Poisonous Detergents and Fabric Softeners

Re-evaluate Poisonous Detergents and Fabric Softeners for your Health and the Health of others

After seeing the reactions some products have on humans and the unacceptable death rates of 0.008% of the population in the USA each year.

The over use of domestic detergents, slowly killing our children by arresting their lung development, the allergic reactions, the cardioid damage done by these everyday products available on the shopping shelves and as a result of the lack of correct information on packaging is written in the spirit to help find alternative safe ingredients for our cleansing products.

Parts of this article has been reproduced from the Wikipedia Foundation.

The typical fabric softener contains chemicals and additives to make the fabric soft, and static free.

Dihydrogenated tallow dimethlyl ammonium chloride (DHTDMAC) is a fatty material that is used in fabric softeners. It falls under a certain type of materials called quaternary ammonium compounds (“quats”), and is utilized to combat static cling. Static cling is caused by fibers that are negatively charged. The positive charge of materials like DHTDMAC counteracts this negative charge, negating static. The fatty element of the chemical gives the fabric the softness and “slippery” feeling that some people prefer over unsoftened laundry.

Most brands have one, two or a combination of several different types, which include emulsion polymers, macro-emulsifiers and micro-emulsifiers.

Many newer formulas of fabric softener utilize polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which are silicone derivatives. They lend softness, and make ironing easier by “lubricating” the fabric. Since most ingredients of fabric softeners aren’t water soluble due to the emulsifiers, many brands have to be added to the final rinse cycle of the wash to be most effective

Quaternary ammonium cation. The R groups may be the same or different alkyl groups. Also, the R groups may be connected.

Quaternary ammonium cations, also known as quats, are positively charged polyatomic ions of the structure NR4+, R being an alkyl group. Unlike the ammonium ion (NH4+) and the primary, secondary, or tertiary ammonium cations, the quaternary ammonium cations are permanently charged, independent of the pH of their solution. Quaternary ammonium salts or quaternary ammonium compounds (called quaternary amines in oilfield parlance) are salts of quaternary ammonium cations with an anion.

Synthesis
Quaternary ammonium compounds are prepared by alkylation of tertiary amines, in a process called quaternization.[1] Typically one of the alkyl groups on the amine is larger than the others.[2] A typical synthesis is for benzalkonium chloride from a long-chain alkyldimethylamine and benzyl chloride:
CH3(CH2)nN(CH3)2 + ClCH2C6H5 → CH3(CH2)nN(CH3)2CH2C6H5]+Cl-

Applications
Quaternary ammonium salts are used as disinfectants, surfactants, fabric softeners, and as antistatic agents (e.g. in shampoos). In liquid fabric softeners, the chloride salts are often used. In dryer anticling strips, the sulfate salts are often used. Spermicidal jellies also contain quaternary ammonium salts.

As antimicrobials
Certain quaternary ammonium compounds, especially those containing long alkyl chains, are used as antimicrobials and disinfectants.

Examples are benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, methylbenzethonium chloride, cetalkonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, cetrimonium, cetrimide, dofanium chloride, tetraethylammonium bromide, didecyldimethylammonium chloride and domiphen bromide. Also good against fungi, amoeba, and enveloped viruses,[3] quats act by disrupting the cell membrane. Quaternary ammonium compounds are lethal to a wide variety of organisms except endospores, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, non-enveloped viruses, and Pseudomonas spp. (some Pseudomonas spp. can even grow in solutions of quats, subsisting on them).

In contrast to phenolics, quaternary ammonium compounds are not very effective in the presence of organic compounds. Yet quats are very effective in combination with phenols. Quaternary ammonium compoundss are deactivated by soaps, other anionic detergents, and cotton fibers.[3] Also, they are not recommended for use in hard water. Effective levels are at 200 ppm.[4] They are effective at temperatures up to 212 ºF.
Along with sodium hypochlorite, quaternary ammonium salts are the primary chemicals used in foodservice industry as sanitizing agents.

As phase transfer catalysts
In organic synthesis, quaternary ammonium salts are employed as phase transfer catalysts. Such catalysts accelerate reactions between reagents dissolved in immiscible solvents. The highly reactive reagent dichlorocarbene is generated via PTC by reaction of chloroform and sodium hydroxide.

Health effects
Quaternary ammonium ions can cause Skin and Respiratory Irritation, Dizzy or Fainting Spells, Ocular problems,  Cluster Headaches and the Shutdown of the Respiratory system leading to possible Death.

They are thought to be the chemical group responsible anaphylactic reactions that occur with use of neuromuscular blocking drugs during general anaesthesia in surgery.

If your product has any of the above, remove it from your shopping list, improve your life and that of others through discriminate use of cleaning solvents.

This article is only for the purposes of informing of the possible dangers, more up to date information and research material is available elsewhere on the internet and with other professional agencies.