I grew up in the fifties. I can still smell the Sal Suds my mother used to use in the old ringer washer that we had. (Hey, it was a step up from washing the clothes in the zinc bathtub after boiling the water on the kerosene stove.) So, I was so happy when I found Sal Suds back in the 70's when I first started to be more conscious of what I was putting into the environment.
My mother, however, was not into Sal Suds in the 70's. She was into Tide with Bleach, Dawn Dishwashing Liquid and those little scrubbing bubbles that got the soap scum off the tub and looked so cute in commercials. Mom couldn't understand why I wanted to "go backwards" as she put it, by using old-fashioned cleaning products when there were much more effective "modern" products available.
In vain, I tried to explain to her that decades of pouring chemicals and toxins into the earth's water supply was having a horrible effect on our environment and our bodies. She didn't want to hear it. "If it was dangerous," she said, "They wouldn't let them sell it."
Well, Mom was wrong. It is dangerous and they did let them sell it, but I'm glad that I never bought into the whole "ring around the collar, bleaches whites white, get your dishes squeaky clean" wheeze. I've been using Sal Suds, biodegradable earth-friendly laundry soap, shampoo and dish soap since before my kids were born.
Somewhere along the way, a lot of other people joined in, until they're now some of the hottest selling products in the world. Mom is gone, but I wonder if she would have gotten onto the natural products bandwagon if she had lived to see it.
After all, the reason she embraced the whole "better living through chemistry" idea was because she wanted to be "modern" and keep up with the times, as she put it. Well, nowadays, keeping up with the times often means going back to the basics.
I'm not against using modern technology, but I'm not going to just blindly accept it as good. Also, some of the old ways were discarded for a reason. I don't think anyone wants to go back to using yellow lye soap for baths or laundry, and you won't find me using iodine for cuts either.
But if something works and doesn't harm the environment, humans or animals, why not use it? Actually, the Sal Suds works so well that I almost don't need anything else. I even use it as a spot remover on my rugs and clothes.
The ingredients in Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds are: Water, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Coco-Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, Fir Needle Oil and Spruce Oil. While I'm not a fan of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Dr. Bronner's label explains that their version uses Coco-Betaine and Lauryl Glucoside to counter the irritation that SLS can produce. Who am I to doubt them, especially since I use it and it doesn't irritate my skin at all.
It's not for slathering on your body. It's for cleaning, laundry and removing stains. It works as well as more expensive, harsh chemical cleaners. I like the smell and I like the fact that it's not wrecking the planet. Now, that's modern.
| Price : $59.99
