Did you know that there are chemicals in traditional cleaning products that can contribute to the deterioration or your surfaces. Wood and stone are porous, metal (hello stainless steel) can corrode, and the protective coating on our cell phones can be damaged in our attempt to wipe off all those germs. It may surprise you to learn that even after knowing all of that, we still use just one product on EVERYTHING, but more on that later. Let's take a closer look at the cleaners available to us.
Greenwashing is alive and well in the cleaning aisle, we are sure you've seen it. "Natural", "all natural", "non-toxic", "organic", pretty labels; they are all put there to say, "we're safe, no need to read the ingredients, nothing to see there". We know there is plenty to see there though.
One popular cleaner that claims to be a natural solution to our cleaning woes contains methylisothiazolinone and even fragrance. Methylisothiazoline can cause skin irritation ranging in severity from dryness to blisters and lots in between. It is also thought to be a neurotoxin. The presence of fragrance is also concerning as it serves as a hiding place for toxic chemicals. Since companies don't have to tell us what is in their fragrances, it's the perfect place to include ingredients they don't want us to know about. If companies do decide to tell us what is included, it's very difficult to find safety information on fragrance ingredients even though many are carcinogenic.
How much harm could these ingredients do though right? We can put on gloves while we clean and problem solved. Nope. These chemical stick around. They remain on surfaces long after we have cleaned them. We continue to place food on them, walk barefoot on them, our babies crawl on them, and more. Those chemicals we worry about, they end up on our skin and absorbed into our bodies where they do very real damage. We have even seen that since these cleaners alter the bacteria found in children's gut, they can lead to obesity.
Not only do many of these toxins wreck havoc in our bodies, they also end up going down our drains and into our water supply, and contribute to the accumulation of indoor air pollutants.
We said we would tell you the one product we use on everything so we won't leave you hanging any longer. Clean It Well, it just doesn't get better for us.
- All-Purpose. We use it on granite, stainless steal, mirrors, windows, bathrooms, cell phones and tablets, and the list goes on and on.
- It helps us use less plastic. Clean It Well is concentrated so we simply add more to our spray bottle, mix with water and clean away.
- Speaking of concentration, it lasts a LONG time. You typically get at least 16 spray bottle with one bottle of Clean It Well. That means you are paying about $1.60 per spray bottle you mix up.
- It's Certified Toxic-Free. That means a 3rd party has come in and verified it is truly free from toxins.
Clean It Well is made from Ecocert® and ToxicFree® ingredients that remove hard water, grease, and tough stains. It has a high USDA Biobased (biodegradable) rating and is ideal for your whole family, your home and the planet. This product will eliminate the need for up to 12 products in your household saving you space, money and time!
Sources:
https://www.bcpp.org/resource/cosmetic-fragrance-and-flavor-ingredient-right-to-know-act-of-2021/
https://greenthatlife.com/green-or-greenwashing-guide/
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jan/16/toxic-reaction-how-to-clear-dangerous-pollutants-out-of-your-home
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-care-news/articles/2018-09-17/study-household-cleaners-could-lead-to-childhood-obesity