Consumer Council warns against using laundry scents

 

Samples from products tested by Consumer Council

Adding scent boosters to one’s laundry can make clothes smell better, but can also cause allergic reactions and harm the environment, the Consumer Council has warned.

“… consumers are reminded to consider the necessity before purchase,“ it said, since they can add from $3 to $21 per load to the cost of washing clothes, without any effect on cleaning.

The council issued the advice after testing 12 brands of the scent boosters, half of which claimed fabric softening properties, and found that all contained varying types and concentrations of fragrance allergens, with one having the most number of types at eight.

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“Except for 1 model with only 1 type of fragrance allergen, the remaining 11 models had 3 to 8 types of fragrance allergens. The test also revealed that models with two-colored scented granules generally had more types of fragrance allergens, averaging 6 types compared to almost 4 types in single-colored ones,” it added.

Hong Kong has no legislation mandating the labelling of fragrance allergens in household cleaning and laundry products. But under the European Union’s Detergents Regulation, products containing any of the 26 fragrance allergens at concentrations exceeding 0.01% must be labelled to alert consumers and help prevent allergic reactions and related symptoms.

“Over 80% (10) of the models were detected with specific fragrance allergens at concentrations exceeding 0.01%, reaching the level set out in EU’s labelling requirement. However, only 1 model listed such information on its label, without specifying the type of the fragrance allergen,” it said.

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According to a report published by the American Contact Dermatitis Society, laundry products are a significant contributor to the development of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD).

Other reactions such as asthma, migraines, respiratory and skin problems, and even rashes can also be triggered by the use of strongly-scented laundry products. These reactions may also affect others.

The test results also found that four brands contained HHCB, a musk compound added into some products to help the fragrance bind to textiles, at levels ranging from 0.14% to 0.73%, reaching the EU labelling threshold.

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HHCB is commonly used in products such as air fresheners, cleaning products and laundry detergents. A risk assessment report by the US Environmental Protection Agency estimated that over 90% of HHCB, not readily biodegradable and highly toxic to aquatic organisms, is released into municipal wastewater.

“Given the widespread detection of HHCB in wastewater in many countries, the potential environmental impact of using HHCB-containing products should not be overlooked,” it added.

Products tested by Consumer Council

Should such products be really needed, the Council offered the following tips: 

• Avoid frequent use and be mindful of the dosage. As a precaution, avoid using on clothing and products for babies and toddlers, or people with eczema or skin allergies;
• Check the product claims when choosing laundry products. For example, if the laundry detergent already has softening function, avoid using additional in-wash scent boosters that claim to have a softening effect to prevent unnecessary product overuse;
• Most products are designed for machine washing. Load them directly into the drum of the machine instead of the drawers for detergent or fabric softener to avoid clogging due to incomplete dissolution;
• Avoid using wash cycles with less water or shorter durations, to avoid leaving excessive amount of detergent and/or scent booster residue on clothing;
• Maintain good ventilation during washing and drying to avoid build-up of fragrance from the scent boosters which can deteriorate indoor air quality;
• Some laundry scent boosters look and smell like candies. Parents should store them in places inaccessible to children to avoid accidental ingestion;
• If the purpose of use is to remove bad odours, try soaking clothes in diluted baking soda or vinegar before considering the use of scent boosters.

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