Happy Earth Day! I actually saw it posted on facebook that everyday should be Earth Day. It also has to make me wonder, how far does green go? We all know the basics: recycle, reusable grocery bags, energy saving electrical appliances & light bulbs, etc. But what about chemicals? Those buggers can't be real good for us or the environment. Most of the cleaners in our homes are causing more damage to our families and the environment than we realize. I know some of you might be thinking, well I use "earth friendly" cleaners. Hmmm, well I've done some research on two of the biggest "green" cleaners known: Greenworks and Seventh Generation. Neither met my standards for "green" which are:
* Biodegradable
* Formulated without dye
* Nonflammable
* Contain no ammonia, acids, alkalis, solvents, phosphates, chlorine, nitrates, borates, or volatile organic compounds.
Here were my findings: Greenworks has many of the same chemicals found in traditional cleaners only they have diluted them, meaning they just added water.
Seventh Generation I found the following: All purpose cleaner contains hexahydro-1,3,5-Tris (2-hydroxyethyl)-s-triazine which is a preservative and a pesticide. According to here . The toxicity level to humans is Toxicity to humans, including carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and acute toxicity. I’m not too sure if that sounds safe.
Natural Dish Liquid contains sodium laureth sulfate. This chemical does a world of dangers to us. Sodium laureth sulfate can lead to direct damage to the hair follicle, skin damage, permanent eye damage in children and even liver toxicity. It also contains hexahydro-1,3,5-Tris (2-hydroxyethyl)-s-triazine, which I have discussed above.
Even for the concentrated form of these cleaners you are paying for them to put the water in. Do you want to pay for diluted chemicals? When I checked the prices for both Seventh Generation and Greenworks I was shocked on how much they are. Plus can you imagine how much plastic bottles you use every time you purchase another one and paying for it for that matter. The only truly green product I have found to meet the above standards and saves me money, is safe for me, my family, and the environment is here
For most of my cleaning I use a fragrance-free basic household cleaner, which is super-concentrated. You can make a whole bottle of cleaner for most applications with somewhere between 2 drops and 1⁄4 teaspoon of the concentrate. One bottle of this can make literally hundreds of bottles of ready to use cleaner. Since this reduces the number of plastic bottles that need to be manufactured, shipped, and recycled, it greatly decreases the environmental impact of using the product. The cost per use is also a lot lower than almost any other product, just 25 cents makes four 32 ounce bottles (one gallon) of all purpose cleaner Even vinegar in comparison, can cost 10 to 20 times as much per gallon, depending on what size is purchased and where. So why pay $2 or more for a cleaner that isn't going to last you as long, going to cost you more, and is bad for the environment and bad for you?
Don't be "green-washed". Some examples of tactics used by companies include: seducing with images in ads, using environmental organizations to promote products, distracting from destructive products, claiming to seek solutions while lobbying against regulation, using charitable endeavors to gain support, and the misuse of the word “sustainable.” I really liked this quote from Jeffrey Hollender, and it sums up my feelings on the subject as well. ”“Green” is not something a company becomes because of a new product line, a marketing campaign, a decision to be carbon neutral or even the selection an enlightened new CEO. “Green” is about the inside, not the outside of a company. It’s about its DNA, its culture, and its very reason for being.” Is Clorox Green Works and Seventh Generation really green? What do you think?
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