Are you whitening your laundry or poisoning your self?

The alarming affects of chlorine-based bleaches and a safer alternative
Persil’s new product eliminates chlorine usage with its German Opti-Brite technology
‘Just bleach it!’ has been the traditional mantra for whitening clothes. A majority of households still use chlorine-based bleaching products. As more and more data becomes available on cases of chlorine poisoning, it doesn’t seem like a good idea any more.

The latest Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers reports 37,890 emergency cases attributed to liquid and dry hypochlorite based bleaches. In the UK, more than 3000 accidents needing hospital treatment are caused by sodium hypochlorite solutions each year, according to the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents.

“Chlorine in cleaning solutions is a very concentrated product,” says Mike Bauerschmidt, MD, a Florida-based Emergency Medicine practitioner who has worked in emergency rooms in reputed hospitals in the US as well as in Aramco-Al Hasa EMS, Saudi Arabia. He has seen cases of chlorine exposure first hand.

“Some of the most dramatic things we'd see are respiratory problems in response to people mixing bleach with other cleaning agents and releasing chlorine gas,” Bauerschmidt says. The risks are not just in accidental mixing of chemicals and household cleaners, but regular exposure too. “From a more practical, daily exposure standpoint... chlorine can affect thyroid, breast, uterine and prostate health.”

Exposure to chlorine is being hotly debated around the world with flags being raised about chlorinated water in home and swimming pools too. When a choice is available, it is better to opt for a non-chlorine option without a doubt. “The less exposure to chlorine you have, the better off you will be,” says Dr Bauerschmidt.

Attitudes are slowly shifting as consumers become more aware of the health risks of bleaches as well as their harsh affect on clothes.

Carin Froehlich, author of "Laundry Wisdom - Instructions for a Greener and Cleaner Life" grew up seeing her mother using conventional bleach to whiten clothes. However, this daughter of the "The Queen of Chlorine" is a self-proclaimed "non-bleacher". She knows better.

"Bleach can turn your garments yellow, instead of whiter,” Froehlich says. In the case of some fabrics, she has seen that two or three bleaching cycles can start to break down the fabric so that it will "rip or tear like a paper towel". The alternative, of course, is to find a better way to whiten clothes, a way without chlorine.

To minimise health risks and the wear and tear of clothes during washing while whitening clothes, Henkel Arabia has launched Persil thobes liquid detergent. It uses German Opti-Brite technology, a safer and more cost effective alternative to bleaching.
“We have tailor-made it specially to meet the local needs. It not only cleans white thobes & clothes, it gives them the brightest whiteness wash after wash, unlike the old habit of mixing powdered detergent with chlorine which makes white thobes & clothes yellow after few washes, and even unlike any other solution” says Memosh Khawaja, General Manager of Henkel Arabia. “Persil liquid detergent for white thobes offers its users more value for money because it does not ruin the white thobes’ colour and fabric,” adds Adil Sheikh, Head of Marketing, Laundry Care division.

A brilliant white thobe distinguishes its wearer wherever he goes. With Henkel, this comfort and style does not need to come at the cost of someone’s health or diminished life of a traditional garment.

Although we feel it is necessary for us to inform consumers about the risks of over-exposure to chlorine, our intention is not to discredit any particular brand or product. We understand that chlorine use is widely prevalent and where it cannot be avoided, knowing how to use it safely can be very helpful.

About Henkel

For more than 130 years, Henkel has been a leader with brands and technologies that make people's lives easier, better and more beautiful through its three operating areas - home care, personal care, and adhesive technologies.

Henkel Saudi was established in 1998 and has since then grown by leaps and bounds. Today, the company employs 320 people with a strong Saudi workforce and has established itself as the second leading player in the Home Care category.

Globally, Henkel is ranked among the Fortune Global 500 companies. The three main divisions within Henkel are Home Care, Cosmetics, and Adhesives. All these three divisions have strong presence in the GCC region. In fiscal 2009, Henkel worldwide generated sales of 71 billion Saudi Riyals and operating profit of 7.1 billion Saudi Riyals. Dedicated to fulfilling Henkel's corporate claim, "A Brand like a Friend," over 52,000 employees worldwide ensure that people in more than 125 countries can trust in brands and technologies from Henkel.

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