Washing powder and washing up liquid are the only ones I buy. They are bad enough. But Ecover do environmentally-friendly ones.
I remember in the old days (1950s) There were large square blocks of green 'household' soap. Plain soap. This didn't smell very nice, but was used in a myriad of different ways. It was grated up using a large cheese grater (specially for that job of course) and dissolved in warm water, to make liquid for washing both clothes and dishes. No one bought detergent or washing up liquid.
This worked best in soft-water areas. In hard water areas there was horrible scum on the water because of the soap. There was something added to the water to 'soften' it I recall -but can't remember what.
Then it was about the late 50s early 60s, when housewives started to pride themselves on which new concoctions they had in their kitchen for doing washing and general cleaning. Powder detergents came in, and all sorts of sprays and air-fresheners etc. No-one cared what toxins were in them, or about environmental damage, or gave even one thought to the natural habitats of many species, which were starting to be destroyed! These were the days when average households used DDT sprays in the rooms to kill flies!
I must have breathed so much DDT! (phew!)
I remember in the old days (1950s) There were large square blocks of green 'household' soap. Plain soap. This didn't smell very nice, but was used in a myriad of different ways. It was grated up using a large cheese grater (specially for that job of course) and dissolved in warm water, to make liquid for washing both clothes and dishes. No one bought detergent or washing up liquid.
This worked best in soft-water areas. In hard water areas there was horrible scum on the water because of the soap. There was something added to the water to 'soften' it I recall -but can't remember what.
Then it was about the late 50s early 60s, when housewives started to pride themselves on which new concoctions they had in their kitchen for doing washing and general cleaning. Powder detergents came in, and all sorts of sprays and air-fresheners etc. No-one cared what toxins were in them, or about environmental damage, or gave even one thought to the natural habitats of many species, which were starting to be destroyed! These were the days when average households used DDT sprays in the rooms to kill flies!
I must have breathed so much DDT! (phew!)
