Environmental Impact

Why It Matters

In 2005, cleaning products were responsible for 9 percent of all exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, accounting for 218,316 calls. Of these, 36 resulted in death and 121,498 exposures involved children under six. And, after bubbly cleaning liquids disappear down our drains, they are treated along with sewage and other wastewater at municipal treatment plants. However, wastewater treatment plants don't remove some of these chemicals completely, discharging them into nearby waterways where they threaten water quality, fish and other wildlife.

Chemicals of Concern

Conventional all-purpose cleaners are full of ingredients that pose both health and environmental hazards, without getting your home any cleaner. Steer clear of cleaners containing surfactants such as alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), DEA and TEA; nerve-damaging butyl cellosolve; chlorine; ammonia; fragrances containing phthalates; the antibacterial triclosan; and petroleum-based ingredients. Click on any of these to read more about their problems.

Misleading Claims

Not only are ingredients protected as trade secrets, the claims on cleaning products usually don't have any verifiable meaning. "Organic," for instance, refers to foods grown without synthetic pesticides in the grocery store, but in cleaners, it refers to chemicals that are carbon-based, including some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that release harmful fumes and may cause brain damage or cancer. The USDA's National Organic Program doesn't yet regulate household cleaning products.

The label "biodegradable" can also be misleading, even when it's accurate. "Biodegradable" does not mean environmentally safe. DDT, for instance, biodegrades into DDD and DDE, which are both EPA-designated probable human carcinogens, just as DDT is.