The Internet is full with guides to do it themselves to detergents. They are supposed to be environmentally friendly, plastic-saving and even cheaper than the conventional means from the drugstore.
But what is DIY products, can really?
What are the advantages of the self-manufacture of detergents?
“First of all, one saves quite a lot of weight in transportation,” says Rolf Buschmann from the German Federation for environment and nature conservation Germany (BUND).
Because cleaner up to 90 percent water that must be transported. “Water is also home of the line.”
You also save the plastic packaging, in the conventional products usually are sold, and it is of their own making, in General, on natural products.
Conventional Laundry detergents more harmful to the environment?
Per se it is impossible to say.
“The wash-active substances called surfactants, which are contained in detergents, must just like the soap to be completely biodegradable, the EU used to be,” says Bernd Glassl from the industrial Association for body care and detergents (IKW).
This rule does not apply, however, for other ingredients such as fragrances or optical brighteners, in contrast, keeps Jörg Döbereiner from the magazine ‘Öko-Test’.
Also, water-soluble plastic compounds may enter the wastewater into the environment and are suspected to be harmful for them.
2019 has been tested by the magazine ‘Öko-Test’ 26 detergent, only four of which did not contain any of these Compounds.
What do you need to make yourself respected?
Because the preservatives are eliminated, is limited to the shelf life of the products. “A natural product may be discolored, for example, or even the growth of mold,” says Buschmann.
Therefore, he advises, more often – about every couple of weeks – smaller amounts to manufacture and store these cooling – for example, in the refrigerator.
If the soap in the detergent settles, could you shake this well, or reheat to use again.
Glassl advises against vinegar add. “This may get into areas of the washing machine in the Laundry detergent or fabric softener does not come and there, metal and plastic parts to attack.”
It is cheaper, detergent manufacture?
The invoice you have to open up individually, depending on the purchased product or the individual ingredients. But in addition to the price of the individual components and the cost of production must also take into account the cost of energy, informed Glassl from the IKW.
“For example, if a Laundry must not be at 30 or 40 degrees, but washed at 60 degrees, to achieve the desired result.”
How effective is self-made in comparison to conventional products?
For this purpose, there are a number of statements. According to the expert of the Laundry detergent industry, Bernd Glassl, is the effect of self-made detergents is lower than that of the conventional one.
“The surfactants, used in detergents, have a much greater washing effect than soap.” In addition, conventional detergents contain enzymes, which act at low temperatures, specifically against certain types of Dirt such as grease.
For the environmentalists of the Bushmen, it is a question of claim. This was “the whiter, the better”, will you with the self-made products, not happy.
The washing-active substances in Laundry soap or chestnuts to remove the dirt. And odour-forming bacteria are killed in the Wash of 60 degrees. For normal dirty Laundry, and this was sufficient.
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)
*The contribution of “experts assess: is it Worth detergent to produce a self?” is published by FitForFun. Contact with the executives here.