February 23rd, 2008
The EPA has started a Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI) to encourage substitution of NPEs with safer surfactants and recognize environmental leaders who voluntarily commit to the use of safer surfactants in their entire product line, Kemery says.
Which leads us to Step Two: Build a new arsenal of greener cleaners.
LOOK FOR THE GREEN
Your neighbors may still be using Scrubby Oodles of Toxins on their tub, so you may have to try a few green cleaners before you find what suits you best. Obviously, you’ll want the best cleaning action and also, a reasonable price.
We found that some environmentally sensitive cleaners are just too “precious” as they say in the South, meaning they cost too darn much. Chipperfield says this should correct itself as the market expands. Here are some other factors to consider and ingredients to watch for as you navigate the thicket of green contenders:
- Price. Our own survey of green cleaners available at natural groceries, regular supermarkets and online indicated large variances in prices. But we were able to find some bargains, such as a terrific glass cleaner, Holy Cow!, for less than $3, that contained no offensive-smelling ammonia or vinegar, that odiferous, oft-touted ingredient for homemade cleaners that makes your bathroom smell like pickles.
- Plant-based surfactants. At first we were suspicious of this unfamiliar term. But we found good cleaning power with products that used coconut-derived or other plant-based “surfactants.” Yes, the EPA considers all surfactants a problem. But if they’re truly safe for greywater, we don’t understand how. Go figure.
- Hydrogen Peroxide. Let’s be honest, soap scum doesn’t just peel off the shower and it doesn’t reel in fear of orange oil and other welterweight green ingredients. If only. Happily, there are eco-friendly products that did get the job done and they often include hydrogen peroxide. The scientific properties of this old stand-by bear out its standing as biodegradable, making it environmentally superior to those acids and bleaches of conventional cleaners. A point for the planet. As for that orange oil, it’s great on wood products.
- Concentrates. Murphy Oil Soap and Simply Green have it right, a concentrated all-purpose cleaner is greener. Several more green concentrates are vying for shelf space these days, and it’s a good thing — they require far, far fewer plastic bottles, and environmentalists point out that you may only need one or two proven formulas to clean everything you need to clean. Simplify.
- Light Organic Fragrance or No Fragrance. To scent or not to scent? That’s an ongoing question. Enviromentalists say products with no fragrance and no dyes leave no footprint. Hard to argue with that. We did, however, fall for some products that were lightly scented with cypress and fir or grapefruit from the Ecover, Seventh Generation and Shaklee lines. We’re just stuck on that old notion that if it smells clean, then it’s somehow really clean. The scent validates our hard work. But we also get the less is more concept.
