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Have you ever read the ingredient label of your cleaning product and wondered what all the scientific words mean? Or are you more likely to pick the product labelled as environmentally safe? With more companies greenwashing their cleaning products, it’s incredibly confusing to discern what products are better for the planet.
In this blog post, we’ll be discussing why as consumers, we should prioritise eco-friendly cleaning products, what makes a product toxic or natural, what ingredients to look out for, and our top recommendations for cleaning products.
Why should I use eco-friendly cleaning products?
Switching to eco-friendly cleaning products is essential for the sake of our environment and our health. Eco-friendly products are made from natural ingredients, whereas conventional ones often contain substances that can harm the environment, irritate our skin, and even interfere with our hormones. When these conventional cleaning products are released into the environment, they can pollute waterways, worsen air quality, and jeopardise our aquatic life. Improper disposal of these products exacerbates the issue.
How to create a non-toxic home?
Our homes can serve as hidden sources of toxic chemicals from our beauty, personal care, and cleaning products. Prolonged exposure to these household chemicals can lead to detrimental impacts on our endocrine and reproductive health. However, maintaining a clean home doesn't have to come at the expense of your health or the environment. To minimise our exposure to harmful chemicals, we must make informed choices about our cleaning products. This means eliminating potential sources of exposure and finding alternative products that are free from these harmful chemicals. Start this process by gradually replacing your cleaning products with non-toxic, natural alternatives.
Toxic vs. natural ingredients
When we refer to toxic ingredients, we’re referring to chemicals that have known detrimental effects on the environment and our health. Examples of these ingredients include but are not limited to bleach, ammonia, phthalates, fragrance, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and formaldehyde. In contrast, natural ingredients are less harmful to the environment and human health. Natural and eco-friendly ingredients include but are not limited to castile soap, essential oils, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), natural surfactants and biodegradable solubilisers.
Toxic chemicals in cleaning products:
There are several toxic chemicals to look out for in the ingredient list of your cleaning products. Try to avoid products that contain the following ingredients.
1. Bleach: While bleach is a powerful disinfectant commonly found in cleaning products, it can cause skin irritation upon contact. Research has even linked intermediate and high exposure to bleach with increased asthmatic symptoms. When mixed with other substances, it can produce toxic chloramine gases, which pose significant health risks.
2. Ammonia: Ammonia is a frequently used ingredient in glass and window cleaning products. It can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs, particularly in individuals with asthma.
3. Phthalates: Phthalates are often used in plastics to make them more pliable and to make fragrances last longer. They are known endocrine disruptors, which can interfere with hormone function.
4. Fragrance: "Fragrance" is a term that includes thousands of ingredients, and a significant portion of these ingredients can be synthetic and toxic. Fragrances play a role in contributing to indoor air pollution within our homes.
5. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS): SLS is a foaming agent often found in cleaning products. It can be a skin irritant and can also harm the environment.
6. Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is used as a disinfectant in cleaning products and is a known carcinogen, posing significant health risks.
Essential products to have in your home:
Here are our suggestions for the essential eco-friendly products to have in your home, including cleaning products for the kitchen, the laundry, and the bathroom.
Kitchen
KOH’s universal cleaner is, as the name suggests, an all-in-one cleaning product and is suitable for the entire home. It’s pet, family and allergy-friendly, which will give you a sigh of relief knowing it’s safe for even the most vulnerable family members. Whether you’re looking for a sparkling clean floor surface, bathroom windows or wooden furniture- this product will clean your entire house like magic!
Koala Eco Multipurpose Kitchen Cleaner
It’s a myth that natural cleaning products aren’t as effective as conventional ones. Koala Eco’s multipurpose kitchen cleaner spray is natural and non-toxic yet powerful enough to kill 99.9% of all germs. It’s free from synthetic fragrances and instead uses natural essential oils to deodorise and leave your kitchen smelling citrusy fresh.
Earthwise’s dish liquid effectively removes all the grease and food particles from our dishes, pans, cutlery and pans to keep them sparkling clean. Earthwise’s plant-powered formula is free from harsh chemicals and feels gentle on our skin. They prioritise looking after the Earth and their bottles are made with 75% recycled plastic.
Good Change Store are pioneering the path to say no to plastic wastage and ditching disposables. They create compostable, BPA-free and natural products including their wooden dishwash brush. The long head of the brush is designed to effectively scrub and clean dishes, pots and notoriously hard-to-clean items such as baby bottles and champagne glasses. And best of all it's compostable and made from 100% natural ingredients.
Ever Eco’s dish brush is an eco-friendly alternative to plastic dish brushes. Their dish brush is made from plants, compostable and vegan-friendly. They’ve made it their mission to reduce disposable, single-use items and to continue the lifespan of their dish brush, they’ve created replaceable heads so you can continue using their product.
Laundry
KOH’s laundry liquid is our pick for individuals with sensitive skin. Their formula has undergone dermatological testing and has received the Sensitive Choice approval. Instead of relying on harsh bleach and fragrances to cover up odours and clean clothing, KOH employs biodegradable enzymes that efficiently eliminate all stains, grime, and dirt from your clothing.
Earthwise Laundry Powder Fragrance-Free
Earthwise fragrance-free laundry powder is suitable for the entire family. Their environmentally friendly product line is biodegradable and safe for septic tanks and greywater systems. The ultra-sensitive laundry powder contains no fragrances or other potential irritants, making it an excellent option for individuals with sensitive skin.
If you're looking for a plant-based, Australian-made, and environmentally friendly fabric softener, Abode's fabric softener is the perfect choice. Infused with natural lavender, juniper, and cinnamon essential oils, this fabric softener, formulated by naturopaths, ensures that all your clothing, towels, bedding, and other fabrics remain soft and gentle for your entire family.
Kin Kin Naturals soaker and stain remover
Queensland and family-owned, Kin Kin puts the safety of Australian families first. Their all-natural laundry soaker and stain remover can tackle even the most stubborn stains. Kin's products are not only safe for greywater and septic tank systems but also entirely biodegradable. Plus, they are free from alcohol ethoxylate, a chemical harmful to aquatic life.
Bathroom
Say goodbye to unpleasant odours in your bathroom with KOH's natural loo bomb. Their loo cleaner tablets wipe out all the lingering stains and build-up from the toilet bowl. This cleaner tablet is also eco-friendly and safe for the environment, giving you the peace of mind that you're not releasing harmful chemicals into our waterways.
Toilet paper may not sound like the most exciting of topics for conversations until you find out about Who Gives a Crap’s toilet paper. Who Gives a Crap’s toilet paper is the most eco-friendly toilet paper you’ll find. Their 100% recycled toilet paper is made from sustainable and biodegradable materials (not used toilet paper!). Using their toilet paper means you're contributing to reducing deforestation, conserving energy, and cutting down on plastic usage. As if that wasn't impressive enough, they also allocate half of their profits to ensure access to clean water and sanitation for all.
Abode floor cleaner lavender and eucalyptus
Abode's high-performance natural floor cleaner does an excellent job of removing stains, grime, and dirt from your floors, leaving them sparkling clean. This product is made from natural ingredients and is free from harmful chemicals like bleach and ammonia, making it a safe choice for families. Unlike some other cleaners that can leave floors streaky and sticky, Abode's cleaner ensures your floors remain residue-free and streak-free.
Freshen your home without toxic fragrances with Koala Eco’s grapefruit and peppermint room spray. Conventional room sprays use toxic fragrances that may merely mask household odours and contribute to indoor air pollution. Koala Eco’s room spray is safe, eco-friendly and completely plant-based. The pink grapefruit and peppermint add an uplifting aroma. Get ready for your guests to comment on the refreshing scent that fills your home!
Top laundry, kitchen & bathroom products to stay away from:
Conventional laundry products like OMO laundry liquid, Cold Power laundry powder and Cuddly fabric conditioner typically contain fragrances, bleach, colourants, and surfactants which may have toxic effects on our aquatic life. A study published in the Air Quality Atmosphere and Health Journal revealed that fragranced laundry products emit volatile organic compounds, some of which are harmful air pollutants and known carcinogens. The researchers concluded their study by suggesting the use of fragrance-free products to decrease air pollution and reduce the associated health risks.
Numerous kitchen and bathroom cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that may lead to various health issues, such as headaches, skin irritation, and even asthma triggered by irritants. These chemicals also release volatile organic compounds, contributing to indoor air pollution.
Commonly used kitchen cleaning products, like Morning Fresh Dishwashing Liquid and Ajax Spray; Wipe multipurpose cleaners, contain substances such as sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and fragrances that have been shown to disrupt endocrine functions. Similarly, conventional bathroom cleaning products are also problematic. For instance, Toilet Duck toilet cleaner contains ingredients that are recognised to have harmful effects on our endocrine and reproductive systems.
If you’ve come to the end of this blog post-mind-blown with all the new information on why you should choose eco-friendly cleaning products, you’re probably not alone! It can feel overwhelming at times to recognise that even cleaning products can affect your health and the planet. Instead of stressing over reading each ingredient in your cleaning product, we’ve done the hard yards for you. Our cleaning products have GoodnessMe's eco-friendly and safe green tick of approval.
About the author
Judy Cho is a degree-qualified nutritionist. She has a strong passion for debunking sensationalized yet misinformed nutrition myths. Her goal is to share evidence-based information and provide healthy recipes, helping others make informed choices about their nutrition and well-being.