Green Cleaning Product Tips

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green Cleaning Products

Do you struggle with trying to go green when you clean? 

Are you not sure what product are truly green and what products are not? 

Here are some simple guidelines you can follow when buying green cleaning products.

  • Avoid unsubstantiated and vague claims, such as "natural," "organic," "ecologically friendly" or "non-toxic."

  • The term "biodegradable" is meaningless on cleaning products, as most substances will eventually break down given enough time and the right environmental conditions. Make sure the company truly has full ingredient disclosure.

    Check out the National Geographic's simples tips to making

    green cleaning products.

    Ingredients to Avoid In Cleaners

vAlkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), common in detergent and disinfectants, are suspected hormone disruptors.
v
v

Ammonia is poisonous when swallowed, extremely irritating to respiratory passages when inhaled and can burn the skin on contact.

 
iIndiscriminate use of the Antibacterial cleansers containing triclosan may be contributing to the rise of antibiotic-resistant germs.
 

Butyl cellosolve (aka butyl glycol, ethylene glycol monobutyl) is poisonous when swallowed and a lung tissue irritant.

 

vChlorine bleach (aka sodium hypochlorite), an all-purpose whitening agent, can irritate the lungs and eyes and in waterways can become toxic organochlorines.

 

vDiethanolamine (DEA) can combine with nitrosomes (often-undisclosed preservatives) to produce carcinogenic nitrosamines that penetrate skin.

 
vFragrance frequently contains phthalates, chemicals linked to reproductive abnormalities and liver cancer in lab animals and to asthma in children.
 
vPhospates soften water for detergents but contribute to algae blooms in our waterways, which can kill off fish populations.
 
vSodium hydroxide, found in drain, metal and oven cleaners, is extremely irritating to eyes, nose, and throat and can burn those tissues on contact.
 
vSodium lauryl sulfate, a common sudsing agent, can penetrate skin and cause contact dermatitis.

                                                      -information provided by National Geographic's- Green Guide