Cleaning Supplies
Our health goes beyond what we eat.
Companies may use ingredients or materials without review, approval or testing for safety and are not regulated by the government. Ingredients like nonylphenol ethoxylate and diethylene glycol monomethyl ether (DEGME), which are banned in other countries, are used in US cleaning supplies. A good rule of thumb is, if you can't pronounce it, don't use it. Click here for more info about DEGME by the EPA.
Environmental Working Group's (EWG) staff of scientists compare ingredients listed on cleaning products, websites and worker safety documents with the information available in the top government, industry and academic toxicity databases and the scientific literature on health and environmental problems tied to a cleaning product.
The EWG rates all cleaners from A to F
A - Lowest concern: Few to no known or suspected hazards to health or the environment. Good ingredient disclosure.
B - Low Concern: Limited potential for hazards to health or the environment. At least some ingredient disclosure.
C - Moderate Concern: Some potential for hazards to health or the environment. At least some ingredients disclosure.
D - High Concern: Likely hazards to health or the environment. May also have poor ingredient disclosure.
F - Highest Concern: Potentially significant hazards to health or the environment or poor ingredient disclosure.
Here are some links for making your own cleaning supplies .
Everyday, I use natural cleaning products with an A or B rating, but I'm not gonna lie, sometimes I use harsher cleaners just because I feel the need for a really deep scrub. I guess this just goes towards my 80/20 lifestyle. Even though the dish soap I use to make cleaning products isn't isn't a b, I feel like it is still safer than many other cleaners on the market. That being said, I don't use it on my dishes. I stick to an A or B rating for that. Check out Sister Shopping Farm and Home's website for more information!