Environmental Impact

Glass cleaners tend to have fewer ill health effects than other conventional cleaning products, but their bright colors render them a hazardous temptation to younger children. Of the 10,318 glass cleaner poisonings reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers in 2005, 77 percent involved children under the age of six. Plus, ammonia, one of the most common glass cleaner ingredients, threatens the reproductive capacity of sea life and has led to "fish die-offs" in Oregon after leaving wastewater treatment plants.

Chemicals of Concern

Despite their relative safety, there are still a number of chemicals in conventional glass cleaners that should be avoided for personal health and environmental reasons, including: ammonia, butyl cellosolve, d-Limonene, glycol ethers, isobutane and butane, fragrances containing phthalates, the antibacterial triclosan, and petroleum-based ingredients.

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.

Resources:

Household Products Database: householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov

The Consumer's Union Guide to Environmental Labels: www.eco-labels.org

Washington Toxics Coalition: www.watoxics.org