Let’s be honest; we all do our fair share of cleaning. It’s normal to want a clean, tidy home, and there are many convenient cleaning products available to help us achieve that goal. But when we’re using these cleaning products, we don’t always consider their ingredients or the impact they can have on our health.
A lot of the time, we don’t know what’s inside our cleaning products, which can be concerning. There is another option; green cleaning products. Below, we’ve outlined eight reasons to make the switch to greener cleaning.
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Safer for the Home
Commercial cleaning products come with warnings; some of the ingredients contained within are flammable and toxic, and they are certainly not something you want in your home. It doesn’t seem safe to use these cleaning products with such ingredients on high-touch surfaces, especially when we have small children and pets.
Rather than disinfecting, sometimes these commercial cleaning products can completely sterilize your home, eliminating even good bacteria. We need bacteria in our lives to help build immunity, and living in a sterile environment can make us vulnerable. By using greener cleaning products, you’re keeping your home and the occupants safe.
Source: blog.omysa.com
Environmental Impact
When we are cleaning and washing our cleaning products down drains and toilets, we have to keep in mind that the water we use goes somewhere. The chemicals in commercial cleaning products can be harsh, especially on the environment; the ingredients they contain can be hazardous and non-biodegradable.
Ingredients like ammonia, phosphorus, and nitrogen can pollute waterways; there are waste treatment facilities that remove pollutants from water before returning it to waterways, but certain cleaning chemicals aren’t removed. They then enter these waterways and damage the ecosystems within.
Most eco-friendly cleaning products are naturally derived with safe and biodegradable ingredients that don’t negatively impact the environment; using simple cleaners like vinegar and baking soda is one example.
Saves Money
Most retailers have entire aisles dedicated to different cleaning products, and sometimes the pricing can be quite a shock. Because commercial cleaning products have a lot of ingredients and chemicals, they tend to be higher priced. If you look through these commercial cleaning products, you’ll see that many of them were made for a specific purpose. This means that to clean your home, you’ll have to invest in multiple different cleaning products.
This is a problem that can easily be solved by purchasing eco-friendly all-purpose cleaners that can perform multiple jobs. Eco-friendly cleaning products tend to come in bulk, and you can even dilute them to make them last longer, and they’ll still be as effective. Investing your money in greener cleaning products is one way to save money.
Additionally, you can even make your own green cleaning products; you likely already have most of the ingredients in your cupboards. Baking soda and vinegar are two popular eco-friendly cleaning agents, and other options like lemon, citric acid, and olive oil work just as well.
Source: cnbc.com
Know the Ingredients
Some commercial cleaning products provide labels that list the ingredients, though sometimes the ingredients might be listed as abbreviations, which means the average person won’t know what it is. Unfortunately, not every cleaning product lists its ingredients; unlike other industries, cleaning products are not federally required by law to provide a list of ingredients. With this lack of oversight, it means that, for some brands, we really don’t know what the product contains.
This can be scary, especially when we are regularly using these products. Many green cleaning manufacturers are transparent and do provide a list of the ingredients, so by using green brands, you’ll know what you’re actually cleaning with.
Fewer Allergens
When we’re cleaning our homes, we’re ridding them of allergens like dust and mold, but ironically some of the commercial cleaning products available can bring on asthma attacks and sinus irritation.
Many cleaning products contain allergens and irritants like:
- Masking agents to cover the chemical smell
- Ammonia
- Sulfates
- Formaldehyde
- Caustics
- Gluten
Most green and eco-friendly cleaning products steer clear of these ingredients and can help eliminate other allergens from our homes.
Source: researchgate.net
Gentle on the Skin
A common issue with commercial cleaning products is their effects on our skin, as many of them contain irritants. Some of the irritants that can be found in commercial cleaning products are:
- Formaldehyde: This ingredient is a carcinogen, and it can cause both skin irritation and allergic responses. It’s known by many other different names, like Formalin and Formic aldehyde, and sometimes the side effects caused by exposure can be serious. Not all commercial cleaning products contain formaldehyde, but sometimes the mixture of multiple ingredients can release the ingredient.
- Chlorine Bleach: chlorine is found in many cleaners and disinfectants because of its ability to kill bacteria, but exposure to chlorine bleach has been linked to asthma and other chronic respiratory problems. Other side effects, like allergic reactions, burns, and tissue damage, can occur from exposure.
- 2-Butoxyethanol (2-BE): this ingredient can be found in many different commercial cleaning products, like window cleaners, carpet cleaners, and degreasers, but it is classified as a toxic substance and can cause irritation in the skin, nose, throat, and eyes.
You don’t need these ingredients to clean your home. There are plenty of safe, eco-friendly options that won’t irritate your skin, like Grab Green’s products.
Give Back
There are many green cleaning product brands that are very serious about social responsibility. They often give portions of profits to organizations concerned with social, environmental, and educational change. By purchasing from these brands, you are helping give back to your community and helping to make a difference.
Source: indoorhygenics.com
Cleaner Air
Cleaning with commercial products, especially ones that contain bleach, often releases fumes into the air when used. The usage of conventional cleaning products can lead to higher indoor air pollution and have a severe impact on your health.
These commercial cleaning products can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can lead to damage to the liver, kidneys, and the central nervous system, and they can linger in the air for a long time. Not only that but when chemicals mix, they can release toxic gasses that can cause you serious harm.
Because most eco-friendly cleaning products are free of these ingredients, they’re much safer to use.
