Detoxifying Your Laundry Room

If you have been using conventional laundry care products that contain synthetic chemicals, it is likely that the air quality in your home is being affected. Decontaminating these synthetic chemicals from your laundry room is a big step in improving your entire home’s air quality.

Synthetic chemicals in traditional laundry products, such as detergents, fabric softeners, and stain removers, often contain harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

These VOCs can off-gas, meaning they evaporate into the air, leading to poor indoor air quality. Over time, these synthetic chemicals can settle into surfaces, continuously outgassing in the air. This contamination can spread beyond the laundry room, affecting the entire house.

It can sometimes take quite a bit of time and work to eliminate this contamination. In order to remove it, there are several steps that should be repeated until there is no synthetic fragrance left in the laundry room.

Don’t get discouraged, each treatment should improve the air quality to some degree!

Detailed Detoxification Process

Source Removal – Stop using conventional laundry care products. Remove them from the home.

HEPA Vacuum – Vacuum the ceiling, walls, and surfaces such as countertops, washer and dryer, behind washer and dryer, floor and under washer and dryer in that order. Make 3 passes on each surface.

Wash Surfaces – Clean the ceiling, walls, and surfaces such as countertops, washer and dryer, behind washer and dryer, floor and under washer dryer in that order. Use one of the following options and test a section of the wall to see how it takes the solution to make sure that the paint is not damaged. Use a squeeze mop, large cloth covered sponges or microfiber covered sponges (available at Wal Mart) or soft cotton cleaning towels (available at Wal Mart, Home Depot, and Cosco) for wiping down the walls.

• Branch Basics – Solution of 1 teaspoon Branch Basics per gallon of water. Spray in an inconspicuous area of the wall first to determine color fastness of paint.
• Branch Basics All Purpose to wipe down baseboards
• Hydrogen peroxide – Solution of 1 part distilled water to 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Biological Odor Control

Biological Odor Control (BOC) is a specialized product made from algae that helps break down chemicals and neutralize odors.

Spray it full strength on all surfaces, focusing on the ceiling and walls.

After application, close the room for one hour to allow the BOC to work. Then, ventilate the room by opening windows and using fans to direct the air outside. 

BOC is effective in degrading hydrocarbons and other harmful chemicals but does not kill mold. However, it can help reduce the mycotoxins, which are the toxic byproducts of mold that often cause health issues.

Heat Treatments

It is likely that the above treatments do not completely take the odor away and a heat treatment will be helpful. As temperature increases, so does the volatilization of synthetic chemicals. 

Ways to heat treat the laundry room:

1. Utilize Summer Heat: During the hot summer months, open your house to let it “bake” out the synthetic chemicals. With the air conditioning turned off and house exhaust fans running, the high temperatures will help volatilize and clear out the synthetic chemicals. It may take a few days, weeks, or months depending on the level of contamination, making it not practical for some. 
2. Space Heater: In cooler weather, use a space heater in a closed laundry room for 4-6 hours (less if needed). This will increase the temperature, causing more synthetic chemicals to volatilize. After heating, ventilate the room thoroughly using fans to direct the contaminated air outside. Repeat this process until the odors are no longer present.
3. Halogen Lights: Halogen lights can be used to heat specific areas and increase outgassing. Direct the light towards the walls and let them run for 4-6 hours, then ventilate the room. Repeat the procedure until the synthetic fragrance is gone. Be cautious to avoid fire hazards, and ensure the lights are placed securely. You can find construction halogen lights at Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.

Detoxifying Your Washing Machine

Materials Needed:

• Branch Basics- Helps break down and neutralize synthetic chemical residues.
• Biological Odor Control (BOC)- Helps to break down synthetic chemicals, neutralizes mycotoxins from mold and decomposes hydrocarbons. 
• Baking Soda- Available from your local grocery store.
• Hydrogen Peroxide- Regular 3% peroxide. Available from your local grocery store.

Top-Loading Machines

1. Fill washer with hot water
2. Add one of the following:
• 2-4 cups hydrogen peroxide
• 2 lb box of baking soda
• 2 - 4 cups vinegar
3. 1/4 cup Branch Basics Concentrate
4. Let sit overnight
5. Run through full cycle

Repeat as many times as necessary using a variety of the above options.

HE (High Efficiency) Front Loading Machines

1. Fill washer with hot water 
2. Add one of the following:
• 2-4 cups hydrogen peroxide
• 1-4 cups of vinegar
• 2 lbs box of baking soda
• ¼ cup Branch Basics Concentrate
3. Run a full cycle

Repeat as necessary with a variety of the above.

Additional treatment: 

1. Spray Branch Basics Bathroom in washer when not running
2. Let sit for 10 minutes then wipe

Detoxifying Your Dryer

Materials Needed:

• Branch Basics- Helps break down and neutralize synthetic chemical residues.
• Biological Odor Control (BOC)- Helps to break down synthetic chemicals, neutralizes mycotoxins from mold and decomposes hydrocarbons. 

Alternate Between the Following:

Medina’s BOC:

1. Spray undiluted BOC on the dryer interior
2. Close dryer for 1 hour
3. Open up and ventilate
4. Spray a damp towel with BOC and run through a drying cycle

Branch Basics:

1. Spray Branch Basics Bathroom on the dryer interior
2. Spray a damp towel with Branch Basics (Bathroom Dilution) and run through a drying cycle
3. Also, can spray Branch Basics (Bathroom Dilution) on the dryer interior when dryer is not in use

Repeat this process until all odors are gone. Keep at it, don’t give up, it could take several weeks for the smell to be eliminated completely.

Make the Switch

As mentioned, the most important step to safeguard your health is to remove synthetic laundry products from the home.

And now that you have detoxed your laundry room from any remaining synthetic residues, you are ready to bring in a healthy laundry alternative!

At Branch Basics, we have two safe and effective laundry products to choose from. Both our liquid Concentrate and Laundry Detergent have their unique benefits, and the choice ultimately comes down to personal preference. 

Our Laundry Detergent powder is incredibly convenient and simple to use, requiring just one scoop per load with no additional products needed. It also performs well in cold water, saving energy and preserving fabric integrity.

Secondly, our Laundry Solution uses our liquid Concentrate model, where you mix water with the Concentrate in a Laundry Solution bottle and add a scoop of our Oxygen Boost for extra cleaning power. We do recommend this product for the extremely chemically sensitive and chemically injured.

Choose the option that best fits your laundry routine and needs! 

For more cleaning and wellness tips, visit our Wellness Center