Green Clean

The New York Times reports that an increasing number of households, schools, offices, and even hospitals are switching to environmentally friendly cleaning products in which chemical ingredients such as ammonia and chlorine have been replaced with plant-based products. The article details one line of green cleaning products:

The label on Seventh Generation bathroom cleaner explains its ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide (the active stain removal agent), biodegradable surfactants (for soil removal), citrus oil (for grease removal) food-grade, nontoxic oxygen stabilizers (to help the hydrogen peroxide last longer), and water. It also lists what is not included: “Free of chlorine, petroleum based solvents, glycol ethers, phosphates, acids, caustics, dyes and perfumes.”

Other manufacturers of green products include Simple Green, Method, Snappy Solutions, IMUS Greening the Cleaning, and BabyGanics. Green Seal, a non-profit organization that promotes environmentally friendly products and services, also has an extensive list of cleaning products.

While there is no government regulatory agency that defines or regulates green cleaning products, consumers are switching to these products in increasing numbers, citing better odor, less skin irritation, and less worry about exposing their children to potentially harmful chemicals.