The Great ‘Green’ Deception: Why Your Green Cleaner May Not Be as Harmless as You Think

Manufacturers want you to believe their cleaning products are natural, harmless, and earth-friendly, as well as effective. Can you really trust them when the Environmental Working Group recently scored 62 out of 94 household cleaning products a “D” or worse for toxic effects?

Benefits

Cuts through grease, dirt, and grime to leave household surfaces fresh and clean
Contains plant and mineral derived ingredients, not volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or other harsh chemicals
Contains no dangerous formaldehyde-creating preservatives
Contains no synthetic petroleum ingredients
Is truly “fragrance”- and dye-free

Additional Information

We're sure you’ve seen the claims, made with plant-based ingredients, EPA-registered, naturally scented, biodegradable, no harsh chemical fumes.

But did you know that these very same products often contain ingredients that the Environmental Working Group – a trusted, reliable source for product information – scores as “D” or “F”!

How can that be?

Manufacturers know many of today’s consumers want an effective product that doesn’t contain potentially hazardous ingredients. Nor do they want one that can harm the environment, especially aquatic life.

By using the word “green”, manufacturers hope they can catch your eye.

But here’s the catch: Because there aren’t any industry standards for “green”, this word is just as meaningless as “natural” is with food.

Knowing and trusting the manufacturer may be your best assurance of getting a product that doesn’t contain ingredients that could potentially harm you, your loved ones, or the environment.

Surprisingly, you can’t always depend on labels to give you that information. No law requires manufacturers to list all of a product’s ingredients on their labels, especially if they have a so-called ‘trade secret’ formula.

Yet, labels can be a good start. By knowing what to look for – and to avoid - you can side-step the most questionable ingredients and know what to look for in a truly green household cleaning product.

How to Tell if a Product is Truly “Green”

Today there are over 80,000 chemicals used in products.

It takes time and money to test these chemicals, and frankly, it’s not in industry’s best interest to know which ones are toxic. Reformulating products can be costly.

Luckily, we have the Environmental Working Group (EWG) on our side. EWG is a non-profit, non-partisan organisation dedicated to protecting human health and the environment.

The EWG’s team of scientists, policy experts, lawyers and others have been researching and testing ingredients and products for over 20 years.

They can provide accurate information about products that manufacturers can’t or won’t!

Recently the EWG reviewed a total of 94 popular household cleaning products, including so-called “green” products, and 62 of them received scores of “D” or worse for toxic effects. An additional 28 scored only a “C”.

These toxic effects from cleaners include respiratory symptoms, chemicals burns and poisonings, skin irritation and allergies, as well as higher risks of cancer and birth defects.

After scouring through product labels, company websites and technical documents, the EWG recently found that only 7 percent of products accurately listed their ingredients on the label.

Watch Out for These Top 13 Offenders

Here are just a handful of the worst offenders, according to the EWG. Go ahead and get your current clearing products and see how many of these are listed on the labels:

Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives – This known human carcinogen can be generated by formaldehyde-releasing preservatives such as bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol) added to make the formula antibacterial and to extend shelf life. (EWG found formaldehyde in popular “green” and other grocery store cleaning products)
Methylisothiazolinone and Benzisothiazolinone – Synthetic preservatives found in some “green” cleaners that are rated “D” and “C”, respectively, by EWG for evidence of acute aquatic toxicity and skin irritation and damage.
Polysorbate-20 – Another ingredient found in popular “green” cleaners that are rated “D” by EWG for evidence of cancer, developmental and reproductive effects, endocrine effects, and damage to DNA.
Quaternary ammonium compounds, such as benzalkonium chloride and Alkyl C12-16 Dimethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride (“quats”) – Scored “F” by EWG for general system/organ effects, respiratory effects, and reproductive toxicity in animals.
Ethanolamine – Rated “F” by EWG for evidence of skin irritation, allergies, respiratory effects, general systemic and organ effects, a high level of concern for severe skin burns and eye damage, central nervous system depression, and high chronic toxicity to aquatic life.
Chlorine bleach – Bleach fumes contain toxic, carcinogenic and irritating gases, including chlorine, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. One study found that those who used a spray cleaner with bleach four or more times a week were more likely than non-bleach users to experience respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.
Nonylphenol ethoxylate – Banned abroad and in California in cleaning products after 2012. Breaks down to nonylphenol which can disrupt hormones and is toxic to aquatic life.
Diethylene glycol monomethyl ether (DEGBE), or methoxydiglycol – Found in some heavy duty household cleaners, this chemical has been banned in the E.U. for its damaging effects on fertility. Glycol ethers are linked to reduced sperm counts in men and birth defects as they are readily absorbed through the skin or can be inhaled.
Diethanolamine (DEA) and Triethanolamine (TEA) – Sudsing agents that can react with undisclosed preservatives or contaminants to form carcinogenic nitrosamines that easily pass through your skin.
1,4-Dioxane – Another suspected carcinogen that is found in many name-brand cleaners, especially those made with ethoxylated alcohols.
Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) – Mimics estrogen and disrupts hormones to interfere in the body’s natural chemical messaging systems. May increase risk of birth defects and cancers.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – A variety of chemicals that are emitted as gases with various short- and long-term adverse health effects. VOCs are a major source of indoor air pollution.
Fragrance – Some concern with skin irritation, allergies, skin damage, acute aquatic toxicity, and nervous system and respiratory effects.

Beware of Fragrances – Even If They Call Them “Natural”!

The cleaning product industry knows how important scent is to many consumers.

Where that scent comes from is the problem. If a pure essential oil is used, you’re likely in the clear.

It’s when you see the word “fragrance” that you need to become very, very suspicious.

The fragrance industry is big business. Some estimate it to be valued as much as $100 billion.

When manufacturers add a scent and list it as “fragrance” on the label, they are entirely free of government oversight and safety regulation.

In other words, they don’t have to ensure that fragrance is safe!

Here’s what’s so bad about fragrance: That one word refers not to a single ingredient, but possible combinations of up to 3,000 chemicals that may not have been tested for safety.

When you see “fragrance” on the label of a cleaning product, you have no way of knowing how many chemicals it contains, and how those chemicals might interact with each other.

And these aren’t exactly pristine scents from nature either. Many are synthetic – typically petroleum-based – and linked to some of the chronic health issues as mentioned earlier.

It’s Not Just Your Health That May Be at Risk

If you have children, grandchildren, or pets who live with you or visit on occasion, you need to know that the risk to their health may be far greater than to your own.

Because infants’ and children’s bodies and organs are still growing and developing, potentially harmful ingredients (fragrances included) can do greater and more lasting damage.

And if you have a dog or cat, you know you’re constantly cleaning up puddles of spilled water, drool, food scraps, paw prints, tracked litter and all the other messes that come with owning pets.

Every time you wipe up one of these messes with a household cleaner, you leave behind residual solution that your pet can later lick off the floor or track with his paws.

That’s not all.

Many commercial cleaning products pollute the air inside your home by off-gassing toxic fumes. They are not only irritating to your and your pet’s eyes, nose, and throat, but can be inhaled and lead to breathing issues.

And the more fastidious you are about cleaning, the greater the potential for buildup of toxins in your indoor air and on your floor and surfaces.

Introducing Greener Cleaner Multi-Surface Household Spray – The Better Alternative

Who says you need to risk your health and well-being every time you clean your home, wipe up after your pet, or clean around the office?

With Greener Cleaner Multi-Surface Household Spray, you can toss those concerns away, right along with the potentially dangerous products that Dr Mercola hopes you will discard right away.

Safe for Just About All Surfaces – and It’s a Cinch to Use!

The unique, cutting edge formula is safe to use on just about any non-porous surface (Although Dr Mercola wouldn’t use it on unfinished wood or to clean electronics):

Quartz
Marble
Granite
Stone
Glass
Stainless Steel
Formica
Tile
Bathroom sink, toilet, shower and tub
Appliances (makes a great oven cleaner, too)
Finished wood
Office white boards

Greener Cleaner Multi-Surface Household Spray is great for cleaning finished hardwood floors, but always spot test first on wood.

Because it’s not a low pH formula, it can’t etch unnatural marble or travertine surfaces.

Use it for jobs all around your home or office – your kitchen appliances and floor, your bathroom, your patio grill, office white board, and your desk – wherever dirt and grime build up.

Best of all, it’s simple to use. Just spray and wipe – there’s no need to rinse as its streak-free formula leaves no residue. And its convenient spray top nozzle provides quick and dispersed application, exactly where you want it.

The Secret Behind Greener Cleaner’s Effectiveness

You may be wondering: How can it effectively clean so many different types of surfaces without any harsh and potentially harmful ingredients?

Let’s take a look at the formula that Dr Mercola came up with for Greener Cleaner Multi-Surface Household Spray:

Water - Believe it or not, if you get the right kind of water, it does the biggest job of all in cleaning. We use what’s known as RO/DI (reverse osmosis de-ionised) water, sourced from the Great Lakes, which is one of the more sustainable water sources in the world.
Capryl Glucoside - This surface active agent – or surfactant – is a literal magnet for dirt. Made from sugar and essential fatty acids under certain pressure, it creates a natural surfactant with a tail that wants to stick to dirt. By reducing the surface tension of water, it allows dirt to dissolve on surfaces and makes water more effective in magnetising the dirt and debris.

Lauramine Oxide - This is another surfactant that’s derived from natural essential fatty acids from coconut-derived material. It’s passed thru a pressure process to create a mild soft effect that reduces film and residues.
Sodium Gluconate - Especially useful for stubborn dirt and stuck-on debris, this is a sugar-derived material that is a fermentation derivative. The by-product of a bacterial process that converts sugar into natural organic chelate, it takes the place of EDTAs (chemical chelators) to break up grime and debris.
Sodium Carbonate - This is natural soda ash, a pH adjusting material that optimises the pH of the formula that helps tie up and sequester calcium and magnesium ions to leave behind a streak-free shine on the surface.
Grapefruit Seed Extract - A type of naturally occurring preservative, this seed extract stabilises the formula and helps prevent microbial growth for long-term storage. Does not create formaldehyde like other synthetic preservatives.

Suggested Use

Hold nozzle 6-8 inches away from surface and spray until surface is thoroughly covered. Wipe area with sponge or cloth.