Cleaning clothes, more naturally

If you're a fashion freak like me, laundry day is more like laundry week. And if you aren't careful, all that cleaning could leech a load of chemicals into the environment as well as your skin.

I try to read the clothing care labels closely, then pick cleaners with simple, natural ingredients.

Sometimes clothes that are tagged "dry clean only" don't really need to be. Which is a good thing, because after reading this article from Dr. Maoshing Ni on Yahoo! Health, I'm thinking twice about taking a suit to the cleaners.

Dr. Ni warns about various toxins you may run into when cleaning clothes, and dry cleaning tops the list. Many cleaners still use a solvent called perchloroethylene or "perc," which can cause a host of health problems. So seek out a cleaner who uses fewer chemicals.

The Union of Concerned Scientists lists several safer, perc-free cleaning methods. Ask around to make sure your clothes get clean and green.