Natural Cleaning Products vs. Regular Cleaners

Natural Cleaning Products vs. Regular Cleaners: Which Should You Choose?

You want your home to be clean, but there are so many cleaning products these days at grocery stores. Which one should you go with?

All cleaning products clean, so you don’t need to worry about potency.

The environment is important, and so is protecting the health of your family and pets.

The smell of products in the detergent aisle at your local supermarket doesn’t help with that. They contain artificial scents combined with other chemicals that make you think that they’re clean, when they’re actually harmful. This is why you should pivot from the typical brands to natural cleaning products.

Today, we’ll compare the two types to help you make an informed choice when it comes to your shopping.

Where does the smell of regular cleaners come from?

They come from synthetic scents. Synthetic scents are man-made fragrances made in labs using chemicals. They produce smells that imitate flowers or fruits.

Synthetic scents in these products are often a mix of chemicals that aren’t listed on the back label.

They may smell nice, but the air around them gets filled with substances like benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, as well as VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

These substances make the air quality much worse, and can cause headaches, respiratory issues, allergies and skin problems.

Businesses don’t need to disclose everything they use in their products, so many choose to leave things out. This lack of transparency makes things even worse – you don’t always know what you’re buying.

Now you know why detergent aisles in supermarkets always smell a certain way. If you want a safer and less stressful alternative, go for eco-friendly options with plant-based ingredients.

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How do you know what ingredients constitute a natural cleaning product?

Since businesses selectively disclose ingredients, there’s no way to be 100% certain a product is natural, but there sure are some telltale signs that you can rely on.

Here’s what you can look for:

1. If the Ingredients list contains “fragrance” “perfume,” or other vague terms like this, the likelihood is you’ve run into synthetic scents.
2. Stickers from organizations like ACO (Australian Certified Organic) and big player certifying bodies like ECOCERT and Environmental Working Group (EWG) are another sign that you can trust what you’re buying.
3. Products that say “non-toxic,” “biodegradable,” or “plant-based” are usually good indicators to start with. However, be aware that some products have only a tiny percentage of plant-based ingredients – the label might imply that it’s a safe product when it might not be.
4. Vinegar, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), lemon juice, and castile soap are also ingredients you should love seeing.
5. Stick to products with simple ingredient lists – the fewer, the better. If you recognize most of the ingredients and they’re naturally derived, that’s a good signal.
6. It also doesn’t hurt to use Google or ChatGPT when you’re shopping to look up anything you’re not sure of.

So how do natural cleaning products work exactly? The science.

In short, their ingredients have a unique chemical makeup.

The acetic acid in vinegar for example, is a natural compound that makes it easier to clean surfaces. How? Think of acetic acid as a bond loosener. The bonds that hold grease together start to loosen when it meets this type of acid. Vinegar’s slight acidity also lets it tackle certain bacteria and mold.

You’ve likely also heard of citric acid, it’s found in citrus fruits like lemons. Well, when citric acid comes into contact with calcium and lime, it starts reacting with and dissolving the minerals. As a result, it’s hyper-effective at removing hard water stains and household soap scum.

Plant-based ingredients such as aloe vera are good for your skin, while essential oils like tea tree, lavender, and eucalyptus have antimicrobial properties. They disinfect naturally – and natural cleaning products generally biodegrade safely without harming aquatic wildlife.

Why are natural alternatives better for your health?

Simply put, their ingredients are milder.

Cleaners can irritate your skin, so make sure you dilute the product properly or wear gloves just in case. There are many chemicals that make up the formula of a cleaner. Companies often like to add ammonia to cleaners because it’s effective – but it’s also harmful to your skin, so look out for this on ingredient labels.

If you have eczema and sensitive skin, you need to take extra care. In extreme cases, these chemical cleaners can seep through the skin’s outer layer and lead to long-term sensitivity.

Researchers in this study found that being around regular cleaning products results in more skin problems and more difficulty breathing.

It’s easy to forget about natural cleaning products when there’s a lot going on in your life.

But no matter how busy you are, children and pets still need to be accounted for.

Opting for eco cleaning products means improved air quality and fewer headaches and breathing issues for you and your family and pets – natural is the safer route to go.

Good health and happy children stem from the little things we do like this. By doing your part, your home stays clean and the environment isn’t compromised.

This is a Guest Post by Environmental Partners, makers of natural and eco-friendly cleaning products for homes.

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Warm regards,

P.S.  Don’t forget to see what you can do to help slow climate change – click here (it’s free)