products’ biodegradability through wastewater treatment simulations(3). When this test was performed on Modere’s new household line, they reached full mineralization (meaning that they fully broke down) in only 3 weeks. That’s 3 weeks before the environment is back to being spick and span again (in a good way).

The bottom line

Our days are filled with (what seem like) minute decisions: Which toothpaste should we choose to brush our teeth in the morning? Which shampoo should we use to wash our hair? Which detergent is the best pick for our children’s clothing? These moments are small and fleeting, but they mean everything. Our families mean the world and so the world they live in should matter, too. Through making purposeful choices, we can opt for healthier and more eco-conscious products so that our families aren’t just happy – they’re healthy. Clean clothes, home and conscience.

*Read more about what’s great about greywater safe on Modere’s The Latest.

(1)Tox Town. Phthalatas. toxtown.nlm.nih.gov.
(2)Earth System Research Laboratory. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). esrl.noaa.gov.
(3) PubMed. Comparison of Biodegradation Performance of OECD Test Guideline 301C with that of Other Ready Biodegradability Tests. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.