RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—A group of environmental and health organizations is suing detergent and cleaning product companies in an effort to force companies into disclosing ingredients. Questionable ingredients that aren’t required to be listed on labels have been linked to asthma, allergies, hormone disruption, birth defects, and reproductive damage. The industry’s Soap and Detergent Association criticizes the move, saying they already unveiled a voluntary program that will give more information on ingredients. (Note that term, “voluntary.”)
THE DETAILS: Earthjustice filed the lawsuit against manufacturers Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Church and Dwight, and Reckitt-Benckiser on Feb. 17. Some of the companies’ popular brands include Tide, Ajax, Resolve, Lysol, Brillo, Arm & Hammer, Orange Glo, Mr. Clean, Joy, Cascade, Swiffer, and Dawn, among others. The Earthjustice lawsuit was filed on behalf of Women’s Voices for the Earth, Environmental Advocates of New York, New York Public Interest Research Group, Riverkeeper, Sierra Club, and the American Lung Association in New York.
While there are virtually no U.S. laws requiring companies to label ingredients for consumers, the health and environmental advocates found a loophole in a little-known New York law that mandates household and commercial companies selling products in the state to file semiannual reports on what ingredients they use, and if their research indicates the products harm humans or damage the environment.
WHAT IT MEANS: Did you ever wonder if your everyday all-purpose glass, and bathroom cleaners or detergents contain monoethanolamine (MEA), glycol ethers, ammonium quaternary compounds, alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APES), or phthalates? Probably not, because these are ingredients you won’t find on the label. But they’re cleaning chemicals that have been linked to many ailments. Using these chemically choked products may not just be hurting us, but other creatures in the environment, too, particularly fish and amphibians. This New York lawsuit could have national implications, possibly erasing the shield that so many cleaning-product companies hide behind. That’s important, because we wash about 35 billion loads of laundry a year and do an awful lot of cleaning in this country.
While the litigation warms up, here are some ideas for cleaning without unneeded chemicals:
• Become a mixologist to save major $$. Cleaning products with harsh chemicals may not have to list ingredients, but they do often bear warning labels like “caution,” “corrosive,” “danger,” “strong sensitizer,” “extremely flammable,” or even “poison.” You may want to trade in those threats for more natural solutions and good, old-fashioned elbow grease. To ensure safe cleaning products, mix your own. White vinegar and baking soda are your most essential tools, and you can save even more if you buy them in bulk:
1. Glass cleaner: Mix equal parts of water and white vinegar in a spray bottle and use a cotton cloth to wipe clean. (Don’t worry, the vinegar smell goes away pretty quickly.)
2. Wood cleaner: For a mix to mop with, add 1 teaspoon each of white vinegar and vegetable oil to 1 quart of water, and then rinse with fresh H2O.
3. Oven cleaner: OK, so you’ll have to work a little here—but you’ll save your lungs from nasty oven-cleaning-product fumes. Sprinkle baking soda (don’t be stingy) throughout your unheated oven and spray with a mix of water and unscented liquid soap. Then, roll up your sleeves and scrub with fine steel wool.
4. Bathroom cleaner: Mix ½ cup baking soda to 2 tablespoons castile soap (soap made from vegetable oil) to make your bathroom sparkle.
5. Furniture polish: Shine it up with a solution of ¼ cup vegetable oil and ½ cup lemon juice.
You can also look for EPA’s Design for the Environment seal; the agency partners with products that offer consumers safer products. (We recommend sticking to unscented products.)
• Decide on the right detergent. Look for plant-based, "free and clear" brands that don’t use phosphates, petroleum-based ingredients, chlorine, or synthetic chemicals. If you can, pick a company that voluntarily discloses all ingredients, such as Seventh Generation. Skip scented detergents: They’re often fragranced with chemical perfumes that could make people sick and pollute waterways, and they have even been linked to reduced sperm count in adult men. Safer choices: Method free and clear detergent (widely available at Target and Wal-Mart), Biokleen, and Ecos.
For the really nasty stains…If you’ve made a royal mess of yourself and stained up your shirt, you’ll have to give your plant-based detergents a bit of a hand. Soak it in a mixture of borax and white vinegar to help break down the stain. Borax is a mineral known for fighting stains and can usually be found in the laundry aisle.
• Forget dryer sheets. Save yourself the money and just add a half cup of distilled white vinegar to your washer’s rinse cycle for the same refreshing effect.