Are your clothes really white? Or are they clogged with chemicals?

If you know Rockin’ Green in any capacity, you know that we omit all the bad stuff that many popular brands of laundry detergent choose to include. One of those things: Optical Brighteners. They're used to keep whites, white. White undershirts, bed sheets, pillow cases or bath towels. But when using laundry detergents with optical brighteners, are these whites really whiter, or is it all and illusion? 

What are Optical Brighteners?

Optical brighteners are chemical agents that make white fabrics look whiter, but not because they’re actually cleaning them. They are actually dyes that are deposited onto clothes that change the way that the clothes reflect ultraviolet light. It makes white clothing look bluish, tricking the eye to believe they’re whiter and not a dingy yellow.

These chemical compounds attach to the clothes, keeping them “whiter” over time, and that’s problematic for a number of reasons. They’re just another chemical residue that’s left in the fibers of your laundry and because they bind to your clothes, and don’t wash off, they are in constant contact with your skin. Because of this, they’ve been known to cause skin sensitivities, rashes and other irritations.

After washing laundry in a detergent with optical brighteners, a UV light will be able to detect them.

Rather than use a detergent that tricks you into believing your clothes are whiter after washing, and is bad for your skin and the environment, opt for a detergent that’s plant-based, biodegradable, non-irritating and actually cleans your laundry.

By choosing Rockin’ Green, you're choosing:

• To avoid skin irritations
• laundry that isn't clogged with chemicals and toxic ingredients 
• A biodegradable option that's better for the environment!

If you have regular laundry — clothes you wore to work or the grocery store — choose one of our gentle detergents, Hard Rock (for hard water) Classic Rock (for normal water.) We love Smashing Watermelons this time of year.

If you need an extra type of clean — for gym clothes, gardening clothes or anything super smelly — try our Active Wear detergent. With a souped-up enzyme blend, this detergent of ours will remove all odor-causing bacteria. And NO optical brighteners involved. :)