It appears that with the massive growth in the environmentally friendly market, some manufacturers of household cleaners are involved in a bit of dirty business. Are your so-called earth friendly cleaners safe?
All moms want to do right by their family and the earth, which explains
why many are turning away from standard toxic household cleaners to
"earth friendly" brands. The LA
Times, in an article questioning the safety of so-called "all natural cleaners", says that sales of such eco cleaners are up by 23% in
the last 12 months.
That burgeoning market means more and more "earth
friendly" products competing to attract those "earth friendly" dollars. So are those household cleaners actually as friendly as
they try to appear?
It is extremely important for the buyer of household cleaners to know
how very little regulation there is in the industry. Marketing phrases
such as "earth friendly", "all natural", and even "fragrance free",
have no legal parameters to how they can be used. For instance, a
manufacturer could label a product as "fragrance free", but with a bit
of hocus pocus, decide to classify the smelly stuff that is added to
their product as perfume instead of fragrance.
Being educated is the
best antidote against toxic or allergenic substances making their way
into our homes.
A recent study commissioned by the Organic Consumer's Association
tested many different body or home care items labelled "organic" or
"all natural", etc. for 1,4-Dioxane. 1,4-Dioxane is suspected of
causing cancer, commonly contaminates bodies of water, and is a
byproduct of a chemical process used to make detergents more mild.
Certainly it would seem to have no business being in a product labeled
"all natural." Sadly, almost half the products tested did contain this
chemical, including items from such well known brands as JASON Pure and
Natural, Kiss My Face, and Nature's Gate. The highest level was found
in Citrus Magic 100% Natural Dish Liquid.
Want to make sure that your cleaners are safe? Ignore all those catchy
marketing slogans and green colors, for starters. The only way to know whether your cleaner is safe is to check the ingredients. But most cleaners don't list them! So look for cleaners that list their ingredients on
the label, then check those ingredients for toxic substances. If you end up switching your household cleaner, make sure you send a note off to your former brand asking them to start listing their ingredients on the label.
If you don't want to become well versed in household chemicals, search online for homemade cleaner recipes. You will soon find out how amazingly simple it is to make your own. You probably already have the ingredients to make ultra safe, effective cleaners right in your pantry.
That was great, thank you. Now I need to go read my labels.
I was looking for a list of ingredients online but most of what i came across were written by manufacturers of products- I don't know if their "safe" judgements were honest. Can you recommend a reputable list of common ingredients?
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