Breaking Down Green Cleaning Products

The word is out and savvy moms are getting tough on conventional cleaners and holding the companies to a higher standard for the safety and health of their families.

I think it’s reasonable to expect that any product that comes face to face with our children be created in a manor that is not potentially harmful. And then there’s the lead toys fiasco – but that’s another story.

I think the thing that alarms me the most, is that we want the best for our kids and we put our trust in these companies to provide us with a quality product. The widespread availability and use of conventional products would naturally indicate that they must be safe for use? Wrong.

It can be really difficult to determine the ingredients in your cleaners while shopping because companies are not required to display in order to protect their blends. Good for them, bad for us and that’s where the waters get muddy.

When I heard that my home environment was potentially the most toxic place for my family I sat up and took notice. Apparently some 81,000 chemicals registered with U.S EPA in the last 30 years and fewer than 20% have been tested for toxicity!

Check out this eye opening video that I saw on CBC a few years back.

Our Health & Our Future

I am optimistic. Families everywhere are choosing to go green by using cleaners that are safe, free of harsh chemicals and biodegradable. Natural ingredients can be just as effective as harsh conventional cleaners but without the negative side effects.

If you are still in the process of switching over, I can understand why. Two objections regularly come up when we mom’s discuss being clean:

1. “How effective are green cleaning products?”
   
2. “How much more am I going to have to pay?” You may be surprised at the answer!

Conventional cleaners might be effective in cutting through dirt and grime but they do so at the expense of our health and the environment. We are just beginning to learn about the true cost of regular exposure to toxic, reactive, corrosive, or flammable ingredients in many household products.

Here’s a list of the most common nasty chemicals to be avoided at all costs:

• Ammonia – check your window and glass cleaner, this is a potential lung irritant.
• Antibacterial agents – it is believed that these lead to an increase in “antibiotic resistant” bacteria. Allow the body to be exposed to germs naturally by way of skin exposure and T1 resistance (the first line of defense) will be stimulated. A sterile home does not protect your health.
• Chlorine Bleach – so smelly and a major irritant to skin and lungs, potentially asthmatic.
• Petroleum – known as surfactants in detergents, paraffins in polishes all derived from the “petroleum pollution” industry.
• Phosphates – causes algae to form in water systems which damages marine life.
• Phthalates - do you really love that “clean smell”? Linked to cancer and respiratory diseases in lab animals.
• Nitrobenzene – an agent in polishes, associated with cancer, birth defects and even death.

Not only do ingredients like these and the hundreds of other potentially toxic ingredients used in mainstream cleaners have the potential to cause physical harm, they do environmental harm as well. Each day millions of pounds of household cleaning products are poured down drains.

Many of these toxic substances are NOT able to be processed adequately by sewage treatment plants or septic systems and contamination of surface and ground water can occur. Fish and other wildlife are negatively impacted.

How can we minimize our exposure to toxics?

1. Knowledge is Power No matter what I shop for – I read EVERY label. You can check the safety of the products in your home by visiting the Household Products Database. Reading labels, whether it’s for food or cleaners is the single most effective thing you can do to reduce your overall toxic load and stay healthy.
2. Take Action Safely dispose of the toxic offenders. I’ve been guilty of hanging onto half used bottles of Xbrand because I’m trying to be thrifty, but now that my daughter is with us, it’s become a black and white issue. Check out Dr Mercola’s recommendations on handling household cleaners.
3. Find A Safe Brand/Company There are a growing number of green cleaners available at health food stores and online.

Green cleaners have come along way, and you’ll find that most of the truly green ones are quite effective. I have found that the concentrated cleaners provide the most cleaning power. I’ve used a few of them so let’s break down my favorite green cleaning products:

• Melaleuca $21.99 / 96 loads / 22.9 cents per load. I really like this company for their tea tree medicinal products and gels, however the cleaning products were just too scented for me.
• Ecover / $9.00 / 20 loads / .45 cents per load. Good, but price tag is not competitive enough for me.
• 7^th Generation / $8.00 / 16 loads / .50 cents per load. There’s way more bang for buck with a concentrated product and less waste to recycle. Not a good deal.
• Shaklee – $39.95 / 224 med loads / 17.6 cents per load. I watched the Oprah show with Dr. Oz about these products and figured they were worth a try. One cleaning product is so concentrated that it’s almost absurd how little you use. Two drops? But it works. They are the only green cleaning products I use now . They are safe, cost effective, efficient and even stylish. See what Rachael Ray had to say.

The Au Natural Solution

Long before any of these cleaners were on the market, our Grandmothers used the most natural products of all. Here are a few great cleaning agents for making your own green cleaning products:

• Vinegar is a natural all purpose cleaner. It also disinfects and deodorizes. It kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs and viruses.
• Lemons can be used to make your own cleaning pastes when you add baking soda and vinegar. They dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits and they shine brass and copper. Since they smell so divine they can also be used to deodorize. For instance, grinding some lemon peels in the garbage disposal takes care of odors beautifully.
• Vegetable oils can be used as a furniture polish to hydrate and shine your wood furniture.
• Baking Soda is one of the more preferred and versatile natural cleaners. It deodorizes, it scrubs surfaces, and it can be used to make liquid pastes. Add a few drops of essential oil to baking soda and you have a scented toilet and tub scrub.

I hope this gave you a few ideas, and some inspiration to finally rid yourself of those last nasty products that might be lingering in your cupboard.

WIN IT: I’m giving away a 16oz bottle of the BasicH2 Organic from Shaklee. Let me know which area of your house gets neglected and needs the deepest clean! I’ll pick a name randomly and announce the winner on June 15th. Contest open to US & Canadian residents.

Congratulations: Comment #4 Brian E!! You have won yourself some help to clean those tiles! I’ve contacted you by email.

Tagged as: Green Cleaning