FAQ - Laundry

Are there any other recommendations for whitening and controlling microorganisms in the wash without using bleach or other harsh chemicals?

Yes, here is an even MORE effective natural alternative: Your laundry room can be a cleaner, safer place and fight bacteria, without exposing yourself and your family to toxic chemicals that also damage the environment. You can make a very inexpensive, simple and totally safe disinfecting spray that is more effective than any name brand disinfecting cleaners, and even bleach, in killing bacteria and microorganisms.

Susan Sumner, a food scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, developed a proven formulationfor natural sanitization. You simply need 3% hydrogen peroxide (the same strength found at the drug store for gargling or disinfection), and plain white vinegar. You add these to new clean sprayer, which can be found in any big mass retailer like K-Mart or Big W.

Spray it on areas that are usually loaded with bacteria like the armpits, the neckline, in sweaty areas, in underwear, etc. Make sure that you test the spray in an inconspicuous area of clothing to ensure colorfastness. The hydrogen peroxide is a very effective natural bleach and can bleed colors, so be careful.

In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing the two ingredients killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated surfaces. That result makes the formulation more effective at killing these potentially deadly bacteria than any name brand cleaner, or even chlorine bleach.

As a extra bonus, this combined formulation works exceptionally well at sanitizing food preparation surfaces (like countertops and wood cutting boards), and other areas where harsh and toxic cleaners are predominantly used. The formulation is so safe, it can even be used to remove the pesticides and chemicals on fruits and vegetables.

Can I use bleach and other chemicals with the laundry system if I want to?

Yes.  Honestly, nothing whitens like chlorine bleach, but there are potentially toxicity issues for the environment and health.  Bleach is very harsh and damaging to your clothes as well.  That said, if you don’t mind the tradeoffs, you can still use diluted bleach with Life Miracle Laundry System® if you choose. A great alternative to chlorine bleach is oxygen bleach (like Oxiclean® and similar products) or diluted hydrogen peroxide.  Borax is also an excellent natural laundry booster.  Some laundry system owners add baking soda or white vinegar to their loads. The 3% hydrogen peroxide plus vinegar solution detailed above may be the most effective alternative method for this process.

Can the Laundry System be used in commercial sized washing machines?

The Laundry System is designed for use in domestic (home) size washing machines only. They cannot be used in commercial sized washers.

Can the Laundry System make my clothes clean and bright like detergents do?

That depends on your definition of “clean” and “bright”. When comparing the usage of the Magnetic Laundry System with laundry detergent, you need to factor in a few things.

First of all, detergents are not soap. They are chemical surfactant petrochemicals derived from crude oil, and some of these chemicals are designed to not be completely rinsed out after washing your clothes. They leave behind what are called “optical brighteners” which are synthetic chemicals that reflect more light off the clothing to appear “brighter” to the eye. We do not believe that adding what are, in effect, chemical mirrors to a garment makes them cleaner. These synthetic chemicals convert UV light wavelengths into visible light, which makes laundered clothes appear whiter (although does not actually affect the cleanliness of the clothing). They've been found in some studies to be toxic to fish and to cause bacterial mutations. Furthermore, they may cause allergic reactions when exposed to skin that is later exposed to sunlight.

In fact, because these chemicals have the possibility of triggering health problems and may cause environmental distress, we believe leaving them on the clothing actually compromises their cleanliness. Most people aren’t even aware that potentially harmful petrochemicals derived from crude oil are constantly on their clothes, possibly causing the wearer skin and respiratory ailments.

We define clean as chemical-free, non-harmful to the wearer and non-toxic to the environment, in addition to being optically acceptable. But only you, the user and owner of the product can determine that. We feel there are many people out these just like us that don’t want to walk around with petrochemicals and optical brighteners imbued in their clothes all day long.

Does the laundry system replace traditional laundry additives like bleach and pre-treat sprays for stains?

The Life Miracle Laundry System® is a laundry detergent alternative only.  Just like when using laundry detergent, separate products used for other functions must be used separately, like spot/stain treatments, whitening bleach products and fabric softeners. These are separate from the Laundry System just as they are separate from detergent. Do not have unrealistic expectations that the Laundry System can do things that are outside the scope of normal chemical laundry detergent. There are several products typically used in the laundry process, and laundry detergent (and its alternative, the Laundry System) is simply one of them.

Does the Life Miracle Laundry System® kill bacteria, etc. on the clothes?

Again, the Life Miracle Laundry System® is a laundry detergent alternative only.  Laundry detergent is not used to kill microorganisms, and neither is the Laundry System, but the cleaning process itself washes away most bacteria. However, hot water will kill most microorganisms in the water, and a little bleach will do the same (although bleach works best at high temperatures).

An extremely effective natural alternative: It has been reported that a straight 5% solution of vinegar—such as you can buy in the supermarket—kills 99% of bacteria, 82% of mould, and 80% of germs (viruses).

How long will my laundry system last?

Life Miracle Laundry System® was designed and engineered to give you many decades of service, and save you thousands of dollars on not buying laundry detergents.  In the process, you will be preventing thousands of pounds of chemicals from being dumped into our water supply and from being imbued in your garments, which may create a dramatically positive effect on your family’s health if eliminated.

I have a newer front loading washing machine that has electronics on it. Can I use the Laundry System with my machine?

Absolutely.

We just recommend that if you have a front loader, you place the Laundry System units in a pair of socks or pants pockets before running the cycle.

This eliminates any noise the force of the horizontal axis may create. And though magnetic force should not be in direct contact with electronics, the Laundry System is used in the water drum and is far enough away to have zero impact on the electronic controls if used properly.

Just do not rest them on the electronic control panel. Also, the two Laundry System units combined weigh just a fraction of one pair of wet jeans, so you need not be concerned with any significant added weight.

I just don't get how you can clean my clothes without soaps. Can you please explain this to me?

I think I have heard of "laundry balls" before. Isn't this the same thing?

I'm somewhat skeptical but keeping an open mind here - partly because I believe the human race is slowly poisoning itself through it's food and water supply. And I have grandkids with signs of what I consider allergies and am concerned about what goes into their bodies and what they are exposed to. Can you put my mind at ease about trying your product?

My washing machine has a plastic drum. Do the Laundry System units have to stick to the inside of the water drum to work properly?

The Laundry System units absolutely do not have to "stick" to the water drum to work properly. There are a variety of washing machines from front loaders to top loaders, and interior washing drums ranging across plastic, iron and stainless steel. The material the water drum is made of makes no difference, the Laundry System works in all of them. The units may end up "sticking" to each other in the washing process. This is perfectly normal and will not diminish their effectiveness because they still are emitting the same level of magnetic force whether they are attracted together or not. The laundry units just need to be submerged and/or in close proximity to the water for maximum effectiveness.

Sometime the Laundry System units end up sticking together after I run a wash cycle. Is this OK or am I doing something wrong?

This is perfectly fine and will not detrimentally affect their ability to clean. If you want to separate them, you can put them in different pockets of a par of pants you are washing to keep them separated.

What about smell? Will my clothes have a nice, perfumey scent with the Laundry System?

There is no scent added when using the Laundry System. Clothes essentially smell like clothes hung out on a clothesline to dry with the Laundry System. The truth is, clean clothes smell like nothing. They don't smell like perfume. And most people significantly overkill with these scents.

They use detergents, spot removers and bleach with perfumes in their washing machine, then they use fabric softeners and/or dryer sheets in the dryer which add even more perfumes. Then they wash their bodies with scented soaps and shampoos, and towel off with their scented towel (after they slept all night in perfumed sheets and pillowcases). Then after all of that, they apply perfumed deodorant and spray on their favourite cologne. This is simply too many chemicals on the body, and sometimes the body may rebel with rashes, respiratory issues or illness.

If you absolutely cannot live without a scent on your clothes, then just use one scented dryer sheet. There is simply no reason to pile all of the other scented chemicals on your clothes. And you need to know that most of these may be unhealthy for your skin and respiratory system, so the less you use, the better off you probably are, especially if you are chemically sensitive. Some of those red eyes, rashes and runny noses are not because of allergies, but due to the perfume and petrochemicals left behind in your clothes.

What are the health and environmental concerns of using Optical Brighteners in my wash?

Optical brighteners are not effective unless they remain on the fabric after washing, whereby they are constantly being breathed in, and touching and absorbing into your skin. Clothes washed in detergents containing these agents will have a potentially health threatening chemical residue left behind on the fabric. Frequently, skin rashes commonly blamed on fragrance and dyes are actually caused by optical brighteners, so individuals with sensitive skin should use caution when using optical brighteners. 
Optical brighteners contain chemicals that can be toxic to fish and other animal and plant life. Many have also been shown to cause mutations in bacteria (seventhgeneration.com). In addition, these chemicals are not readily biodegradable, so pollution remains in waste water for long periods of time, negatively affecting water quality and animal and plant life. The U.S. military cannot use optical brighteners, because the added reflection of light may cause overvisibility in the field.  So in the supermarket, you may wish to reevaluate come-ons like, "Brightens colours! Whitens whites!", because of the concerns of what you are actually getting.

What does Life Miracle Laundry System® mean for the environment?

The most obvious and important fact is that using the Laundry System instead of detergents is preventing petrochemicals from getting dumped into our fresh water supplies, helping to preserve our most valuable natural resource critical for human survival. Less than 1% of the world's water supply is considered drinkable, and preserving the quality of this irreplaceable resource is paramount for human, animal and vegetative life. Furthermore, bypassing the rinse cycle can save massive additional water usage (40-60 litres of fresh water per load), electricity (derived mostly from burning coal and oil which are big pollutants), natural gas (for heating the extra water) and sewage. It also may possibly help reduce the causes of global warming--since such a massive amount of detergents are made and used around the world, significant resources (fossil fuels) are used in its manufacturing and delivery. 

What is the lifetime warranty and risk free trial all about?

Since Life Miracle Laundry System® may be a new concept to you, we take all risk out of trying the product and comparing it to your favourite laundry detergent. And once you’ve tried the product and love it, we also guarantee the quality of the product with the lifetime warranty, and still give it to you at a very reasonable price.

This guarantee is provided by the manufacturer and is subject to the warranyy card provided with the product being completed and sent to Life Miracle in USA and the product has to be returned to them under the conditions of that warranty (ie. proof of purchase etc)

What sort of benefits can I expect with the Laundry System?

Many benefits. 

Most importantly if you or your family suffers from chemical related sensitivities like skin problems and/or respiratory issues, you owe it to your health to switch to our non-chemical alternative product. 
From a financial standpoint, you should be able to save hundreds of dollars a year on detergents.
You will save money if you bypass the rinse cycle since you would not need any longer (which would also save 40 to 60 litres of water per cycle, a significant amount of our natural resources). 
You will save time.
You will reduce your effort with your laundry and avoid lugging a huge tub of detergent from the store every time you buy it. 
Your wardrobe (which is a considerable investment) may last a lot longer because of the reduction of harsh chemicals. 
It makes your home more “green” and also more child friendly by reducing the amount of toxins in the home. 
It may have a massive impact on the environment by less chemical dumping and reducing our dependence on foreign petrochemicals (Yes, your detergents are petrochemicals derived from crude oil).

What temperature should the water be? Can I use hot, warm and cold water at my own discretion?

Generally speaking, hot water is always the best temperature for the cleanest clothes whether you are using the Laundry System or detergent. Think about when you are washing dishes in the sink. The cold water will clean stuck on food, but the hot water will remove the food more quickly and efficiently with less water usage. It is the same in your washing machine.
However, different garments and materials may require that you use lower temperatures, and you may continue to do so. We have had many customers report excellent results using just cold water with the Laundry System. For the reason outlined above, we still like to recommend hot water to users--but you ultimately have the freedom to test using the product in a variety of ways, and choose whatever option works best for your personal situation.

Using cold water is obviously better for the environment (less energy used) but consider that the amazing health and environmental benefits of preventing petrochemical detergents from getting dumped into the fresh water supply and onto our skin is of far greater significance. Still, the Laundry System plus cold water leaves (incredibly) almost no carbon footprint.

Will the cost of laundry detergents go up as the cost of crude oil goes up?

This would seem to be a certainty. Detergents are chemical surfactant petrochemicals derived from crude oil. The basic building blocks for surfactants, with a few exceptions, are derived from crude oil. Unless detergent companies choose to cut their profit margins to keep the cost of detergent down, you will be paying more and more for your detergent just as you are paying more and more to fuel your car. As the raw material cost for detergent escalates, so will the detergent cost to the end users. In addition to that, their plastic containers (which are made from only 25% post consumer recycled plastic) are made from petrochemicals, and it costs more to ship these bulky and heavy bottles because of record-high fuel prices. These additional costs end up being paid for by the end user as well.