It’s been awfully hot lately. Even the Balinese are complaining. Hot, humid weather encourages frequent showers and changes of clothes. And that means laundry, lots of laundry, using lots of detergent.
Laundry detergent is an ‘invisible’ pollution source; few of us in Bali pay much mind to the harmful industrial chemicals, dyes and artificial fragrances that cycle through our laundry baskets. Whether we send our laundry out or have it done at home, we’re contributing to an environmental issue which is just beginning to be researched. It’s not easy to find statistics on pollution from laundry detergent in Indonesia, much less Bali. But the enthusiastic use of powdered and liquid detergents, combined with raw sewage and toxic agricultural chemicals, is compromising water quality all over the island.
Soap making dates back to about 1500 BC. The earliest records indicate that a combination of animal and vegetable oils and alkaline salts was used to form a soap-like material. In ancient India, people used soap preparations made from plant or animal fats. Modern technology has created synthetic detergents that have slowly replaced natural soaps. All-purpose laundry detergents were introduced in the United States in 1946.
Unregulated laundry detergents used in developing countries such as Indonesia are heavily phosphate-based. Phosphates are a major source of water pollution that has also become the direct cause of many human and animal diseases. Some chemicals in detergents take up to ten years to break down. Conventional laundry detergents leave chemical residues on the clothes, which can enter the body through the skin or the lungs and cause many common health problems including allergies and skin irritations. (In India, a study showed that 77 percent of respondents had experienced some kind of skin irritation due to detergents.) The fragrances used in laundry detergents can be highly irritating to lungs, causing serious health effects to people with asthma or chronic heart problems, and have been linked to cancer. Research has found carcinogenic fragrance molecules inside fish tissues and the chemical nonylphenol, a remnant of detergent, is known to disrupt fish reproduction and growth. Chances are it’s not too good for us, either. And here’s a little off-topic gem – did you know that up to 90% of your original prescription drugs pass out of you unaltered and enter local waterways?
According to the Canadian University of Guelph, public pressure in Canada and many parts of the United States since the 1970s has led to the regulation of phosphates in detergents. Billions of dollars were spent in upgrading sewage treatment plants to remove excessive phosphates. Canada has implemented a regulation to control phosphates emission into water systems by limiting the amount of phosphates in laundry detergents to 0.5%. In developing countries, the phosphate content can be as high as 30%.
What’s the carbon footprint of one load of laundry? The CO2 emissions from a liquid laundry detergent used to wash an average load of laundry is about 0.7 kilograms (1.5 lb). The loss of natural habitat potential from a liquid laundry detergent used to wash an average load of laundry is about 0.5 square metres (5.4 sq ft) based on primary production correlations. Doesn’t sound like much until we start multiplying it by the amount of laundry washed on Bali on any given day, factoring in that of the hotels, hospitals and villas along with our own towels and knickers.
I’m constantly astonished by the environmental initiatives in Bali, many of them undertaken and financed by concerned individuals. A few months ago I was given a bag of a new laundry soap product to try. Wash Organics, nicely packaged in a cotton drawstring bag, is a phosphate and borax-free powder subtly scented with local essential oils. Wayan Manis, a staunch conservative when it comes to trying new products, was delighted with the results on laundry day. I liked the fact that it smelled good enough to eat, worked well in cold water and produced few suds. As with dishwashing liquid, the suds are totally cosmetic and do not enhance cleaning value, but add yet more industrial chemicals to the mix.
“There is no other product on the market like Wash Organics natural washing powder,” explains Deidre, whose husband formulated the recipe and makes up the soap. “We make it in Bali in limited quantities from natural oxygenated bleach and plant-based cleaning agents. We’re seeking a like-minded investor to help us produce it in greater volume. My goal is to be able to sell it competitively so that everyone can afford to use it.” Wash Organics is available at Deya Back to Nature General Store, a shop selling natural health and beauty products across from KAFE in Ubud. The store also sells natural toothpaste, organic soaps and skin lotions and natural baby care products. Call Meka at 971337 for product availability.
The Ubud Farmers Market features a table devoted to natural laundry detergent solutions including soapnuts, soapnut liquid soap and sodium percarbonate stain-removing salt. Lo, an environmentally savvy Frenchwoman, invited me to the nearby Eco Laundry to see soapnuts in action.
Virtually unknown five years ago, soapnuts are now popular in eco-minded North American and European circles. The dried fruits of the Sapindus Mukorossi (Chinese Soapberry or krerek in Balinese) contain up to 30% natural saponin, which produces a cleansing foam. Asians have been using soapnuts as a shampoo and general cleaning agent for hundreds of years. Even today, older Balinese women use soapnuts to wash fine old batiks, silks and other textiles and to clean their jewellery.
Soapnuts are increasingly popular in the west as a chemical and perfume free, hypoallergenic, biodegradable natural alternative to laundry detergent. The saponin in soapnuts is a natural surfactant. Both natural and chemical surfactants (the ones in laundry detergents) work by breaking the surface tension of water so it can more easily penetrate into fabrics. As a result of the washing action oil, resin and other water-insoluble substances are loosened from the fabric; the saponin holds the dirt in suspension until it’s rinsed out.
“I tried soapnuts for my laundry five years ago and liked the results so much I never stopped using them,” Lo reports. “I like to avoid chemicals and use natural products, and using soapnuts means that I’m not adding to the harmful chemical residues entering Balinese waterways.” Recently she has been advising the Eco Laundry, which is now under new management, on the most effective use of the product.
The Eco Laundry, the only chemical-free laundry I’m aware of in Bali, is a busy little storefront in Nyuh Kuning near the Prima Medika Clinic. Its two washing machines run non-stop, and the two full-time and one part-time staff never seem to stop washing, hanging, ironing and folding laundry. They use soap nuts and sodium percarbonate stain-removing salts in the hot-water wash, hang the laundry to dry and steam press it with a spritz of citronella or kayu putih essential oil if the customer desires. Laundry can be collected and delivered for a nominal charge or dropped off.
Liz, a volunteer at nearby Bumi Sehat, told me, “I’m happy to support local businesses like this and also to support the resurgence of soapnuts as a detergent alternative. I used to take my clothes to a regular laundry and my skin was always irritated from the chemicals they used. My daughter has eczema, but neither of us has skin problems when we have the laundry done here. The clothes are really clean and the costs are comparable.”
Besides soapnuts, a concentrated liquid soap derived from soapnuts is also sold under the same label. “This is excellent for dishes (use a good-quality sponge), glass and all household cleaning,” reports Lo. “It’s a natural antibacterial so can be used as a shampoo for people and animals. Don’t get it in your eyes, though.”
Janet Molloy, owner of Ubud’s popular new restaurant Café Havana, sends all the restaurant washing to the Eco Laundry. “Of course Cafe Havana is using this laundry. It’s part of our policy to use the most environmentally friendly solutions we can find,” says Janet. “And here’s a thought -- if there’s one thing Cuba has taught us during the last 50 years, it’s the concept that people can do more with less. Considering the world situation, Cuba is far ahead of the game in some ways.”
To use soapnuts in the laundry at home, tie about seven nuts in a small cotton bag or sock and place at the bottom of the washing machine. If you use cold water for washing, pour some hot water over the soapnuts to loosen up the saponin. Pile the laundry loosely on top. For best results, use two or three tablespoons of stain removing salt (sodium percarbonate) in the washing machine drawer, dissolved in hot water. If you use cold water for laundry, you can use the same soapnuts over six times. The hotter the water, the fewer times they can be re-used.
Soapnut trees used to be fairly common in Bali but are now rare except near Singaraja. Most of the soapnuts sold at the farmers Market are brought in from Java. Soapnuts (hand-sorted and split to remove the seed), soapnut liquid soap and stain-removing salt are available under the BioSoap label from Bali Buddha, Sunrise School Market, Earth Café, Zula and the Ubud Farmers Market on Saturday mornings at Pizza Bagus.
Dragons in the Bath, a collection of Ibu Kat’s stories, is available in Bali from Dijon in Kuta, Ganesha Books at Biku in Seminyak and Ganesaha Books and selected shops in Ubud. It can be ordered nationally and internationally through www.dragonsinthebath.com <http://www.dragonsinthebath.com>
