A Cleaner Clean

How to Clean Your Home Using Non-Toxic Products

By Melissa B. Scott

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It’s that time of year when you want to throw open your windows, let in the fresh air, and overload your home with toxic chemicals. You read that right. Unfortunately every year many of us do this very thing, when we use toxic conventional cleaning products.

According to research by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),‚  air inside homes is 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air. Studies have also found that in some instances homes had levels of toxic chemicals that were seventy times higher than the levels of those same chemicals outside. Why is our indoor air so polluted? Several key factors contribute to this problem. The first problem is a double-edge sword. In our efforts to be energy-efficient we have created tightly insulated homes that do not let in much fresh air thus creating a trap for indoor toxins. Second, there are pollutants in our home furnishings, building materials, and paints that are continuously released into our air that we breathe. Lastly, in our efforts to superclean our homes we use extremely toxic, potentially carcinogenic cleaning agents because we think they will work better and faster.

To make matters worse, cleaning products do not have to provide a full ingredient disclosure on their product labels, and most chemicals found in cleaning products have not been adequately tested for safety.

Fortunately there is a solution. There are a variety of non-toxic cleaners made by companies who choose to voluntarily list all of their ingredients on the label, who only use ingredients that have been found to be safe, and who produce goods that do not harm the environment. Although the EPA monitors and evaluates air and environmental concerns outside your home you are the only person who is responsible for the air within your own home. The following guide will assist you in cleaning your home this spring, freeing yourself and your family of toxic materials.

If every household in the U.S. replaced just one bottle of 32 ounces of petroleum-based all purpose cleaner‚  With a renewable resource based product, we could save 6,800 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 390 U.S. homes for a year.

“Seventh Generation, 2003

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Where to Start

If deciding to improve the air-quality of your home is a big task break it down into smaller steps. Jeffrey Hollender, Seventh Generation CEO and President, recommends the following steps in decreasing order of importance:

1. Remove the pesticides from your home.

2. Get rid of anything that has the word disinfectant.  Disinfectants are basically pesticides and are some of the most dangerous chemicals.

3. Find more natural spray cleaners: anything you spray into the air you are more likely to ingest.

4. Begin using non-toxic laundry and dish products

*Contact your local waste‚  department to find out how to properly dispose toxic materials.

The Low-down on Cleaning supplies

PRODUCT: Automatic Dishwashing Powder

TOXIC CHEMICALS: Chlorine, synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, DEA (Diathenolamine)

ALTERNATIVES: • Bi-O-Kleen Automatic Dish Soap • Mountain Green Liquid Dish Soap • Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid

WHY SWITCH?: A recent study at the University of Texas found that dishwashers were a significant source of hazardous fumes. They found that dishwashers have the ability to each 100% efficiency when transferring water pollutants and detergents into the indoor air.

PRODUCT: Bleach

TOXIC CHEMICALS: Chlorine

ALTERNATIVES: • Bi-O-Kleen Oxygen Bleach Plus • Heather’s Oxygen Bleach Cleanser • Seventh Generation Non-Chlorine Bleach

WHY SWITCH?: Chlorine causes atmosopheric ozone loss, and it’s byproduct, dioxin, has been linked to cancer and reproductive disorders. Also, when chlorine bleach is mixed with ammonia it will cause a chemical reactionthat creates a lethal poisonous gas. (This is actually on the label of most cleaning products. Have you ever noticed it?)

PRODUCT: All-Purpose Cleaner

TOXIC CHEMICALS: Solvents, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s “a class of airborne toxins), ammonia, petroleum, synthetic fragrances

ALTERNATIVES: • Bi-O-Kleen All Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser, Spray & Wipe Cleaner • Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds • Heather’s All Purpose Soap • Mountain Green All-Purpose Cleanser/Degreaser • NewBrite All Purpose Cleaner • Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner

WHY SWITCH?: EDTA and NTA are two chemicals used to boost the performance of cleaning supplies. However, these two chemicals are also both toxic and non-biodegradable, and thus could potentially leave toxic heavy metals in underwater sediments.

PRODUCT: Laundry Detergent

TOXIC CHEMICALS: Synthetic fragrances, DEA (Diethanolamine)

ALTERNATIVES: • Bi-O-Kleen Laundry Powder • Mountain Green Liquid Laundry Detergent • NewBrite Liquid Laundry Detergent • Seventh Generation Laundry Liquid

WHY SWITCH?: In 1998 the National Toxicology Program completed a study that found an association between the topical application of DEA and DEA-related cancer in laboratory animals. Although the study did not confirm a direct link the FDA is taking the results very seriously and is evaluating the‚  real DEA risk to consumers. Meanwhile, several companies have voluntarily chosen to develop products that are DEA-free.‚  Synthetic fragrances are known allergy triggers and may cause skin irritations.

PRODUCT:‚  Optical Brighteners: Used on surfaces and fabrics to make them appear brighter or whiter

TOXIC CHEMICALS: Benzene

ALTERNATIVES: • Non-chlorine bleach alternatives.‚  Also separating colors and whites will help keep whites‚  whiter  longer.

WHY SWITCH?: Optical brighteners are‚  chemicals that remain behind when the cleaning is complete‚  to reflect light outward making the surface appear brighter. Since these chemicals are meant to stick around they can cause allergies, and reports have shown that they can react with sunscreen causing sunscreen failure. 

PRODUCT: Glass Cleaner‚ ‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ 

TOXIC CHEMICALS: Solvents, alcohols,‚  ammonia, glycol ethers

ALTERNATIVES: • Heather’s Window Cleaner • Mountain Green Streak-Free Glass Cleaner • NewBrite Glass & Window Cleaner • Seventh Generation Glass & Surface Cleaner

WHY SWITCH?: Ammonia is a respiratory irritant and glycol ethers have been linked to organ damage. Furthermore, due to glass cleaners spray nozel they are quickly dispersed through the air which increases the potential negative effects.

PRODUCT: Carpet Cleaner/Stain Remover

TOXIC CHEMICALS: Alcohols, synthetic fragrances, chlorine,‚  petroleum, glycol ethers,‚  phosphates, dyes

ALTERNATIVES: • Bi-O-Kleen Stain & Odor Eliminator • PureAyre Odor Eliminator • Seventh Generation Carpet Cleaner

WHY SWITCH?: Harmful residues may be accidentally ingested by children and pets. With approximately 15% of the American population having sensitivities to chemicals in household products, daily contact could create an allergy. Several non-toxic lines use enzymes to attack waste and odors whereas others use hydrogen peroxide and citrus oil.

Sources: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html#IAQHome1; www.seventhgen.com. For more information please contact: Bi-O-Kleen, (800) 477-0188, www.bi-o-kleen.com; Dr. Bronner’s, (760) 743-2211, www.drbronner.com; Heather’s Natural Organic Cleaning Products, (877) JASON-01, www.jason-natural.com; Neways, www.neways.com; PureAyre, (877) 787-3297, www.pureaayre.com; Seventh Generation, (800) 456-1191, www.seventhgen.com; Simple Green, (800) 228-0709, www.simplegreen.com

May/June 2003