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Buying Guide - All-Purpose Cleaners

From The Green Guide

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What To Look For

Unless you have a compromised immune system or an illness that may make you especially vulnerable to infection from microbes and bacteria, you probably don't need a disinfectant for most household needs. Household surfaces can be adequately cleaned using hot, soapy water and a little elbow grease.

Ingredients

Although manufacturers aren't required to disclose cleaning product ingredients, avoid products containing the worst offenders, and choose those made with plant-based, instead of petroleum-based, ingredients. The cleaners above are generally safer than conventional cleaners, but some still contain irritating ingredients and should be handled with care:

Enzymes: Enzymes are naturally occurring proteins produced by all living organisms to speed up chemical reactions. In cleaning products, they breakdown stains and eat through grime. Avoid using enzyme cleaners, particularly those containing protease enzymes, on carpets or upholstery, as the enzymes remain in the fibers where they may be continually inhaled, triggering asthma and other respiratory allergies.

Ethanol: Ethanol is a type of alcohol made from plants, usually corn. Because it is a volatile solvent, it can irritate eyes, skin and respiratory tracts.

Potassium hydrate (also potassium hydroxide, caustic potash and lye): Because potassium hydrate is extremely corrosive, always wear gloves when using products containing it. Also, be sure to store it safely away from children, as ingestion causes damage to the mouth, throat and stomach and, in severe cases, death.

Sodium Carbonate (washing soda)': The grainy texture of washing soda cuts through grease and removes wax. Washing soda also acts as a deodorizer. Due to its caustic nature, always wear gloves when handling products with washing soda.

Surfactants: Surfactants lower water surface tension, enabling cleaning chemicals to spread and penetrate more easily. Manufacturers usually don't disclose the type of surfactant used, instead using vague terms such as "nonionic surfactant,""anionic surfactant" or "wetting agent." Some surfactants are safer than others, such as alklyl polyglycoside which is made from cornstarch and a plant fatty alcohol. On the other hand, anionic linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) is derived from the non-renewable petroleum byproducts benzene (which the EPA has classified as a human carcinogen) and paraffins. Sodium laureth sulfate (also SLES and sodium lauryl ether sulfate) is another anionic surfactant that may contain 1,4-dioxane, a probable human carcinogen. The FDA monitors products for the contaminant but has not yet recommended an exposure limit. Manufacturers can remove dioxane through a process called vacuum stripping, but a small amount usually remains. Even though we recommend avoiding SLES in personal care products, finding a cleaner without it can be difficult. Finally, production of the nonionic surfactant alcohol ethoxylate, derived from plant and vegetable oils, can also release 1,4-dioxane.

Third Party Certification

While third party certification is rare for cleaning products, products bearing one of the following labels come with additional guarantees.

Leaping Bunny

The Leaping Bunny label indicates products made by companies that follow the Corporate Standard of Compassion for Animals. This standard was developed by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, a coalition of eight animal protection groups, including the American Humane Association and The Humane Society of the United States. Companies with this logo pledge not to conduct or commission animal testing on either their products or the ingredients used in those products.

Green Seal

To qualify for Green Seal certification, cleaning products cannot irritate skin, be corrosive to the eyes or skin or cause human illness or injury when inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin- qualities that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) qualifies as toxic. It cannot contain 2-butoxyethanol, alkylphenol ethoxylates, pthalates, heavy metals, optical brighteners or ozone-depleting compounds. It also cannot contain any ingredient determined to be mutagenic by the UN and any ingredients considered reproductive toxins by the State of California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Certified products also can't contain any chemical considered carcinogenic by five agencies, including the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the EPA. Furthermore, cleaners can't be combustible or contain air pollutants, and the use of added fragrances must be noted on MSDS sheets and product labels. The product must also be biodegradable, as determined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's guidelines for testing chemical biodegradability. Finally, the Green Seal certification guarantees that, under standard testing methods, the product performs at least as well as a conventional product.