ANELIA VITANOVA: DREAMING OF A BRAVE CLEAN WORLD

In 2020, an experienced accountant had a brave dream, and dared to follow it. Inspired by a friend's skill to make nature and skin friendly, but effective cleaning products at home, Anelia Vitanova decided to manufacture and sell such products. A couple of months later, she discovered that she was expecting a child. Today, Anelia Vitanova proudly says that she has two kids: her son and her company, One.tergent.

One.tergent is a family business that offers a small, but effective range of products that effectively replace ordinary detergents in almost all spheres of domestic life. We talked to Aneila to learn more about One.tergent's products and why we need an alternative to chemical-heavy cleaning detergents.

How do the ingredients used in regular cleaning products affect our health?

Standard cleaning detergents and products contain very powerful and aggressive chemical ingredients that are often petroleum-based, with all the long-term consequences on nature and our bodies. They also contain ingredients such as phosphate and phosphonate, synthetic enzymes and bleaches. All of these with time, gradually but steadily, accumulate in our homes, on our clothes, skin and hair, in our bodies. Many of these chemicals do not break down or need a lot of time to do so.

Our bodies are not prepared to properly deal with such an aggressive and persistent chemical attack from all sides. It might take years, but eventually these chemicals can seriously damage our health. The allergies they can cause are just the tip of the iceberg here.

Is it really possible to have a clean home and clothes without products containing aggressive chemical ingredients?

Yes, it is. Our portfolio is the proof. One.tergent products contain few, natural ingredients like baking soda and sodium carbonate. We are stepping on our grandmothers' philosophy and practice – they used to make soaps of natural ingredients such as animal fat or plant oils.

The ingredients used in One.tergent products break down easily and do not accumulate on the clothes, the skin and in the body. They also do not irritate the skin and do not cause allergies.

On what principle did you select the ingredients in One.tergent's product portfolio?

Simplicity is my leading principle. One.tergent's washing powder has only five natural ingredients, a lot less than what is listed on the label of commercial washing powder. Our alternative is also suitable for allergic people, babies and young children. It is fragrance-free. If you want your laundry to smell nice, you can add some essential oils, like the ones that we offer on one-tergent.com. However, I have to say that they, too, can also provoke an allergic reaction.

Our other products – the citric acid and the sodium percarbonate, are 100% what it says on the label, just these two ingredients.

How can we use sodium percarbonate?

When in contact with warm water, sodium percarbonate breaks down to oxygen and soda, meaning that it can efficiently remove stains from clothes, even colour ones. This cannot be achieved with regular bleach. When added into the washing machine, sodium percarbonate can also make the white laundry whiter.

Besides this, you can use sodium percarbonate to clean most surfaces in your home. You only need to test beforehand before applying on natural stone or other delicate surfaces.

It is excellent for cleaning the toilet and the bathroom as well, as it removes all organic matter.

How it is different from your other cleaning product, citric acid?

Both products can be used to clean the bathroom, it depends on what you want to achieve. Sodium percarbonate's power is disinfection, while citric acid is an excellent descaler. An excellent solution in homes where the water is too hard.

When added to the washing machine, citric acid is an excellent replacement of traditional fabric softeners. Plus, if used regularly, it protects the washing machine from scale. Citric acid is more gentle on metal and skin than another natural cleaning solution, acetic acid. You can even use it to clean your coffee maker and electric kettle.

In short, the three main products of One.tergent allow you to keep most of your home and laundry clean, and your kitchen cupboard empty of useless plastic bottles filled with chemicals that you have bought because of heavy advertising.

What inspired you to start One.tergent?

In 2020 I realised that I wanted to give more to the world than I could as an accountant. In my previous job, I could help a single person, company, organisation. I wanted to do more while also taking care of my health. You know, for years I have suffered from allergic rhinitis, provoked by washing powders and fabric softeners.

I felt instantly better after I made the jump. One.tergent is a family business that grows along with my son. The older they become, the more age-related challenges my husband and I experience. It is hard to establish a new brand on the market, but I do my best to enjoy even the hard moments as they allow us to grow and to learn patience.

Plovdiv, 26 Georgi Danchov St

phone: 0897 948 272

office@one-tergent.com

one-tergent.com