Coming Clean about Cleansers
Article taken from the University of California, Berkley Wellness Letter. Volume 28 - Issue 3 - December 2011
Every home has its cache of cleaning products-for bathroom, kitchen, dishes, floors. But what's in them? Are they harmful only to germs? Cleaning products contain chemicals that allow oils and dirt to dissolve in water so they can be rinsed or wiped away. They also often contain bleaches and abraisives. Many contain terpenes, which come from the volatile oils of plants (such as pine or lemon), used as fragrances or solvents. When vaporized, terpenes can combine with other air pollutants (ozone, for example) to create hazardous compounds such as formaldehyde (a carcinogen). Other cleaning products contain solvents called glycol ethers, which can be respiratory and eye irritants. So it's no surprise that studies have found that household cleansers, as commonly used, can be major contributors to indoor air pollution. Most cleaning products, including the "green" varieties, have proprietary formulas and thus list few, if any, ingredients on their labels. Some do say what's not in them: no chlorine, for instance, or no phosphates.
Article taken from the University of California, Berkley Wellness Letter. Volume 28 - Issue 3 - December 2011
Such terms as "natural," "green," "ecologically friendly"
and "nontoxic" have no legal definition and thus no meaning on
a label. Often it's hard to tell whether a product is being sold
as "healthy for the environment" or "healthy for you." As with
all products, be wary of extravagant sales claims. The
"biodegradable" detergent with a "green" label may be no more
or less biodegradable than a conventional product. There is no
health advantage to a product made with plant oils over one
made with petroleum.
There are some good "green" products, though they often cost two
to three times as much as regular cleansers. They, too, should
be used sparingly and according to directions. One resource is
GreenSeal.org, which provides information about environmentally
safe products.