Beware the Enzymes!

My blog was originally intended to be silly and serious, I'm not sure where this next post will fit, maybe in the middle, but I think it's time to share a useful public service announcement: Beware the Enzymes – washing soap enzymes that is – they are in most cases DESTROYING your clothes.

Stuff like this drives me crazy! Companies come out with a “new and improved product” only to find it does more damage in the end.

Okay, what am I nattering on about you ask?

For decades now, washing soap companies have been adding enzymes to their detergents in order to get out the most difficult to wash dirt, like gravy, blood, grass stains, tomato sauce, wine, etc. All living things have protein in them, and since most problem-stains in our clothes come from 'living' or organic things, the enzymes, or 'biologically active ingredients', literally look for and eat up these biological, protein-based stains like Pac-Man on his dot-diet.

So, what's the problem? Have you wondered why your cotton or cotton blend T-shirts, sheets etc. are starting to feel thin and wispy? Or, if you have delicate skin and can't use regular washing soap because it makes you itch to death?

Any material that is natural also has protein in it.

Materials such as cotton, wool, silk, linen, come from organic / living sources, so the enzymes destroy that material too in the long run. It's like Pac-Man eating the game board as well as the dots.

Also, if your clothes are not rinsed out fully and the enzymes are still in your clothes, they will eat at your skin too and irritate it since your skin is also protein based. Itch, itch, itch!

Some more bad news, if you live in the country or rural area and rely on a septic tank system for sewage, the enzymes will destroy the good bacteria in your tank that is needed to break down the waste products. Why? Because bacteria are living things with protein. If you use enzyme based washing soaps, they will stop your tank from working properly and it will start to stink.

And to top it off, nearly every brand of washing soap has enzymes now!

ARRRGH! What's the good news?

If you live in a country like the UK or Ireland that has 'Non-Bio', (enzyme free) washing soap, that's what you have to use. Name brand companies provide “non-bio” detergent soap there for people with sensitive skin or have septic tanks.

However, that may not be an option in the USA, (I don't know, haven't checked the washing soap there in years since I live in Portugal now), but in Portugal, there aren't any 'non-bio' soap options for the general types of soap.

The next best thing is to buy soap specifically for delicate materials, wools, and / or sensitive skin, and use that for anything that has natural fibres like cotton, cotton blends, linen, etc. They usually don't have enzymes in them.

But …..A WORD of WARNING!

“Woolite Original” seems to be okay, but still, CHECK THE LABEL.

 I have seen “enzymes” listed in THEIR OTHER COLOUR PRODUCTS, so don't be fooled by the “Woolite” name, not all of their products are enzyme free! 

Some "Woolite" products may be eating your woolies!

This is really nasty because you would think “Woolite for Black / Darks” and “Woolite for Colours” etc. would preserve delicate materials too, but they have enzymes in them! In Portugal, anyway.

SO CHECK THE LABEL - make sure that there are NO enzymes listed, or NO 'biologically active ingredients'.

Hmm, it would be interesting to find out if the textile industry was deeply invested in the soap companies. (Hey, a writer loves a good conspiracy theory!) Chairman X of “Acme Wool and Cotton” comes up with a plot to invent alien mutant soaps in order to destroy their own materials so the unsuspecting public has to keep buying more of their stuff! Mwah ha ha!

So, CHECK THE INGREDIENTS, washing soaps must list enzymes or say 'biologically active ingredients'.

Look for delicate soaps that don't have enzymes.

Also, if you have a stinky septic tank and find it's not working like it should thanks to these stupid enzyme detergent soaps, stop using this destructive stuff and reverse the damage by flushing down the toilet rancid milk, old yoghurt, chicken giblets with no bones, etc. anything soft, bone-free and organic with bacteria that can be safely flushed into the 'sewage dump' of the tank to rot: this replenishes the good bacteria in your tank again so it can break down the sewage.

This concludes this public services announcement from “Books, Babble and Blarney”.

If you found this informative and helpful, please share, and I wish you all a Happy Enzyme-Free New Year!