How To Choose Green Cleaning Products

We use green cleaning products to keep our home safe & clean but some soaps & cleaners can be the worst source of toxins & chemicals in your home.
Fortunately, there are a range of non-toxic, environmentally friendly cleaning products available to help with everything from cleaning your oven to soap scum removal to laundry.

Enzyme Cleaners
– Enzymes are proteins that are necessary for most cellular processes, including decomposition
– They are especially good at removing the stains and odors left behind by pets.
– They are completely non-toxic and biodegradable.
– Look for the EPA’s Design for the Environment label. Products carrying this logo have had each ingredient screened by the EPA, which has determined that the chemicals are the most environment and health friendly available.

General Cleaners
– Make sure they are made from naturally occurring, non-toxic substances.
– Avoid cleaners containing phosphates, chlorine, and VOCs, all of which are toxic to humans or damaging to the environment. Instead, look for products that use plant-derived surfactants (the class of chemicals that act as cleansing agents).
– Popular natural surfactants are d-limonene, lauramine oxide, TEA lauryl sulfate, and caprylyl/myristyl glucoside. These naturally occurring substances make excellent all-purpose cleaners for the kitchen and bathroom.
– Soy-based cleaners also provide a safe alternative to toxic solvents. Soy cleansers can sometime warp plastics, so only use them on hard surfaces such as linoleum, porcelain, or granite.

Laundry
– Most will be made from coconut- and corn-based surfactants, and many will also contain natural water softeners
– An added benefit of green laundry detergents is that they are free of the perfumes and other additives that can irritate your skin.
– Detergents are not required by law to list specific ingredients, so make sure the label specifies that the detergents is free of toxic chemicals (particularly phosphates) and other additives.
– Also look for powdered oxygen cleaners to use as an alternative to bleach, which can be irritating to the skin, throat, and eyes and can permanently stain clothes. Oxygen bleaches use oxygen instead of chlorine to remove stains