Eco-friendly house cleaning products

The majority of the world’s leading manufacturers of household cleaning supplies today, offer customers so called eco-friendly products. The use of eco-friendly detergents and cleaning supplies significantly reduce the risk of allergic reactions for people with skin diseases and various allergies. Make sure that when you are purchasing an eco-friendly product that it has been regulated. Be skeptical of products that give vague claims such as “non-toxic”, “environmentally-friendly” or “ecologically-safe”. A seal from a governing body MUST back these terms or else they don’t mean anything. Unfortunately, companies are permitted to label their products in this manner leaving it up to the consumer to be knowledgeable about what they are buying.

The main thing to look for is not only statements such as “biodegradable” and “non-toxic” but also if the product has been certified by a third party such as the EcoLogoM Program or the Design for the Environment Program (DfE) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has specific requirements that need to be met.

Certified eco-friendly or organic products:

· are produced from substances made up of plant and mineral origins;

· do not contain mineral oil and synthetic fragrances;

· do not contain ingredients that are harmful to the skin;

· are biodegradable and thus do not cause damage to the environment and water sources;

· are very concentrated and economical;

· do not contain chemicals (chlorine, dioxin, etc.);

· do not contain dyes;

· do not contain petrochemical components;

· are not tested on animals;

· are granted numerous awards.

Certified eco-friendly detergents almost ultimately decompose in the environment. There are many commercial formulas claiming to be eco-friendly however, their ingredients contain chlorine, nonylphenol ethoxylate, phosphates and other toxic ingredients, which are not very eco-friendly. Make sure to read the label when buying eco-friendly, environmental or organic to ensure that the product is made from natural ingredients only.

There are certain American companies whose products meet the requirements of U.S. law. However, Americans demand that only surface-active ingredients be subjected to biodegradation. As a rule, these ingredients make up 2-20% of some detergents. No other components in the U.S. are required to biodegrade. In Europe, this requirement extends over the entire product, concerning all its ingredients.

Another caution is that it is better not to trust companies whose salespeople use Greenpeace as one of the key elements of promoting the products. Some company’s distributors inform potential customers that they have a certificate of Greenpeace, confirming environmental safety of their products. It is absurd by definition, as Greenpeace, has never issued any certificates to anyone.

Be sure to carefully read the label when purchasing eco-friendly products. This will save you and your family from spending extra money on a product you may think is safe when in fact it could in turn harm your family and the environment. Remember that the main thing to look for is that a third governing party has certified the product because they have specific requirements that need to be met.