Why natural cleaners are better for you, your family & the planet
Are you one of those folks who enjoy walking down the cleaning solutions aisle in the grocery store because it smells so good? Didn’t think so, because those people are indeed rare! The pungent, irritating odors of those chemical cleaners is one of the first clues that you should steer clear of them and reach for eco-friendly cleaners instead. Here are the top 5 benefits of making the switch from chemical-laden cleaners to non-toxic plant-based cleaners for your home.
1. Non-Toxic Cleaners Reduce the Risk of Indoor Air Pollution
Back in the day, a household cleaner with a strong odor meant it did a powerfully good job. Over the years, some companies have tried to mask irritating odors with chemical fragrances, but that doesn’t change the fact that they contain volatile organic compounds that can negatively affect the air quality in your home.
Health effects from these indoor air pollutants can be experienced soon after exposure, or years later; they may show up after a single exposure, or after repeated exposures. The pollutant’s fumes may not stink like they once did, but they can still cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, and dizziness. These immediate effects are usually short-term and treatable simply by eliminating exposure to the offending chemical. For the individual who uses these cleaners most often and the more sensitive members of the household, frequent exposure to such fumes can lead to asthma, chronic coughing, and other illnesses. To keep you and your family safe, it’s best to opt for plant-based cleaners, instead of synthetic chemical-based ones.
2. Non-Toxic Cleaning Products Are Less Irritating to Skin
For some people, the chemicals in laundry detergents and household cleaners can trigger allergic reactions to skin (dermatitis). Your skin is one of the first places where the warning signs can appear, often within 24 to 48 hours of contact with the cleaner, or as late as a week after contact. Chemical allergy symptoms differ tremendously from one person to another, but some of the most common ones are red skin, scaly patches, oozing blisters, hives, and swelling of the eyes, face and genital areas. People can become sensitized to chemical irritants after repeated or high-level exposures, so even if you’ve never suffered from allergies in the past, you can develop an allergy to a chemical or combination of chemicals. Plant-based laundry soaps and all-natural cleaning supplies, including microfiber cleaning cloths, are a much safer choice.
3. Non-Toxic Cleaners Are Much Safer for Kids & Pets
Kids and pets are closer to where all the action is: on the floor, under the table, between the windows and curtains.... Being so close to chemically-cleaned surfaces means they are often in direct contact with residual cleaning solutions and any hazards they pose.
Children are constantly touching surfaces and then touching their eyes, mouth, and nose; they lick and suck their fingers, thumbs, and even toes, and have been known to chew on clothing, furniture, and other items often washed and polished with chemical cleaners. Likewise, pets frequently eat food scraps directly from the floor, wash their paws and other body parts with their tongue, and chew on all manner of items. Natural cleaning products – from laundry soaps and surface-cleaning wipes to furniture and floor cleaners – being non-toxic and biodegradable, are the safest option for our little loved ones.
4. Non-Toxic Cleaners Are Less Caustic
Many conventional cleaners contain chemicals that are caustic, meaning they are capable of burning or corroding materials; they may also destroy living tissue of plants, pets, and people. Natural all-purpose cleaners and non-toxic specialty cleaners typically are formulated with gentler ingredients, making them less likely to harm living things or damage surfaces and materials, such as porcelain, metals, woods, plastics, and tile. Delicate fabrics like wool and silk also appreciate the gentleness of plant-based laundry soaps.
5. Non-Toxic Products Are Better for the Environment
As you know, traditional cleaning products containing harsh chemicals affect your indoor environment, and they also affect the outdoor environment. From their production and use to their disposal, they all too often lead to environmental pollution. Chemicals from cleaning products are washed into streams and rivers, causing water pollution. Some of those chemicals don’t break down for many years; they stay in the environment and enter the food chain where insects, animals, and humans consume them. Some chemicals in cleaning products cause air pollution not only in your home, but on a larger scale, exposing entire communities and eco-systems to noxious fumes and their harmful effects. In stark contrast, plant-based cleaners are biodegradable, minimizing their environmental impact.
Switching from synthetic chemical-based cleaners to plant-based, non-toxic cleaners offers many more benefits than the five we’ve listed. Some conventional cleaning products can contain carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, organ toxicants, reproductive and developmental disruptors, in addition to the respiratory and skin hazards they pose to all those exposed to them. Avoiding these potential threats in your home is easy when you shop with us.
We’ve researched each and every cleaning product we carry to make sure they meet our strict requirements for fair business practices, sustainable living and wellness for people and planet. We list all the ingredients in our cleaners, providing total transparency. We also present the certifications and values of each product, so you can readily see if a product is vegan, organic, synthetic-free, and more. You can shop our plant-powered cleaning supplies – and our entire Marketplace – with confidence!
