Environmentally Safe Cleaning Products for the Home (Ultimate Guide)

If you are switching to eco-friendly cleaning products, chose wisely.

Manufacturers are marketing savvy experts in selling us what they think we want, whether or not it really is what we hope for. Just because an item has natural ingredients or fruit fragrances does not mean all the ingredients are safe for your home. Eco-cleaners should be entirely safe for you and the environment.

In this article, you will learn everything about environmentally safe cleaning products for the home. If you are trying to make your cleaning routine eco-friendly, here’s what to look for.

Eco-Cleaners – Environmental Attributes to Look For

The key points to look out for when choosing any Eco cleaners are:

• Biodegradable
• Phosphate-free
• Chlorine-free
• Bleach-free
• Scented with natural plant derived scents or essential oils
• Non-toxic

No matter how fantastic the credentials of the ingredients in your new green cleaning product, do not forget the packaging. Check for:

• 100% recyclable packaging, including bottle caps
• Avoid aerosols
• Look for concentrated products so you have to buy less packs and thus save on packaging
• Look for vegetable based ‘plastics’ used in packaging more and more

I also recently uncovered a little gem of information from the US Environmental Protection Agency about what to look for in green cleaners as well. Here’s what their take on green cleaners:

• Minimizes exposure to concentrates
• No ozone depleting substances
• Recyclable packaging
• Recycled-content in packging
• Reduced bioconcentration factor
• Reduced flammability
• Reduced or no added dyes, except when added for safety purposes
• Reduced or no added fragrances
• Reduced or no skin irritants
• Reduced or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Reduced packaging

Choosing the Best Environmentally Safe Cleaning Products for the Home

Just because a brand is known for making environmentally safe cleaning products, do not assume everything in their range is safe. Certain types of cleaners are very tough to make safe and completely non-toxic. Items to check more thoroughly are:

• Drain cleaners
• Tile cleaners
• Toilet cleaners

All the above are still likely to contain lye or similar corrosive elements, no matter how many other eco-friendly ingredients are in there.  They will undoubtedly contain less than the standard alternatives. Any cleaner you want to tackle really tough jobs has to be tough, so it is likely to be toxic to some degree.

Check out the full list of  chemicals to avoid.

Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Practices

• If possible chose all natural cleaning products, but beware that people can still be as sensitive to natural ingredients (especially perfumes) as they are to synthetic ingredients.
• Consider making your own cleaning products!
• Always avoid petroleum derived detergents and instead switch to coconut or palm oil detergents or natural, vegetable based soaps. This way you save oil and stop funding the petroleum industry with your housework.
• Use less product. To really make your cleaning Eco friendly, use less. Even the most green cleaning product requires energy to produce, uses up natural resources and your money. The more you use, the more water needed to rinse it away.
• Sometimes you don’t need any eco cleaners at all. Do not forget that good microfiber cleaning cloths, simply dampened with water can clean an awful lot of surfaces.  Using no cleaner is the most environmentally way of cleaning your home of all.
• Avoid the temptation to dry your cleaning efforts with paper towels. These cause huge environmental impact in their production, transportation and disposal. Many paper towels use bleaches in their production. Even though many are now made from sustained forests the dry cloth will always beat them in the Eco friendly stakes.

Don’t forget about the simple green cleaners you probably already have in your kitchen.

• A mild Eco friendly hand dish washing liquid can be used as a general multi-purpose green cleaner throughout your home.
• Vinegar and baking soda are both common household items which have a multitude of uses as Eco cleaners too.

Final Thoughts

Making your cleaning Eco friendly is more about a change in attitudes, than just buying your way to green cleaning.

Never assume anything, even the green cleaners are trying to sell themselves to you. Check labels thoroughly and wherever possible do a little more research on the Internet. Some green cleaning product manufacturers have really useful, open websites. Here you should be able to find out exactly what each ingredient is and the possible risks associated with it. If the manufacturer is not that forthcoming shop with one who is.

Good luck with making your cleaning Eco-friendly!

Image Sources

• Earth Sprouting by Gerd Altmann
• Tree in Glass Globe by ejaugsburg