Aside from being in treated water and laundry bleach, chlorine is also used to whiten paper products of all kinds - from writing and art paper to facial tissues aka kleenex, toilet paper, paper towel and feminine care products like tampons and pads.
Although I am now fine with it, when I was much worse than now MCS-wise, I couldn't even touch chlorine-whitened paper products without reacting. Every paper product I used had to be chlorine-free. Before I found chlorine-free paper, I was using chlorine-free paper towels to write on!
There are two kinds of 'chlorine-free'. One is called Total Chlorine Free (TCF) and refers to products that have never come into contact with chlorine. The second is called Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) and refers to products that may include recycled fibres that originally had contact with chlorine, but in the present product no chlorine was used.
Although some severe MCS people can only use TCF products, I have been okay with PCF products (which is what you will mostly find available).
Chlorine-free products that are whitened use 'oxygen bleach' to whiten - essentially a very strong potency of hydrogen peroxide.
PCF products are becoming more available as the market for 'eco' or 'green' products grows. You can now get PCF toilet paper and paper towels at many regular stores and a few even have PCF facial tissues. One often has to read the fine print on products to find the words "whitened without the use of chlorine" or "whitened with hydrogen peroxide/oxygen bleach".
For Writing, Drawing and Printers
Over at my creativity blog, I've written a review of Ecojot, a company that makes PCF, 100% recycled journals, sketchbooks, scrapbooks and more. I love their products and was amazed and overjoyed to be able to use them right away after purchase! I chose books that were sandwiched between others so that they would not have gotten scents from the store on them. The glues and dyes used in them are vegetable based and I have never reacted to them.
I have also been okay with products by the company Pistachio though they have needed some airing out before use. They have lined, 3-ring binder type paper that I use as well as spiral-bound notebooks. Their dyes are also vegetable based.
Cascades makes PCF paper that works very well in printers and copiers and is super affordable at under $10 for 500 sheets (I use it as writing paper too). They also carry things like toilet paper, paper towel and facial tissue.
As far as I know, toilet paper that is marked as "Septic Safe" is chlorine free.
For People With Periods
If you choose only one product that is chlorine free, I urge you to choose chlorine free period products, especially if you use tampons.
The brand Natracare carries period products that are not only TCF but also made from certified organic cotton - another very important choice for those with MCS considering that cotton is one of the most heavily pesticided crops in the world.
I have had no reactions to their pads or tampons.
DIs there a chlorine-free product you like?
If so, please share in the comments area! I love learning about new resources.
Thanks :-)
