A new study published in the September 2010 issue of Pediatrics found the careless use of toxic household cleaning products continues to poison over 11,000 young children each year.
The study also emphasized that nearly half of the poisonings resulted from spray bottle cleaning products and remained high noting that bleach continues to be the product most often associated with accidental poisoning.
Although this new study serves as a reminder that it is important to securely store cleaning products out of the reach of small children, it fails to encourage the use of safer, “green” household cleaning alternatives. Even with the most conscientious parents, accidents can still happen. These accidental poisonings are less likely to occur if household cleaners are non-toxic to begin with.
Because manufacturers realize there are more and more health conscientious consumers who want to protect themselves and their children’s health by using safer, non-toxic cleaning products, they have developed a clever marketing plan aimed at influencing the purchasing public.
This deceptive advertizing concept is known as “green washing.” There are many products that claim to be non-toxic or use the word “green” on their label and in their promotional materials but are not really green at all. Green washing has become a successful ploy designed to make busy consumers think they are purchasing an environmentally safe, non-toxic cleaner. But when you actually examine the ingredients and warnings on some of these so-called “green” cleaners, you soon realize the products are anything but “green.”
Consumers should be cautious when they see words like “eco” or “environmentally friendly” and “non-toxic” on labels because there are no standards for these terms when it comes to conventional household cleaners.
Always read the warning labels and examine the ingredients and be wary of products that don’t disclose their full ingredient list. If there are products known to contain possible carcinogens, neurotoxins or endocrine disrupting chemicals in them, they are not “non-toxic” or “green.”
Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about the health of you and your family. For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to greencleancertified.com or maidbrigade.com. For more information on “Household Cleaning Products and Breast Cancer”, please watch our video at greencleancertified.com/greentv.
