Are There Really Green or Perfectly Safe Household Cleaning Products?
63What Does Any of This Really Mean?
I always find it amazing how easily both companies and people throw around terms like green, safe, natural, earth-friendly when discussing items such as household cleaning products. The more I read, listen or watch various green living blogs, podcasts or videos addressing issues about household cleaning products, the more amazed and sometimes confused I sometimes get!
My quest to learn more and relay my knowledge to those who will listen began with a series of posts on my Nature’s Green Remedy blog addressing topics like proper use of Material Safety Data Sheets, an introduction to the National Institutes of Health ToxNet databases, evaluating the meaning of the word “natural” to name a few.
How About Your Thoughts
Which of the following cleaning agents are you safest with?
See results without votingUndoing the Confusion: A Few Thoughts
When I stopped to consider the variety of apparent meanings for terms like green, safe, earth-friendly, or even environmentally-friendly in relation to household cleaning products, I was dumb-founded by some of the implied definitions.
One particular comment left on a “Tree-Hugger” forum thread discussing a line of commercial household cleaning products advertised to be both naturally-derived and earth-friendly prompted the following video with some of my thoughts on the matter:
What Does Green or Safe Mean
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Comments
In a time when 'green energy' 'green products' 'green homes' are all the buzz you do have to stop and think whether or not they or it is really green. I think the best example here is 'green cars' that are battery powered.. I wonder what is going to happen to those batteries when they are no longer any good.
With many products coming out green, as you have stated, some of the best are the everyday things that we use now and have for years, such as vinegar and baking soda. Not all the chemical induced ones that we tend to buy.
Anyway, thanks you for sharing your thoughts on this ever growing buzz......You always do a great job Jim
Angela James
Hi five folks - its seems to be green - until you flush it down the toilet or pour it down the drains – “I bet the sea life would not agree most of these products are green” - this is how folks should think when house proud folks who are always cleaning when there really is no need to wipe every mark away from there homes with cleaning stuff - most house proud folks these days are cleaning mad - we all need to have a little dirt in our lives - not filth just a little dirt - I believe it helps to strengthen our immune systems so in-turn helps us fight off the real dangers to our good living practices – not shiny freshly regularly cleaned clean surfaces doh –
All my best to you and yours
Phillip Skinner
Jim, thank you for writing on this subject. It is a bit of a sore point. "Green" is a politically correct idea right now. As such, a lot of attention is focused on being green. There are a lot of folks who have a vested interest in the green thing. Their goal is another green (as in greenback). People see an opportunity to cash in on a hot idea and they will exploit it for profit. Therefore, let the buyer beware. this is one of many things about your blog I appreciate. You are as accurate as is humanly possible. You do not call brown to be green.
PS- Got a big charge out of Phillip's comment, I bet the sea life would not agree most of these products are green.
Thanks Jim! Great post and video.
Hello All,
@Grace ... TY for stopping and adding your words of encouragement, they're greatly appreciated;
@Angela ... TY you as well, I'm glad you found it helpful. Your thoughts and comments always add more value to the post!
@Phillip ... There will always be somebody or something who is not going to believe something is green not matter how much we try. On the other hand, so many people have added their own meanings to the definitions making it difficult to know what to believe!
@Jon ... Green is definitely one of the new buzzwords and has definitely been used. The idea of being able to capitalize on the greening of the World is ok with me (we do live in a capitalistic society afterall and I won't hesitate to do that either) so long as we stay true to the basic meaning and don't mis-represent a service or product. But again, to a large extent, we have drifted so far away from the basic meaning of this and so many other words today's common useage often leaves me baffled ;)
Thanks again everyone for stopping and commenting ... thoughtful comments definitely add value to the original post!
Best in all your ventures,
Jim Hickey
The green industry reminds me of the food supplement industry that is unregulated. We don't really know if what is on the label of a bottle of vitamins or an herbal product is actually inside the product. We are not sure of the quality of ingredients because there is not a governing body regulating them. There are wide differences between products and brands within the green industry. It is important to know and trust the brand.
Hi Vicki,
That is definitely part of the problem. Even though green products are not really regulated, associated terms (organic) are to some extent but nothing is enforced relative to it. My whole point to this Hub and a series of related articles on my blog pertains to the fact .. most people don't really understand what they are buying due to a lack of knowledge in the details. Once they stop to learn about the ingredients in various products they can make better and informed decisions.
Jim
Hi Jim,
I'm the fly in the ointment that took issue with processing Tronan (spellign?) and calling it "natural". I feel safe in saying my assessement was justified in light of the other e.ement you mentioned in the above video wherein you say it is basically a pure form of backing soda.
This whole "green/natural/earth friendly" kick is just that, a marketing trend that has been latched onto by virtually everyone in marketing today. I believe it is a residual of the ecology movement of the 60's and 70's.
The main difference between the two is the mindset. Today's mindset is all about what's ppular. The ecology mindset was all about thinking responsibly.
Thanks for bringing us back to the original model.
I appreciate you,
Bill Tessore
Grace says:
5 months ago
As always, educational and thought provoking. I'm on the right track. Thank you for sharing.