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cleaning
Reduce your
family's exposure
Cleaning
Our Homes Without Polluting
Cleaning
products can threaten both human health and the natural environment. And
the risks in your home are something you should be especially concerned
about. The chemicals found in cleaners are not as easily dispersed indoors
as outdoors, so concentrations of toxic chemicals may be higher in your
home or office than they would be outside in the “open air.” The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that the concentrations of
20 toxic compounds it studied can be as much as 200 times higher inside
homes and offices than outdoors.
Because
of consumer demand and pressure from advocacy groups, many manufacturers
have created cleaners that are safer for the environment. But don’t
assume that terms like “natural” or “green” automatically denote
safety. The legal requirements for using such terms are fuzzy, and
manufacturers may not be under any requirement to disclose all of the
ingredients in their products.
Also,
please realize that there are non-toxic alternatives that can replace
almost all commercial products for your major cleaning needs. Many of
these options are not only safer, but they are often just as effective (if
not more so) and they are often less expensive. For example, baking soda
is a good cleaner and deodorizer, borax makes for an excellent
disinfectant, and distilled white vinegar is an effective cleaner.
You can
find an extensive list of alternatives for household cleaning and
maintenance if you visit the EPA’s EnviroSense Web site by clicking
here. In addition, we provide some tips below to help you reduce
your exposure to toxic chemicals in cleaning products.
What
to Look for in a Superior Cleaner
A superior green
cleaner is one that lessens its environmental impacts at every stage of
its life cycle, including its packaging. Keep the following things in
mind:
- Product
should be biodegradable and non-toxic to both homes and aquatic life.
- Avoid
purchasing products that contain EDTA and NTA. Instead, choose those
that use sodium citrate,
sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate or sodium silicate instead.
- Choose
products with a phosphate concentration of 0.5% by weight or less.
Those without any phosphates are the best, however.
- The
product should be concentrated and able to work in cold water.
- Avoid
products containing chlorine bleach or sodium hypochlorite.
- Choose
products with a VOC (volatile organic compound) concentration of no
more than 10% of the weight of the product when diluted for use as
directed.
- Try
to avoid ingredients derived from petroleum when possible. Choose
surfactants derived from vegetable oil when possible. Avoid those with
nonylphenol ethozylate. Look
for d-limonene and pine oil solvents.
This
checklist was prepared by Green Seal. Green Seal reports (on subjects
including lawn care, paper towels, fluorescent lighting, paints and office
supplies) are available free of charge to Generation Green members. |
