What’s In Your Cleaner?
When it comes to knowing what’s in your cleaner, it can be rather confusing to the average consumer with all the obscure language and labeling on cleaning products. Ironically, cleaning products aren’t required to disclose their ingredients, but those big, bold “danger”, “warning” and “caution” labels should say enough.
Most people go to the supermarket, look at the bewildering array of products, and think “how can I tell? "There's almost a deliberate attempt by companies to obscure what the products really contain," says Professor Chris Winder, a toxicologist at the University of NSW
Conventional cleaners have many harmful chemicals that find their way into the environment via air or water. Many household cleaning products used today release volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). Other chemicals find their way to our waterways and soil when we rinse them into our drainage systems. It's important to remember that nothing ever goes away.
Every day we are exposed to countless chemical ingredients in daily life that may be harmful to our health – too numerous to outline here and beyond the scope of this information, but you should know some general categories of chemicals that should be avoided.
Conventional cleaning equipment and products can look like they’ve done the job of leaving your home and/or business clean and spotless, often disguised by the fragrances they emit, but they actually leave behind toxic residues and air pollution that can compromise your health and safety.
Toxic ingredients found in common household and consumer products. This list is not all-inclusive and the information provided is based solely on what is known, not suspected.
- Chlorine bleach can irritate the lungs and eyes and in waterways can become toxic organochlorines, which result from the combination of hydrogen and carbon. Some types are highly deadly, such as DDT. OCs are bioaccumulative and also highly persistent in the environment. OCs are present in pesticides, detergents, de-greasers and bleaches. OCs are also present in drycleaning fluids. OCs are carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.
- Napthas and mineral spirits
- Ether-type solvents
- Methylene chloride
- Butyl cellosolve and petroleum distillates (found in oven cleaning products)
- Sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide (found in drain cleaning products)
- Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) (found in detergents and disinfectants, and are suspected hormone disruptors). APEs act as surfactants, meaning they lower the surface tension of liquids and help cleaning solutions spread more easily over the surface to be cleaned and penetrate solids. APEs are found in detergents, disinfectants, all-purpose cleaners and laundry cleansers. They are also found in many self-care items including spermicides, sanitary towels and disposable diapers. APEs are endocrine disruptors.
- Ammonia (which is poisonous when swallowed, extremely irritating to respiratory passages when inhaled and can burn the skin on contact)
- Indiscriminate use of antibacterial cleansers containing triclosan may be contributing to the rise of antibiotic-resistant germs
- Butyl cellosolve ethylene glycol monobutyl ether is poisonous when swallowed and a lung-tissue irritant
- Diethanolamine (DEA) (can combine with nitrosomes to produce carcinogenic nitrosamines that penetrate skin)
- Fragrances may contain phthalates which are most commonly used in the manufacture of plastics or furniture polish. Phthalates are also used as carriers for perfumes and air fresheners and as skin penetration enhancers for products such as moisturizers. These chemicals are classified as inert and as such no product-labeling requirements exist for phthalates. They are endocrine disruptors and suspected carcinogens. Phthalates are known to cause hormonal abnormalities, thyroid disorders, birth defects, reproductive problems and liver cancer in lab animals and to asthma in children
- Sodium hydroxide (found in drain, metal and oven cleaners; extremely irritating to eyes, nose and throat and can burn tissues on contact
- Sodium lauryl sulfate (a common sudsing agent, can penetrate the skin and cause contact dermatitis)
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). VOCs are emitted as gases suspending themselves in the air. VOCs include an array of chemicals, some of which may have short and long-term adverse health effects, and are present in perfumes, air fresheners, disinfectants and deodorizers. VOCs commonly include propane, butane, ethanol, phthalates and/or formaldehyde. These compounds pose a variety of human health hazards and collectively are thought to be reproductive toxins, neurotoxins, liver toxins and carcinogens.
- Formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is commonly known as a preservative. Many people do not know that it is also a germicide, bactericide and fungicide, among other functions. Formaldehyde is found in household cleaners and disinfectants. It is also present in nail polish and other personal care products. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen.
- Styrene. Styrene is a naturally occurring substance derived from the styrax tree. Styrene is most commonly used in the manufacture of numerous plastics including plastic food wrap, insulated cups, carpet backing and PVC piping. Styrene is also found in floor waxes and polishes and metal cleaners. Styrene is a known carcinogen as well as an endocrine disruptor. Exposure may affect the central nervous system, liver and reproductive system.
- Pesticides. One of the most counter-intuitive health threats is that of products that disinfect. Common sense tells us that killing household germs protects our health. However, disinfectants are pesticides, and the ingredients in pesticides often include carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. Pesticides are fat-soluble, making them difficult to eliminate from the body once ingested. Pesticides, including disinfectants, may also include alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs).
Natural cleaning solutions and methods require a shift in perception, but consumers are increasingly demanding greener products. Just Green cleaning solutions clean better than what you buy in the supermarket, but Americans are under the impression that you need the smell of chlorine for things to be clean. If there's a lingering smell after you finish, it doesn’t mean that it’s clean, because a layer of residue and toxic fumes have been left behind!
Residentially Green:
Just Green cleaning does not use chemical irritants such as bleach, carpet cleaners, aerosols, air fresheners, or ammonia. These chemicals irritate the bronchial passageways of children, pets and adults with respiratory conditions. Most Just Green cleaning solutions include common kitchen ingredients - water, white vinegar, baking soda, essential oils and castile soap - and are safe to use on household surfaces. These ingredients are safe to use in the home and would not harm an individual if ingested - though the castile soap probably wouldn’t taste very good!
Commercially Green:
Just Green commercial cleaning increases workplace safety, health, productivity, and return on investment (ROI) of facilities. Our cleaning practices do not expose workers to harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and fluorocarbons that decrease indoor air quality (IAQ). Just Green cleaning can help reduce the costs to building management including costs associated with sick leave, health care, and productivity loss. Just Green uses energy-efficient equipment and focuses on preventative maintenance to reduce expenses.
A further advantage to Just Green commercial cleaning is the enhancement of the organization’s reputation and brand equity because being ‘socially conscious’ has become a desirable business trait. Cleaning with Just Green can earn LEED credits. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a series of building ratings developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to provide a standard for what constitutes a “green building” or “high performance” building. (There is an effort underway to develop LEED for homes.)
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