We’re all much more conscious of the environment nowadays, especially when making choices such as what cleaning products to use. With a definite shift towards cleaner and greener cleaning practices, home owners and cleaners alike need to know whether the products they’re using are as green as the labels and advertising, make them out to be. But how exactly can you do this?
Know that natural doesn’t always mean green
Both derived from a natural product, ammonia and hydrogen peroxide are very harmful chemicals if misused; and so being natural, doesn’t always mean safe and kind to the planet.
In fact, natural is a very loose term that’s all too often bandied around in a misleading way on labelling and branding, so always be cautious of cheap cleaning products which may use the term ‘natural’ incorrectly or inaccurately.
Try to find botanical or plant-based products
If you’re looking for a cleaning product that’s truly natural, it’s a much safer bet to look for plant-based sprays and chemicals, since these are also non-toxic and non-abrasive.
Don’t fall for ‘natural’ marketing ploys
Many products use the words ‘eco-friendly’ on their packaging, but this doesn’t automatically mean that you’re buying a truly green product. The word ‘biodegradable’ is also frequently seen on a variety of cleaning products, and this can be highly misleading. The truth is that anything, no matter what it is, will biodegrade given enough time (and that may be hundreds, if not thousands of years), making it technically, biodegradable. Sadly, without tough laws on labelling, many companies get away with this kind of misleading information, meaning that as consumers, we have to be extra vigilant.
So, what can you believe when it comes to green cleaning products?
A truly green cleaning product may have the words ‘phosphate-free’ on the label. A lot of phosphates heading down our sinks and out into our waterways causes immeasurable problems with algae, which goes on to clog up rivers and streams and harm the fish and wildlife that live there.
The old ones are the best
Many people who want to clean their homes while being more respectful to the environment (and their own health) have reverted to some of the older, more traditional methods of cleaning using cheap, store cupboard ingredients such as: vinegar, lemon juice, bicarbonate of soda, salt, essential oils and newspaper. While a certain degree of elbow grease might be required when using these products on particularly tough stains, when compared to chemical based products, most of us think it’s worth it in terms of doing less damage to the environment. Not always suitable for large, commercial scale cleaning projects, they are perfectly good for use in and around the home, and are much cheaper than flashy, store bought products.
It’s always possible to use truly green cleaning products, it just requires a little more vigilance when it comes to reading labels, and a little more determination to do the right thing.
