The original natural family living magazine, founded in 1976. Reader-supported
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from Natural Life magazine,
January/February 2009 Q: Which household cleaning products for sale in the supermarket are green? A: Actually, making your own is greener, cheaper and healthier...and not difficult! A leading laundry soap has more than 400 ingredients, but in North America, the manufacturer can call them a “trade secret” and doesn’t have to list them on the box. (In Europe, manufacturers must tell you if a product contains a carcinogen or other harmful ingredient.) If a manufacturer won’t tell you what’s in the product, why should you trust it to be safe to clean the bathtub in which you bathe your children, the clothes that your family wears or the dishes on which you eat your food? These products contain some exceedingly nasty ingredients and they’re tested by the manufacturers, not the government, prior to being unleashed into our homes. As with the antibacterial soaps, cosmetics and air cleaners we’ve discussed in this column in the past, there are known health effects from many of the chemicals commonly used in household cleaning and laundry products. Animal studies have shown reproductive harm – testicular damage, reduced fertility, maternal toxicity, early embryonic death and birth defects. Some of the ingredients are proven carcinogens. Glass cleaners and laundry detergents commonly contain phthalates, which are used as carriers for fragrance. Phthalates have been linked to increased allergic symptoms and asthma in children; some phthalates are also known endocrine disruptors and have been linked to birth defects. Many glass cleaners and all-purpose spray cleaners also contain glycol ethers, such as 2-butoxyethanol. These solvents have been associated with low birth weight in exposed mice. Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) are surfactants found in laundry detergents, stain removers and all-purpose cleaners. They have been shown to reduce embryo survival in fish and to alter tadpole development. Monoethanolamine (MEA), a surfactant found in some laundry detergents, all-purpose cleaners and floor cleaners, is a known inducer of... To read the rest of this article, subscribe to Natural Life's digital edition, which includes access to this and other back issues. Wendy Priesnitz is Natural Life's Editor. This article is an
update to one first published in Natural Life magazine in 1981 and based on
reader input. We welcome your green and healthy home cleaning tips for inclusion
in future updates. More information is available in Natural Life Magazine's new
Green & Healthy Homes book. |
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