Thomas Northcut / DigitalVision / Getty Images
By Meredith Rosenberg
In the past, eco-friendly cleaning products have held a bad reputation for being ineffective. As the demand for green products has grown, there's been more innovation and better choices for consumers. Going green is great for your health and your home because not only do these items clean just as well as the chemical-laden options, but there's also less chance that their ingredients will harm you—and the environment.
<p>With interchangeable labels—like natural, eco-friendly, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/organic">organic</a> and green—it can be confusing to know what to buy and what's best for your latest kitchen mess. Federal regulations don't require proof for environmentally friendly claims, unlike FDA certifications for food, and companies can slap labels on products even if they include <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/chemicals">chemicals</a> and environmental hazards. To complicate matters, there are also a fair number of companies that qualify as green, even though they lack environmental buzzwords on their packaging.</p><p>Here are some tips for choosing your household cleaning products, along with product recommendations that will tackle most messes while minimally impacting the environment.</p><p><strong>How to Know if a Product Is Eco-Friendly</strong></p><p>For starters, research cleaning products on a site like <a href="https://www.ewg.org" target="_blank">Environmental Working Group</a> (EWG). This nonprofit evaluated more than 2,500 cleaning products and rated them on a scale of A to F according to an extensive <a href="https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/content/methodology" target="_blank">methodology</a> scale. In addition to verifying product claims, consumers can also reference a <a href="https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/content/top_products" target="_blank">Guide to Healthy Cleaning</a> for EWG's top picks.</p><p>But there is a caveat to EWG's guide. Christine Dimmick, CEO of The Good Home Company and author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Detox-Your-Home-Removing-Bringing-ebook/dp/B07B9QWCFS" target="_blank">Detox Your Home</a> said, "A product can be 100 percent plant derived, but the process of creating soap from a coconut can go through ethoxylation—which creates a carcinogenic, toxic runoff. It is often disguised as 'surfactants/soap made from coconuts," she said. "There is no way of knowing, and many companies leave off ingredients to get a better rating on EWG."</p><p>For an additional level of fact-checking, look for a <a href="http://www.greenseal.org/" target="_blank">Green Seal</a> or <a href="https://industries.ul.com/environment/certificationvalidation-marks/ecologo-product-certification" target="_blank">EcoLogo</a> label, both of which are environmental certifications with high standards. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also has a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice" target="_blank">Safer Choice</a> label for <a href="https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/products" target="_blank">products</a> containing safer chemicals, like Seventh Generation. And if you're concerned about companies greenwashing with misleading labels, the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/federal_register_notices/guides-use-environmental-marketing-claims-green-guides/greenguidesfrn.pdf" target="_blank">Federal Trade Commission Green Guide</a> is a comprehensive resource that addresses how marketers should responsibly handle green claims.</p><p><strong>Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products for Your Home</strong><a href="#_msocom_1" target="_blank"></a></p><p>Short of creating your own cleaning products, which can be done with vinegar and baking soda, here are five eco-friendly cleaning materials that experts recommend and that actually work. </p><p><strong>All-Purpose Cleaner: <a href="https://shop.drbronner.com/sal-suds-biodegradable-cleaner" target="_blank">Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds Liquid Cleaner</a></strong></p><p>Dr. Bronner's is perhaps most famous for its <a href="https://shop.drbronner.com/pure-castile-liquid-soap" target="_blank">castile soap</a>, but the company also makes an all-purpose <a href="https://shop.drbronner.com/sal-suds-biodegradable-cleaner" target="_blank">Sal Suds</a> cleaner that can be used for laundry, dishes, floors, counters and bathtubs. EWG has given it an A rating, while the plastic bottle is made from recycled materials.</p><p><strong>Bleach Alternative: </strong><a href="https://www.forceofnatureclean.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Force of Nature</strong></a></p><p>Leslie Reichert of the <a href="http://www.greencleaningcoach.com/" target="_blank">Green Cleaning Coach</a> and author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0095LJ04M/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1" target="_blank">The Joy of Green Cleaning</a> recommends <a href="https://www.forceofnatureclean.com/" target="_blank">Force of Nature</a> as a bleach alternative. "There are some great new technologies that are coming on the market," she said. Force of Nature is a relative newcomer that allows consumers to create electrolyzed water at home by combing salt, water and vinegar in a small appliance. The company claims the result is as effective as bleach, which it backs with an EPA-registered disinfectant designation.</p><p><strong>Laundry Detergent: <a href="https://biokleenhome.com/product/free-clear-laundry-liquid/" target="_blank">Biokleen Free and Clear Laundry Liquid</a></strong></p><p>Biokleen is another plant-based brand to receive an A rating from EWG. Additionally, the company follows <a href="https://biokleenhome.com/faqs/#toggle-id-39" target="_blank">green manufacturing processes and offsets its energy and water usage</a>.</p><p><strong><a href="https://biokleenhome.com/faqs/#toggle-id-39" target="_blank"></a>Dishwasher Detergent: <a href="https://www.seventhgeneration.com/dishwasher-packs-free-clear" target="_blank">Seventh Generation Dishwasher Detergent, Free and Clear</a></strong></p><p>Seventh Generation has spent about 30 years creating eco-friendly cleaners. Its plant-based dishwasher detergent is a <a href="https://www.biopreferred.gov/BioPreferred/faces/pages/AboutLabel.xhtml" target="_blank">USDA Certified Biobased Product</a>, meaning that the formula is derived from renewable resources. It's also phosphate free with an EWG A rating, while the packaging is made from recycled materials.</p><p><strong>Cleaning Cloths: <a href="https://www.skoycloth.com/" target="_blank">Skoy Cloth</a></strong></p><p>Reichert also likes to use <a href="https://www.skoycloth.com/products" target="_blank">Skoy Cloths</a>, a reusable towel that multitasks as a dishcloth, sponge, rag or paper towel. The cloths can be reused for months, and tossed in the washer or dishwasher to clean. Since they won't last forever, the biodegradable material can also be composted.</p>
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London skyline with level 32 "moderate" air pollution in Sept. 2017. David Holt / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Researchers have found the first evidence that soot from polluted air can travel from a pregnant woman's lungs and reach the placenta via the bloodstream, according to a press release from Queen Mary University of London.
The study examined the placentas of five women living in London after they gave birth. The women were all non-smokers, had uncomplicated pregnancies and delivered healthy babies.
<p>
For the study, the research team examined 3,500 macrophage cells from the five placentas. Macrophages, which are white blood cells that reside all over the human body, protect the immune system as they work to engulf harmful particles, such as bacteria and pollution particles.
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Using a high-powered microscope, the researchers detected 72 small, black particles among the placental macrophages, which the scientists believe are tiny carbon particles typically created by burning
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/cannabis">fossil fuels</a>, the press release noted.
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"We can't think of anything else they could be. It is very evident to us they are black sooty particles," said Dr. Lisa Miyashita, one of the researchers, as quoted by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/16/air-pollution-particles-found-in-mothers-placentas" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. The sooty particles found in the placental macrophages appeared similar to ones found in lung macrophages exposed to air pollutants.
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The results show the first evidence that inhaled pollution particles can move from the lungs into the bloodstream and then to the placenta, according to Dr. Norrice Liu, who led the research.
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"We do not know whether the particles we found could also move across into the fetus, but our evidence suggests that this is indeed possible," Liu said in the press release. "We also know that the particles do not need to get into the baby's body to have an adverse effect, because if they have an effect on the placenta, this will have a direct impact on the fetus."
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The study was recently presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Paris.
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"This new research suggests a possible mechanism of how babies are affected by pollution while being theoretically protected in the womb. This should raise awareness amongst clinicians and the public regarding the harmful effects of air pollution in pregnant women," Mina Gaga, the president of the European Respiratory Society, said in the press release.
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"We need stricter policies for cleaner air to reduce the impact of pollution on health worldwide because we are already seeing a new population of young adults with health issues," Gaga concluded.</p>
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