In the green living community, there has been an ongoing debate about whether or not it’s a good idea to support commercial “green” cleaning products. Can something commercially produced really be good for the environment? Why should I buy into these massive corporate “green” initiatives when I can just make my own cleaning products?
It’s a heated discussion with great points on both sides. Below we’ll dive into each side and try to shed some light on this complicated issue.
Our Take
Believe it or not, the truth of the matter is that commercial cleaning companies have a massive effect on the cleaning products industry. Unless commercial cleaners get on the green bandwagon, there will still be huge problems of pollution and potential health hazards brought about by the simple need to keep things clean.
Thankfully Commercial Green Cleaning is growing. As businesses feel the pressure to literally “clean up their act,” they are starting to integrate more environmentally friendly products into their inventory. This is great news for the planet, and this is why it’s actually important to support these green initiatives by big cleaning companies.
However, there are a few of the key things I feel more commercial cleaners should be thinking about:
- Focusing on safe cleaning products. Due to the rules and regulations regarding health and safety at work, this tends to occur not so much out of choice, but simply due to necessity. But still, keeping cleaning products non-toxic and safe to use is crucial.
- Water usage. Water is the key component for so much of our cleaning techniques, but it is often neglected when thinking about the environmental impact of our activities. On the corporate cleaning level, this means that more concentrated cleaning products (i.e. a lower water content) will reduce the environmental impact of their products.
Some Decent Green Cleaning Brands for the Home
Basically, at store, I’ll buy the 365 brand. If I’m shopping online, I usually go with 7th Generation. Both products lines provide great quality cleaning products.
Seventh Generation
Besides 365, Seventh Generation is also a great green cleaning line. Their products are high quality and clean well (though some people I know do say that the traditional dish soaps cut grease better – this is a good point of debate).
However, I do wish they would explain where they source some of their ingredients. But in general, people regard 7th Gen as a good quality company.
Seventh Generation Recycled Paper Towels
Typical paper towels are a recipe for excess waste. While recycled paper towels are typically more expensive, they’re at least a bit more environmentally friendly than their alternative. There are plenty of options, but I usually go with this option.
Of course, an even better option for the environment would be to use reusable microfiber towels and wipes.
365
The Whole Foods 365 brand has a great laundry detergent, dish soap, dishwasher soap and all-purpose citrus cleaner spray.
A Green Cleaning Rating System
Speaking of Whole Foods, a few years ago, they launched a new way to sort through cleaning products in terms of their environmental impact. It’s called the Eco-Scale (trademarked). Basically, the scale consists of four colors – red, orange, yellow and green. Red doesn’t meet their standards. Green would be the most most environmentally-friendly. Here’s the breakdown from their website:
Orange
- Full transparency, disclosure of ingredients on packaging by April 2012
- Independent 3rd party verified compliance to standards
- No ingredients with significant environmental or safety concerns
- No formaldehyde-donors, preservatives which have the potential to release formaldehyde
- No phosphates, chlorine, or synthetic colors
- No animal testing
Yellow
- All orange characteristics
- natural fragrances
- No ingredients with moderate environmental or safety concerns
- No DEA, MEA or TEA—surfactants that have the potential to contain nitrosamines and other impurities
- No synthetic, petroleum-derived thickeners made from nonrenewable sources
Green
- All yellow characteristics
- Plant- and mineral-derived ingredients
- No petroleum- derived ingredients
The color sticker is placed by the price tags on the shelves of most of the products in the cleaning section. The Green Mission 365 products usually rate green. I bought both the liquid laundry detergent and the all-purpose cleaner. The laundry detergent contains saponified soap nuts as the main ingredient. It doesn’t produce a lot of bubbles, I guess because it doesn’t contain SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate). I’ve tried it once in a HE/front loader at the laundromat and it seemed to work well. I also use it to hand wash clothes in the sink along with the Alaffia African Black Soap.
The all-purpose cleaner smells sort of like vinegar and works well while producing a lot of fizzy bubbles. In the last week, they’ve also added a Green Mission automatic dish detergent, a toilet bowl cleaner and those wet towel wipes.
A lot of Ecover’s products were yellow and orange. It seemed that Seventh Generation’s products had a few more that were orange (but still had a lot of yellows and the non-chlorine bleach that was green) but that may be because they have so many products so don’t take my word for it. I hadn’t looked at the packaging of cleaning products for awhile and was surprised to find SLS as one of the key ingredients to a few of their products. I’m not trying to make a judgement about SLS, but there may be better ingredients available for 7th Gen to use. Anyways, I still enjoy Seventh Generation’s products and I am using their Lavender dishwasher soap.
Some folks may take issue with Whole Foods, but I like the store and their commitment to environmental wellness, and think this rating system will help people make better decisions about cleaning products. It may also help nudge manufacturers in a good way.
Here’s a list of some Green and Yellow rated products available at Whole Foods:
Green
7th Generation non-chlorine bleach
Earth Friendly Toilet kleener
Yellow
7th Generation all purpose cleaner
7th Generation glass cleaner
7th Generation natural dish liquid
7th Generation shower cleaner
7th Generation bathrom cleaner
7th Generation free and clear dish detergent
7th Generation laundry stain remover
7th Generation natural oxy stain remover
7th Generation laundry powder free and clear
20 Mule borax
Biokleen oxygen bleach
Biokleen laundry liquid
Biokleen all purpose cleaner
Biokleen premium laundry powd
Dish out unscented dish soap
Dishmate liquid cleaner
Earth Friendly autp dishwasher
Ecover cream scrub
Ecover liquid laundry ultra
Ecover delicate wash
Ecover auto dishwashing tabs
Ecover rinse aid
Ecover floor soap
Ecover lemon frag all purpose concentrated
Green Shield organic laundry detergent oncentrated
Green Shield surface wipes
Method all purpose ginger yuzu cleaner
Orange Plus all purpose cleaner
A Note On Safety
Choosing to use Green Cleaning Products can be a simple way to not only reduce the damage you do on the earth, but also to reduce the damage you do to yourself. How many of us actually abide by all the ‘how to use’ information on our home cleaning products?
My guess – not many. We tend to assume that if something is sold to us, it simply must be safe. But, many products, especially cleaning products, do have potential health risks. It isn’t just the concern about toddlers drinking things they really shouldn’t either (though household cleaners are the main cause of child poisonings today). No, the issue is how we use them and what we use them with.
Most cleaners will tell you that they should only be used in a well ventilated space. But lets be honest here, how many of our guest bathrooms are well ventilated?
But lets be honest here, how many of our guest bathrooms are well ventilated?”
Fail to follow the warnings and you will definitely be breathing in far more of the fumes from your commercial cleaning products than that deemed safe in their product testing.
So, it seems that green cleaning products are better for you and the earth. Relying less on harmful irritants means they are less likely to lead to health issues for those who use them. But, even if you use the most natural cleaner on the market, do think about how you use them. Leaving all natural vegetable soap on your skin will damage it, drying it with its alkaline nature. Vinegar may be the mildest antibacterial cleaner, but you wouldn’t want to inhale it when mixed with baking soda.
Summary
Based on this entire debate, it seems that commercial green cleaning products are a happy medium for those who want to reduce their environmental impact, but don’t necessarily have the time or resources to make their own entirely natural cleaning products.
While there are some legitimate concerns about these corporate green initiatives in the cleaning industry, it is still a step in the right direction. Remember that we as consumers have the power to shift this, and many other industries, in the direction of a greener society, so engaging with these products and supporting these initiatives can have a great global impact, even though making your own cleaning products will greatly reduce your individual carbon footprint.
My advice – mix it up! Try out making some of your own cleaning solutions, but if you don’t find them effective, go for the green cleaning products on the market today. As I outlined above, there are many to choose from! Do your own research on this topic and figure out what would work best for your lifestyle and household. From there, you’re sure to make the best choices!
Credits
Dickson Falls by Michel Rathwell