Dangerous Detergent: Is My Laundry Detergent Toxic?
Prior to World War I, people around the world used pure soap to do their laundry. In 1916, driven by the war related shortage of fats and oils, Germany developed the first synthetic detergent to be used for laundry and dishwashing. In the United States, efforts to create detergents for household use by companies like Procter and Gamble started in the early 1930s.