Thursday, July 16, 2009

Greenwashing and Cleaners... My Struggle for a Clean Healthy Home

Chemicals are everywhere, more so inside than outside. More and more people have sensitivities to chemicals and our inside environment... Andrew's mother being one of them. Two nights ago she called to ask about how she was going to reduce her exposure to chemicals in her home and was completely overwhelmed. I mean, we're practically a walking chemical these days, so where to start?

I suggested she start with an easy change: her cleaners. Those things are LOADED with nasty toxic ingredients (that little skull and cross bones isn't there for s**t's and giggles) and nowadays it can be as easy as going to the Superstore or, sigh, Wal-Mart to pick up something safer for you and the environment.

Too easy in fact- companies are catching on that consumers don't exactly want to pickle themselves in a chemical soup, and greenwashing has been rampant. Take, for example, Clorox. "GreenWorks" is marketed as an "eco" option, but the little Clorox symbol at the bottom informs us that we are in fact supporting a company who's main money-maker pollutes our waterways and bodies with nasty chemicals. Also, the ingredient list is conveniently not located on the bottle... A quick check on their website (nicely separate from Clorox's) has a general ingredient list... but nothing specific.

When compared to other companies like Attitude and Seventh Generation that clearly states all their ingredients on their bottles and do not have any known affiliations with traditional, toxic cleaners, GreenWorks isn't my choice. Check out my post here for some details on a couple eco-cleaners :)

Ok, so no surprise that Clorox's "green" company isn't exactly on the up-and-up. But something that did make me pause, turn red and perhaps steam a bit, was Ecover. What's this you say?? But Ecover is supposed to be one of the good guys... right?

Here's my issue. I pay more for eco-products because I value my health and I don't like using vinegar for everything. So I expect to pay for something that is what it claims... non-toxic, no chemicals, actually truly DOES biodegrade and won't make the fish grow three heads. Ecover is a well known company that is viewed as truly "green". I've read their "ingredient" list on their cleaners, looks awesome. They smell nice, they clean fantastically well and have a fancy-pants website.

Speaking of their website, have you checked out the FULL ingredient listing there? Let's review one... like the dishwater tablets that has been popular in the blogosphere lately.

Ingredients:
Sodium citrate (salt),
Sodium Carbonate Peroxide (actually, on the Material Safety Data sheet it says Sodium Carbonate peroxyhydrate 15-30%, which when disolved in water releases hydrogen peroxide and sodium ash)
Sodium Carbonate
Disodium Disilicate (MSD says it's diodium disilicate- either way, difficult to find and according to this data sheet can cause serious harm to the eyes)
Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda)
Sodium Poly Asparaginate (wha?? can't find what that is)
Tetra Acetyl Ethylene Diamine (active oxidizing agent that releases hydrogen peroxide during wash)
Iso-Octyl Glucoside (ummm..)
D-glucitol (Sorbitan Tristearate...)
Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil (finally something I kind of recognize)
Parfum (ACK- Fragrance?? Skin Deep Cosmetic Database rates all ingredients listed as "fragrance" as being sketchy. This ingredient hides cancer causing chemicals among other scary stuff)
Glycerin
Amylase (according to skin deep, a low to moderate hazard)
Subtilisin (same as above for Skin Deep)
Limonene (classified under "fragrance" with Skin Deep (rated 8 for highly hazardous) and according to Wiki has been found to be a skin and respiratory irritant over long term exposure... like cleaning your dishes every day, and although classified as biodegradable due to it's low flashpoint must be treated as a hazardous waste for disposal)
Sodium Gluconate

Ok, but say the last bunch (disregarding the Sodium Carbo perox-whatever-hyde that creates peroxide when exposed to water, like in a dishwasher, and is 15-30% of the chemical makeup of the tablets) only constitues 0.1% of the product but they HAVE to list them. In case. Then why does the Material Data Safety Sheet for the tablets state that they are considered a hazardous material with recomendations of avoiding contact with eyes and skin?

That waste of this product is considered chemical waste (13 disposal considerations)??
To avoid release into the environment (6 accidental release measures)? (like draining the water into our water systems?)

I'm just saying... maybe I'm a little anal, but for a "green" product this seems a bit over the top. I happen to adore Attitude cleaners. They are Canadian (WOOT!), are certified EcoLogoM AND Global EcoLabelling Network and here is their ingredient list for their dishwasher powder:

water, xanthum gum, vegetable based surfactants, sodium citrate, sodium carbonate, sodium silicate and essential oils.

Nice. Now if they can keep it simple why can't Ecover?

Making the switch to natural cleaners was my first and most satisfying eco-change but sadly consumers have to wade through the green-poo to truly be informed about what they are buying. Do you have any favourite eco-cleaners that you find work very very well?

Happy weekend everyone! Now to convert Andrew's mom to my ECO WAYS.... (insert evil-ish laugh).

13 comments:

  1. This is awesome! Last summer, my sis and I cleaned out all the toxic cleansers we had and took them to the hazardous waste center at the dump. We have been making our own ever since, which is pretty easy.

    Here is a video of Sophie Uliano, making the cleanser we like best. It smells GREAT!

    http://www.eatdrinkordie.com/videos/a7fc5a4ae6/all-purpose-spray-from-sophie-uliano-green-expert

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  2. Thanks Greenspell! What a fun video- her accent is awesome :)
    I do have a vinegar+water spray that I use for the sinks, counters and toilet top...
    I just don't find it scrubs well enough for the tub, even when I put baking soda in there for grit...
    but then I am a total NEAT FREAK, so I grew up with LOADS of cleaners... lol.

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  3. One thing I've been doing to cut back on cleaners is to use Ultimate Cloths. They work wonderfully on mirrors and furniture. You just use water. No more cleaners, window sprays or furniture polish. I'm not sure what they are made out of or what is involved in producing them. They are expensive, $7.00 for one but they seem to hold up well. I've been using mine for four months now. You can check them out at:
    http://www.ultimateclothcanada.com/

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  4. Thank you SO MUCH for this post. It seems all the big chemically-laden names are now coming out with their "own versions" of eco-friendly, and they're not much better than their original toxic crap.
    Makes me angry when so many consumers buy into the lies and buy that stuff.
    "Attitude"?...sounds awesome! Going to check out their website now.
    I AM CANADIAN - YAY!!!

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  5. Yeah, I tend to make all my own these days. I have found that white vinegar does pretty much anything you need it to.

    Nothing cleans the loo or the drains like an explosive mix of white vinegar and bicarb of soda!

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  6. I"m a strictly vinegar gal...I dilute with water, add some EO's depending on the *need* ;) and use baking soda for scrubby things. I got tired of paying through the nose for fancy schmancy green-washed chemical soup....plus vinegar is WAY cheap and works really well...

    I don't have trouble with the bathtub -- nothing a little elbow grease can't manage and vinegar is a powerful disinfectant as are some of the EO's - lavender, tea tree oil, eucalyptus etc. so I don't worry about *sanitizing* -- which, IMHO, is a panic-mongers delight (Lysol door-knob spraying, anyone?!??!).

    Switching away from chemical cleansers was one of the easiest things for me too....my next challenge is doing away with paper towels....*sigh*

    Thanks for this, as always, VERY enlightening...how can Ecover get away with this!?!?!?!

    tsk, tsk....

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  7. Marisa: I have an "ultimate" cloth although it isn't called that. I do use it for the table and kitchen counters... after I clean them lol. they are great :) ps LOVE your name, very pretty! Congrats on "coming" out!

    BohoMom: You're welcome :)I agree, nothing makes me more frustrated that "greenwashing"- I hate being taken advantage of. WOOT FOR BEING CANADIAN :)

    Rachel: we've tried vinegar and baking soda for a sink clog- and it worked!! :)

    Mel: I actually requested at the hospital that I work that they have non-triclosan hand soaps... LOL, that didn't actually happen. Sigh.
    Andrew's mom actually DOES use soap to clean door knobs- LMAO. I have my work cut out for me....

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  8. I've been using a great concoction of 6 Tbsp of Eucalyptus Oil with 2 pints of water and put it in a spray bottle. Its pretty much a disinfectant and helps with the stove top cleaning rituals. Shake it before use and keep in the fridge

    There is probably nothing that baking soda, water, vinegar, salt, lime/lemon juice or oil and certain types of essential oil can't clean

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  9. Hello Eco Yogini,

    Kipling here, from Ecover. I saw your post and thought I might correct a few misinterpretations of our ingredients for you and your readers:

    • Sodium citrate (salt), Not entirely correct; “salt” is commonly used to indicate sodium chloride (i.e. table salt) and although sodium citrate is a kind of salt, writing “a salt” instead of “salt” would be more technically correct
    • Sodium Carbonate Peroxide - also commonly known as Sodium Percarbonate
    • Sodium Carbonate- Sodium ash
    • Disodium Disilicate (MSDS says it's diodium disilicate- either way, difficult to find and according to this data sheet can cause serious harm to the eyes) yes, it can cause serious harm to the eyes (just the same as the sodium silicate in the Attitude brand listed further down in the post) because it is quite alkaline and it is this alkalinity which helps dissolve residual fats
    • Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda)
    • Sodium Poly Asparaginate (wha?? can't find what that is) It’s actually a fully biodegradable alternative to commonly used ingredients which prevent the formation of scale crystals and which are not at all biodegradable
    • Tetra Acetyl Ethylene Diamine (active oxidizing agent that releases hydrogen peroxide during wash)- like vinegar, but with an extra atom of oxygen which is responsible for the bleaching action - due to the reaction between the hydrogen peroxide contained within the sodium percarbonate and this ingredient; Tetra Acetyl Ethylene Diamine is a bleach activator and does not have any oxidizing properties of itself
    • Iso-Octyl Glucoside (ummm..) This is actually a sugar-based wetting agent which prevents water settling on the dishes as droplets which, after they’ve dried, would leave stains.
    • D-glucitol (Sorbitan Tristearate...) not exactly - it’s a sort of sugar which helps in pressing the tablet and makes it dissolve quickly when being used
    • Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil (finally something I kind of recognize)- It’s actually used as a kind of natural solvent which helps dissolve fatty residues; it also functions to keep the tablet’s structural integrity during transport (solid at room temperature, but liquid when used in a dishwasher)
    • Parfum (ACK- Fragrance?? Skin Deep Cosmetic Database rates all ingredients listed as "fragrance" as being sketchy. This ingredient hides cancer causing chemicals among other scary stuff)- All the molecules used in our perfumes are the same as found in nature (min. 90% from natural sources, max. 10% from synthetic sources
    • Glycerin - A by-product of turning vegetable oils into natural soap and is used both as natural solvent and to keep the tablet whole during transport
    • Amylase (according to skin deep, a low to moderate hazard)- It’s an enzyme which brakes down starch. It is classified as such because people can develop sensitivities or allergies to the product when it’s inhaled - which is highly unlikely in the case of the tablets
    • Subtilisin (same as above for Skin Deep)- Same as above, but this enzyme breaks down proteins
    • Limonene (classified under "fragrance" with Skin Deep (rated 8 for highly hazardous) and according to Wiki has been found to be a skin and respiratory irritant over long term exposure... like cleaning your dishes every day, and although classified as biodegradable due to it's low flashpoint must be treated as a hazardous waste for disposal) - It is also the main component of the zest of citrus fruits, so no risk of long term exposure there… Limonene is a known allergen, which is why it’s explicitly mentioned on the box
    • Sodium Gluconate - This is the sodium salt of a common amino acid and it is used to bind calcium which otherwise would turn into scale

    I would also like to mention that, the ingredients disclosed by Ecover are the actual ingredients rather than the generic terms often given for cleaning products. While this is not required by law, it is an extra step we take to maintain transparency.

    I hope this clears things up for everyone!

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  10. Kipling: Thank you so much for the clarification- I will be writing a new post to make sure readers are aware (as opposed to simply modifying the post itself and hope readers re-read). :)

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  11. My pleasure, Eco Yogini!
    Feel free to contact us here anytime you are unsure about our products or ingredients choices. :)

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  12. what i really need to find is some green cleaning agent or concoction that kills bacteria because we are constantly cleaning puppy poop off our floor. currently we are using clorox all purpose cleaner (the horror) because my bf doesn't believe vinegar + essential oils are good enough. any thoughts? this needs a post of its own on my blog.

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  13. Julia: hmmm puppy poo eh?? lol- I would be sorely tempted to use clorox too...
    Um- I know tea tree oil kills bacteria, but probably what I would do is buy a bacteria killing cleaner from Seventh Gen, Ecover or Attitude... just because like you, I'm not 100% (moving there- maybe 70%ish haha) on vinegar and water.

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