When you clean your house, do you consider how safe your products are for you and the environment? Many cleaners claim to be “green,” but are they truly?
Caution! Toxic if swallowed! Corrosive! Keep out of reach of children! A quick scan of cleaning products reveals alarming warnings. Even when used as instructed, are you and your family safe?
Chemicals and Their Consequences
Only 1% of household bacteria can make us sick, yet we’ve become ‘clean freaks’ with dire consequences. Antibacterial cleaners have led to stronger, more resistant bacteria. Asthma, chronic headaches, dizziness, reproductive problems, allergies, skin inflammation, poisoning, and developmental issues in children have all been linked to exposure to chemicals in conventional cleaning products.
For example, the solvent nitrobenzene reduces the body’s ability to carry oxygen through the bloodstream. Low exposure can cause fatigue, weakness, headache, and dizziness, while higher exposure can result in breathing difficulties, vision issues, and even coma. Long-term inhalation has caused cancer, reproductive disorders, and nervous system failure in lab animals.
Phosphates in conventional dish soaps, cleaners, and laundry detergents harm our environment. They drain into aquatic ecosystems, causing algae overgrowth. As algae die, oxygen-consuming bacteria form, killing other organisms and creating “dead zones.” Wastewater treatment plants remove some phosphates, but significant amounts still enter waterways daily.
The American Thoracic Society states that using conventional cleaning sprays just once a week may increase the risk of adult asthma, potentially responsible for one in seven cases. The US Environmental Protection Agency found that the air inside a typical American home is two to five times more polluted than the air outside, due to overuse of chemical cleaners.
Greenwashing
Manufacturers are only required to list active or potentially hazardous ingredients, not those that may be detrimental to health. In 2010, the Consumer Product Ingredient Communication Initiative invited companies to disclose all ingredients in their cleaning products. Only a few, like Seventh Generation and Ecover, have participated. Many others engage in ‘greenwashing,’ promoting the perception of being environmentally friendly.
Greenwashing warning signs:
- Using product names and natural imagery to evoke an eco-friendly feel.
- Using unregulated terms like “non-toxic,” “natural,” and “environmentally friendly.”
- Reducing harmful chemical ingredients slightly and claiming the product is “green.”
- Spending on advertising to distract from the unappealing aspects of a product or practice.
Better Choices
Natural cleaners are as effective at removing dirt and bacteria as conventional ones, without contributing to antibacterial resistance.
Try brands like Ecover, Seventh Generation, or Nature Clean for chemical-free dish liquid, laundry detergent, and all-purpose cleaners. You can also find economical cleaners in your pantry:
- Baking soda: A great all-purpose cleaner. Use alone or mixed with water, castile soap, and essential oils for a chemical-free scrub for tubs, toilets, and countertops. It also removes red wine and coffee stains.
- Grapefruit seed extract: Mixed with water, it makes an excellent mold and mildew spray.
- White vinegar: Kills germs and works well on linoleum floors and glass. Apply with a microfiber cloth dampened with water, which can be rinsed and reused.
Make a clean-green-sweep today…you’ll be glad you did.
