Chem321:Green cleaning supplies

This is the 2013 paper by Katie LaVoie.

Be sure to leave at least one blank line between paragraphs! You can add exterior links by using square brackets around the URL. Earths resources are finite. Nothing is going to last forever, but the rate of destruction that humans are inflicting is taking a large toll on our natural supply and human health. There are simple changes that can be made on a daily basis that can greatly benefit not only our resources but our health as humans too. Cleaning is something done at all times of the day in all different homes and businesses around the world, which makes it difficult to see as a harmful process. People clean everything from floors to ceilings, inside and outside their homes, clothing and bedding. Harsh substances such as bleach along with many other harmful chemicals have been used in home cleaners for many years, but recently that has taken a turn with the invention of green cleaning products. Green is often thought of as the color of grass or trees but in this case it’s thought of as a movement, a movement that employs the utilization of clean methods and products made with environmentally friendly ingredients designed to improve and preserve human health and environmental quality.

Non-green or regular cleaning products have been used for many decades, but their harmful effects haven’t fully been known or understood until now. There are many ingredients that have been found to cause health problems in humans. Most all-purpose cleaners contain ammonia, butyl cellosolve, and chlorine which are known to cause many health problems, some are known carcinogens, while others can be toxic to many vital parts and organs of the human body. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors, up to ten times higher, than outdoor levels. EPA's Office of Research and Development's "Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) Study" (Volumes I through IV, completed in 1985) found levels of about a dozen common organic pollutants to be 2 to 5 times higher inside homes than outside (Indoor Air Quality, EPA). TEAM studies designated that while people are using products containing organic chemicals, they expose themselves and others to high pollutant level. Elevated concentrations of VOCs can persist in the air after the use of the cleaner is finished. Some specific VOCs that are found in commercial cleaners are; formaldehyde, toluene, acetone, and ethanol. Formeldahyde which is specifically found in air fresheners and disinfectants is a known carcinogen. Acetone, ethanol, and toluene are present in stainless cleaners, deodorizers, and surface cleaner, respectively. These VOCs are toxic to the respiratory, immune system, gastrointestinal or liver, kidney, central nervous system, reproductive, and skin (Ingredients Checklist). Not only are cleaning products harming our health, they are also harming our living environments for present and future use. Nitrates, phosphates, and ammonia are found in home cleaning products. They are usually introduced to the environment once they have been washed down the drain; as soon as the substances are washed away they become detrimental to the environment. When in large quantities, they become dangerous water contaminants. Luckily many of the pollutants that derive from commercial cleaners that cause environmental harm are able to be removed from the water by waste treatment facilities before returning to rivers, streams, lakes and other waterways. Unfortunately, nitrates, phosphates, and ammonia are not able to be removed by waste treatment processes. Instead, they enter the waterways and build up, causing an accelerated growth of some types of plant life. Nitrates, phosphates, and ammonia are often used in agriculture as fertilizer but when their amounts are not regulated, excessive nourishment of some types of plants in habitats native to aquatic animals can result. This can cause thick vegetation that blocks waterways, crowds out animal habitats and other plants. Since a large over population of plants occurs, when their life-cycle they die in large masses, decaying and causing the oxygen level in the water to deplete at a much faster rate. Then an unhealthy amount of algae starts to grow, and the organisms in that area being to die off; the die-offs cause more decay. The mass amount of decay can cause the water to become unsuitable for swimming and even drinking and bathing (Effect the Environment). Although there are many controversies and health risks to the environment and humans, there are also positives to regular cleaners. Since they contain harsher chemicals they are usually capable of disinfecting more thoroughly. They also make the process of cleaning less time and energy consuming because the chemicals break down the mess so less “elbow grease” is required. Although traditional cleaning agents seem to be more effective at getting surfaces cleaner, the question has been raised as to whether or not people are becoming too clean. The more bacteria and viruses that are erased with cleaning are providing humans with less contact which can result in weaker immune systems and body defenses when one is actually sick. Also cleaning and extreme disinfecting can cause certain bacteria to gain resistance and become stronger, which can be damaging to human health and other plants and organisms.

Green cleaners have been around for more than 20 years, but are becoming more popular now as people are being made aware of their benefits to our environment and long-term human health. Manufacturers began producing green cleaners in hopes of reducing the harm done to the environment as a result of “dirty” cleaning products containing harmful chemicals. Green cleaning products are composed of fewer ingredients compared to the traditional cleaning products. Along with having a lesser amount of ingredients, the few ingredients that are in the cleaners are usually naturally derived and are harmless or less harmful to the environment and human health. Vinegar, sodium carbonate, and baking soda are just some of the harmless ingredients that help make up green cleaning supplies. Vinegar is a mild disinfectant which cuts grease, cleans glass, deodorizes and removes calcium deposits, stains and wax build-up. Sodium bicarbonate is a key ingredient for washing clothes; it cuts grease, removes stains, disinfects and softens water. These ingredients have not been shown to have a substantial or any harmful effect on the environment or on the health of the people using them. On Clorox’s website consumers are able to look at their Greenworks eco-friendly cleaning supplies line and their ingredients. They even list what each ingredient is used for and how it is beneficial to the cleaning process. Greener cleaners are not only capable of benefitting our future environments but also our current environments. Many of these innovative products use renewable sources such as naturally found minerals and essential oils from pine needles and other plant sources. Adopting these green cleaning ways has the possibility to dramatically improve our well-being. Also the use of green cleaning products on a world-wide scale is a viable idea. Cleaning compounds are not complicated to make and require fewer ingredients. Although when purchased at the store they can run slightly more costly than regular harsh cleaning products they tend to last longer and require smaller amounts to get the cleaning job done. If people are hesitant when it comes to their higher cost, homemade cleaners have been proven to be just as effective. In a ‘Myth vs. Fact’ piece done by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection it was stated that “making your own green cleaners cost pennies compared to their equivalent in purchased products.” They provided an example calculation done by a cleaning expert; a gallon of white vinegar costing about $3, and a gallon of distilled water costing $1 (or use tap water instead and save a dollar) combined makes two gallons of a multipurpose cleaner. A bottle of your favorite essential oil, to give your cleaner a scent of your choice, costs around $4 and will last a year or more since only a few drops are required for each batch of cleaner. So together, it costs less than $4 to make two gallons of cleaner.

If the thought of homemade cleaners isn’t quite appealing, one thing to make sure of when making the change from traditional cleaners containing harmful chemicals is to make sure that a true green product is being purchased. Many companies are ‘greenwashers’, this means that they claim their product is safe for the environment but they have no evidence or statement on the packaging to back up their claim. One of the major ways to tell if a product is truly green is found mostly on the packaging label. Some keywords that mean green are; “non-toxic”, “biodegradable”, “made from renewable resources”, etc. Looking on the packaging and reading through the ingredients list is also a helpful way of figuring out whether a product is truly green. Visiting the EPA and Green Seal websites are also helpful in finding true green products. The Green Seal site has lists of what constitutes as a green product as well as lists of companies, manufactures, and specific cleaning supplies.

Cleaning, something that is done on a daily basis throughout the entire world. It’s hard to believe that it could be so harmful to our health and environment, although the thought is hard to believe, the facts of their destruction is not. By using harsh chemicals most people think they are improving their families’ but that has been proven to be the exact opposite. Chemicals that are found in traditional cleaning products can quickly contaminate water and air, two resources that our bodies and environments need constantly to maintain health. By making a simple change to natural instead of big harsh commercial products benefits can be gained to the overall well-being of humans and the world we try so hard to maintain. If the finite resources of the world continue to be harmed not only will the people of the present be harmed but the innocent people of the future will be too.

References:

"Ingredients Checklist." Be Informed. N.p., 2006. Web. 1 Aug. 2013. <http://www.informinc.org/green_cleaning/Ingredients%20Checklist.pdf>.

Durif, Fabien, Jean Roy, and Caroline Boivin. "Could Perceived Risks Explain The 'Green Gap' In Green Product Consumption?." Electronic Green Journal 1.33 (2012): 1-15. Academic Search Complete. Web.

"The Truth About 'Green' Cleaning Products." Live Science. N.p., 6 Aug. 2007. Web. 30 July 2013. <http://www.livescience.com/1737-truth-green-cleaning-products.html>.

"The Best Non-toxic Ways to Clean Your Home." WebMD. Ed. Matthew Hoffman, MD. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 July 2013. <http://www.webmd.com/health-ehome-9/green-cleaning?page=2>.

"Green Seal Standards." Green Seal. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2013. <http://www.greenseal.org/GreenBusiness/Standards.aspx?vid=ViewStandardDetail&cid=0&sid=1>.

"Common Misconceptions of Green Cleaning." Florida Department of Environmental Conservation. N.p., 11 Sept. 2009. Web. 1 Aug. 2013. <http://www.dep.state.fl.us/green/gc_misconceptions.htm>.

"Greening Your Purchase of Cleaning Products: A Guide For Federal Purchasers." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. N.p., 12 May 2010. Web. 1 Aug. 2013. <http://www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/cleaning.htm>.

"Where Green Meets Clean." Greenworks Cleaners . N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2013. <http://www.greenworkscleaners.com/products/ingredients/>.

"Labeled Products and Our Partners." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2013. <http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/formulat/formpart.htm>.

“How Does Household Cleaner Affect the Environment?” http://homeguides.sfgate.com/household-cleaner-affect-environment-79335.html

"The Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) Study: Summary and Analysis Volume I" http://exposurescience.org/pub/reports/TEAM_Study_book_1987.pdf

KatieLaVoie (talk) 00:03, 8 August 2013 (EDT)