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Household Cleaning Product Transparency

Posted by Candice on November 11, 2009 at 14:35 pm

House Cleaning Chemicals

There is a staggering number quoted for the number of synthetic chemicals registered for use with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – that number is 80,000! While it appears that not all of these are in use there are estimated that at least 3,000 of those are used in high volumes exceeding more than a million pounds a year. The EPA estimates that approximately 9,000 to 15,000 are in active use. One of the main ways a number of these chemicals find their way into our homes is in the cleaning products we use. The Clean Water Fund the average American uses 40 pounds of toxic cleaning products, throwing away 12 percent of their leftovers in landfills and pouring a total of 32 million pounds down the drain.

The Clean Water Fund reports, there is arsenic and rocket fuel in our water, gender-altering hormones and medications in our rivers and streams and PCBs, dioxins and pesticides in breast milk. It is becoming more and more important to be aware of the harm these chemicals wreak and limit or completely eliminate them from our homes.

The U.S. Government is introducing several new bills that would require household cleaning manufacturers to list all ingredients on the label, including proposed legislation in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Senate introduced the “Household Product Labeling Act of 2009”. The U.S. EPA has shown its support to updating labeling laws.

The current system requires manufacturers to identify any ingredients that are immediately hazardous but with the majority of these chemicals it is over the long term that health issues related to exposure will manifest. Many common chemicals and pollutants have already been linked to rising rates of chronic conditions such as asthma, learning disabilities and life threatening cancer and heart conditions.

Due to the growing consumer awareness of these issues and demand for more transparency, some manufacturers have already embraced the move to list the ingredients in their products. For example, SC Johnson launched a Web site earlier this year that identifies chemicals used in its products, which include Glade, Shout and Windex. Many companies now manufacture non-toxic cleaners made from natural products and are enjoying commercial success with these lines. There is of course always the option to make your own cleaners with common household products – have a look at our Bidmycleaning Green Pantry for some ideas. If you outsource your house cleaning visit our cleaning calculator which enables you to select only green cleaners.