Other Cleaning Supplies

more...

Home
A/V Accessories & Cables
DVD & Home Theater
Gadgets & Other Electronics
Heating, Cooling & Air
Home Audio
Lamps, Lighting, Ceiling...
Major Appliances
Outdoor Power Equipment
Satellite, Cable TV
Televisions
Vacuum Cleaners &...
Carpet & Floor Sweepers
Carpet Shampooers
Carpet Steamers
Cleaning Supplies
Cleaners
Cleaning Towels & Cloths
Mops, Brooms
Other Cleaning Supplies
Polishes
Trash Cans, Wastebaskets
Home Organization
Laundry Supplies
Other Vacuums & Housekeeping
Vacuum Cleaners

Green cleaning is a term that has been coined to describe a trend away from chemically-reactive and toxic cleaning products which contain various toxic chemicals some of which emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) causing respiratory and dermatological problems among other adverse effects. Green cleaning can also describe the way residential and industrial cleaning products are manufactured, packaged and distributed. If the manufacturing process is environmentally-friendly and the products are biodegradable, then the term 'green' or eco-friendly may apply.

Standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limit human and environmental exposure to toxic chemicals but do not entirely eliminate them in general. Reading the small print on labels is the only way to verify the components of a product but manufacturing, packaging and distribution may all contribute to environmental degradation.

Green cleaning companies are held to higher standards in general than federal or state-mandated 'green' cleaning rules. The purpose of 'going green' is to address human illnesses that arise from exposure as well as damage to the environment (water, soil, air) from disposal of these products. The role chemical exposure has in creating allergic sensitivities, reducing immunity, and contributing to cancer and other diseases, is a long-respected field of research in medicine. For example, research on human and animal exposure to formaldehyde (formalin), benzene and other solvents has resulted in legislation to limit exposure but has not completely banned these products.

Chemicals used

Harmful chemicals are prevalent not only in cleaning products but also in foods, cosmetics, home construction, clothing and many industries. Among the more common toxic ingredients are phosphates, chlorine bleach, napthas and mineral spirits, phthalates found in furniture polish, ether-type solvents, methylene chloride, butyl cellosive and petroleum distillates found in oven cleaner, sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide in drain cleaners, alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) found in detergents and disinfectants are suspected hormone disruptors, ammonia which is poisonous when swallowed is extremely irritating to respiratory passages when inhaled and can burn the skin on contact, indiscriminate use of antibacterial cleansers containing triclosan may be contributing to the rise of antibiotic-resistant germs, butyl cellosolve butyl glycol ethylene glycol monobutyl is poisonous when swallowed and a lung-tissue irritant, chlorine bleach sodium hypochlorite can irritate the lungs and eyes and in waterways can become toxic organochlorines, diethanolamine DEA can combine with nitrosomes to produce carcinogenic nitrosamines that penetrate skin, fragrances may contain phthalates, chemicals linked to reproductive abnormalities and liver cancer in lab animals and to asthma in children, phosphates, water softeners for detergents, contribute to algae blooms which can kill off fish populations, sodium hydroxide, found in drain, metal and oven cleaners, extremely irritating to eyes, nose and throat and can burn tissues on contact, sodium lauryl sulfate, a common sudsing agent, can penetrate the skin and cause contact dermatitis.

Read more at Wikipedia.org