Cleaning Products

Detergents, household cleansers, soaps, and other products are used for cleansing in homes or businesses. Cleansing products numbering in the thousands are found in average homes, including products for specific tasks in kitchens, washing machines, bathrooms, tile surfaces, on carpets, on glass, floor strippers, floor cleansers, drain cleaners, stainless steel cleansers, and other uses such as deodorizers and disinfectants. The chemicals used range from natural agents to synthetics.

Cleansers that are made from chemicals have an environmental impact in three ways. The manufacture of these cleansers, which usually contain hazardous chemicals, affects the environment of their place of origin. When they are used, the hazardous chemicals are released into the atmosphere. They may affect breathing or may drift away into the atmospheres. The disposal of the containers for these products causes them to end up in landfills, where traces of the products add to the chemical mix of the landfill.

Studies of the harsh chemicals in industrially manufactured cleansers show that there are over 160 chemicals in these products. Examinations of people who use these products at home and never at work show that they had absorbed traces of many of these chemicals. Many of these chemicals are carcinogenic and can cause nerve or brain damage or contribute [Page 52]to birth defects. These chemicals are long lasting, though it may take considerable time and constant exposure for toxic effects to occur.

Other kitchen cleansers include soft soaps for washing dishes and utensils. These products can be quite mild and may be biodegradable. However, because of the toxic nature of so many chemicals contained within commercial cleaning products, consumers have turned toward “green compounds” for their cleaning materials.

Soaps available to green consumers are often available commercially in well-known products, such as Ivory Soap, or soaps made by organic crafters. In many countries the fatty acid used to make soap is a vegetable oil such as olive oil (castile soap). These soaps are viewed as green because they are made from renewable oils that are sustainable. In much of the world, beef tallow is rendered into soap. Glycerine can be included as a moisturizer; however, soap in past decades also has included triclosan, which acts as an antibacterial agent. Triclosan, however, breaks down in sunlight to form dioxin, which is a known carcinogen.

Green cleansing products are biodegradable and biorenewable products formulated to clean many types of dirt. In general, these products can be used on spills or dirt on surfaces that are not harmed if water is the only cleanser used. At times, “elbow grease” has to be applied to complete the cleansing task.

There are currently laundry products that are advertised as “all natural.” These products do not use synthetic chemicals and are biodegradable cleansing agents without toxins or perfumes. Products of this type may be less toxic to allergy suffers with sensitive skin or for babies. Products of this type work as does all soap: Saponins are released when they come into contact with warm or hot water. Agitation increases the saponins released, which then act as a natural surfactant.

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