Are ‘Green’ Cleaning Products Really Green?

Most cleaning products are made with a mixture of toxic chemicals such as endocrine-disrupting phthalates, carcinogenic benzene, and organ-damaging phenols. As you use these products, you are exposing yourself and your family to health hazards. Due to this reason, the demand for safe, “green” cleaning products is on the rise.

Dr. Joseph Mercola says that it can be challenging to find safe and hazard-free cleaning products, because even the “green” ones may contain harmful substances.

“Simple Green” Cleaner: Is It Really Safe?

Claiming to be a “green” product, Simple Green cleaner maintains a safe and natural image and thus is widely used. Simple Green markets itself as “the leader of non-toxic, biodegradable, environmentally safer cleaning products,” but its ingredients show otherwise.

According to Simple Green’s material safety data sheet (MSDS), the product contains up to four percent 2-Butoxyethanol by volume. This petrochemical solvent can destroy red blood cells and cause reproductive problems and minor birth defects. Health risks involved with 2-Butoxyethanol are:

• When inhaled, the chemical may cause irritation to the respiratory tract. Symptoms may include sore throat, coughing, headache, nausea, and shortness of breath. Inhaling high concentrations may show a narcotic effect.
• When ingested, it can cause irritation to the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It may also cause systemic poisoning with symptoms paralleling those caused by inhalation.
• With skin contact, it may cause irritation with redness and pain. Because your skin is highly absorbent, you may experience possible systemic effects.
• It can irritate your eyes through vapors, which may cause immediate pain, redness, and tearing. If it splashes into your eyes, you may experience severe pain, stinging, and swelling.
• Prolonged or repeated exposure can damage the liver, kidneys, lymphoid system, blood, and blood-forming organs.
• It can aggravate pre-existing conditions such as eye problems, impaired liver, kidney, blood, respiratory, or lymphoid system function.

2-Butoxyethanol is currently banned in the United Kingdom. Corexit products, which contain the said chemical, were removed from a list of approved treatments for oil spill in the UK. These products were associated with health problems such as respiratory, neurological, liver, kidney, and blood disorders.

According to Green Med Info:

“It was the absence of the highly toxic and controversial 2-butoxyethanol in the 9500 Corexit formula that made it a “safer” alternative. It is believed that 2-butoxyethanol contributed to the significantly shorter lifespan of Exxon Valdez clean-up workers and is why Corexit 9527 was banned in the United Kingdom.” (link; emphasis added)

Another Thing You Need to Know About Cleaning Products

Simple Green is not the only product that contains hazardous chemicals. One study analyzed 25 commonly used products such as disinfectants, all-purpose cleaners, and dish detergents – half of which claimed to be organic and green. (link)

At the end of the study, it was discovered that:

• The products tested revealed an average of 17 chemicals each, but only one of these compounds were put on the label
• All in all, the 25 products contained 133 different chemicals, and 25 percent of these are classified as toxic under federal law. These products were not properly labeled.

Real “Safer and Healthier” Alternatives for Cleaning Your Home

To have a clean home, you do not have to sacrifice your and your family’s welfare. Dr. Mercola states that you can create your own natural and safe cleaning product with ingredients like baking soda, white vinegar, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, liquid castile soap, and organic essential oils.

Here are some specific cleaning suggestions from Dr. Mercola:

• Lemon juice is a natural whitener
• Vinegar and water is an excellent window cleaner
• Vinegar combined with hydrogen peroxide works well as a disinfectant and sanitizer
• Baking soda can be used as a scrub for your bath and kitchen
• Essential oils such as lavender and tea tree oil, when added to these natural cleaners, will give extra antibacterial qualities

If you wish to find a ready-made cleaner, you may also want to learn about Dr. Mercola’s organic cleaner, the Greener Cleaner.

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Tags: 2-butoxyethanol, cleaning products, dr. joseph mercola, Dr. Mercola, green cleaning products, joe mercola, joseph mercola, mercola, organic cleaning products, safe cleaning products, simple green