Make Your Cleaning Routine More Environmentally Friendly with These Products
Go Green and Get Clean
With an increasing awareness of the environmental toll that chemical-based household cleaners and cleansers take, millions of people are switching to organic cleaner brands. Environmentally friendly cleaning products rely on natural and non-toxic ingredients, and the best eco friendly cleaning products offer every bit as much dirt- and grime-busting power as traditional alternatives without the poisonous, corrosive and harmful byproducts. However, some organic cleaner brands perform better than others, and having an idea which manufacturers offer the best products will help guide you while you're shopping.
Green Cleaning in the Bathroom
Corrosive cleaners, such as those commonly used to clean bathrooms, account for about 10 percent of the emergency calls that U.S. poison centers receive. Even worse, over 50 percent of those calls sought help for children under the age of six. Corrosive toilet bowl and drain cleaning products containing ammonia or chlorine bleach were the major culprits.
If you use these types of cleaners in the bathroom, maybe it's time to replace them with green cleaners. Try products like Seventh Generation sanitizers or Earth Power's herbal disinfectant—both are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency. You can also create your own green bathroom cleaners from ingredients you can easily find around the house, like vinegar and baking soda. However, store-bought organic cleaning products are generally an easier and more effective alternative.
Green Cleaning in the Kitchen
Since sanitation is such an important concern in the kitchen, you'll want to use organic cleaning products that are formulated to disinfect while addressing safe food handling concerns. Look for green cleaning products that don't contain chlorine bleach, like Earth Friendly cream cleansers, or products from Bon Amid, Seventh Generation and Ecover.
You may think antibacterial soaps are a good for hand washing, but they actually promote the growth of resistant bacteria. Instead, wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and environmentally friendly bar soap.
Green Cleaning in the Laundry
Most laundry detergents are made from petroleum derivatives, so use organic cleaning products instead of washing your clothes in oil-based detergents that harm the planet and decrease the longevity of your clothes. Choose fragrance-free cleaners with coconut oil or rosemary oil for the best organic cleaning results. Try organic and green cleaning products to truly make your home as fresh, safe and clean as it can be. You owe it to your family, your environment and yourself!
A Comparison of Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products
The major categories of eco friendly cleaning products include:
- Organic all-purpose cleaners. These products are formulated with a combination of organic soap and essential oils. You can use organic all-purpose cleaners on surfaces including plastic, vinyl, porcelain, stone, wood, leather, stainless steel, and natural and synthetic fabrics. Some of the leading brand names include Chartreuse, Ecos and Begley's Best.
- Organic dish detergents. You can also get organic soaps for the hand-washing and automatic washing of dishes. These products avoid fragrances, synthetic chemicals, phosphates and chlorine. Seventh Generation is one of the leading names in organic dish detergents.
- Organic toilet bowl cleaners. Eco friendly toilet bowl cleaners use limited amounts of acidic chemicals and natural disinfectants like cedar oil to clean even tough stains from toilet bowls without damaging the environment. Ecos offers effective, specially formulated toilet bowl cleaners, and Seventh Generation also offers a quality organic general-purpose bathroom cleaner.
- Organic laundry detergents. Eco friendly laundry additives, fabric softeners and laundry detergents are all available, and Seventh Generation and Ecos are among the leading brand names when it comes to organic laundry products. Both companies offer general-use as well as baby-safe laundry detergents and additives that don't use synthetic chemicals or perfumes. Seventh Generation offers highly concentrated organic laundry detergents, including 2x and 4x formulations which help you stretch your laundry budget even further.
Recommended Organic Cleaner Brands
- Best organic all-purpose cleaner: Begley's Best
- Best organic dish detergent: Seventh Generation Free & Clear (Natural Dish Liquid and Automatic Dish Detergent)
- Best organic toilet bowl cleaner: Ecos Toilet Cleaner
- Best organic laundry detergent: Seventh Generation Natural 4x Laundry Detergent