Are “Green” and “Natural” Cleaning Products Good for You and the Environment?

When you are cleaning your home, are the cleaners you are using doing damage to the environment or more importantly to you?

The chemical products that are used in most cleaners sold at your local market or home improvement stores are very toxic to the environment and to you. Through marketing we have been trained that the smell of the cleaners lets us know they are working, but in fact, the smells are used to mask the harsh chemicals in the products. How many of the products give you a warning, that if the product comes in contact with your skin, you should immediately flush that area with water? Or open all windows before using a product. Do we ever stop to think that these statements are indicative of dangerous products and we should question if what we are using is good? Let’s look at that:

Major chemical companies produce cleaning products for your home and business. While they have an interest in creating a product that cleans, their number one priority is making a profit for the corporation. Many companies are now coming out with “Green” or “Natural” products to go after a specific market and drive up profits. “Green” and “Natural” are great marketing terms but are they terms we should blindly trust or question?

“Green” or “Natural”

The answer to the question is no. The movement toward “Green” or “Natural” products was one of great promise when it first arose but the marketing industries have turned them into selling terms which are being used to dupe the masses into thinking the products are good for them and the environment. In some cases the terms fit but in the case of cleaning products you really need to be careful.

In investigating products from a major manufacturer of cleaning products, their “Green” line of products contains sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, which has been deemed a primary hazardous substance to the environment. Therefore, the main reason for putting a “Green” label on this product is used as a marketing tool to sell it to a group who believe they are helping improve the environment when in fact by using this product it does the complete opposite.

Are there products available that are truly safe for the environment?

While all products have a potential of harming the environment in one way or another, there are some that do considerably less damage.

Cleaning products that use enzymes, which breakdown stains naturally, are the best solution. In researching which products to use, be sure that other than water, a surfactant, and a fragrance, enzymes make up the balance of the product.  Although there are two other ingredients in the products other than the water and enzymes they are there for specific reasons and do not harm the environment. The surfactant is a detergent that is used to pick up the stain and the fragrance is used to identify the product, as is done when adding a fragrance to propane.
Let me know your thoughts on this blog and your experiences with cleaning products, good and bad.

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