Off the Shelf or Do-It-Yourself
Times have indeed changed. The growing awareness and concern for the environment has led consumers, especially parents who want their children to live and enjoy a healthier life, to demand and patronize only environmentally-friendlier and non-toxic products. From laundry bars and fabric softeners to window and floor cleaners, consumers nowadays are clamoring for safer alternatives to conventional chemical-based cleaners.
Although some products are indeed safer, others are simply “green-washed,” or are being marketed as “natural” while still containing unsafe chemicals. So get into the habit of reading product labels to see if all the ingredients are clearly disclosed. If it is not, check the manufacturer’s web site, because it could only mean that the manufacturer is trying to hide a particular suspect ingredient.
Another way to distinguish environment-friendly products is through “ecologos”. Just make sure that the ecologo is from a reputable source and that it was not put on the product to confuse or mislead you into believing that the product is eco-friendly.
Use Consumer Report’s greenerchoices.org for reference to these ecologos to find out what each means and if these ecologos are true to their claims of being earth-friendly. There is also the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Household Products Database wherein you can look up specific products and find out their ingredients. Or you can always try getting in touch with the manufacturer to ask them pointblank about the ingredients in their products. Many manufacturers are much more transparent these days than they were before for fear of reprisals.
If you choose to make your cleaning products and you have the skill or the aptitude to mix natural ingredients, by all means do so! It is surprisingly easy and cheap, and works just as well for most ordinary household cleaning. Do-it-yourself cleaning products can be just as effective as anything you could buy at the store.
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