Healthy Begins Here

by Janelle Sorensen

I remember distinctly the first time I truly read a cleaning product label. I had just started learning about how everyday products are largely unregulated in terms of potential health impacts and I thought, “what’s even in the cleaning products I’m using?” I picked up a bottle, flipped it over, and nowhere could I find a simple ingredients list.

I was dumbfounded.

I mean, it’s one thing for me to erroneously assume that whatever is in a product is safe, but to me it was totally another to be using something that was made from ingredients I couldn’t even identify. Not only that, I quickly found out I didn’t even have a right to know – manufacturers had no obligation to tell me.

Nothing much has changed since then – except I switched to a combination of homemade and certifiably non-toxic cleaners, and many manufacturers are using misleading packaging that makes consumers think they’re using something natural and safe.

That second point really gets my goat.

Do you know what’s in your cleaners? A new report by Women’s Voices for the Earth, “Dirty Secrets: What’s Hiding in Your Cleaning Products?” reveals that many cleaning products marketed as “green” or “eco friendly” contain potentially harmful chemicals, none of which are listed on the product’s label.

Consumers deserve to know what chemicals they are being exposed to, so that they can easily avoid products that may cause allergic reactions or serious long-term health impacts like cancer, birth defects, or pregnancy complications. WVE is calling on Congress to pass new federal legislation that requires cleaning product manufacturers to disclose all the ingredients they use in their products directly on the product label.

The Cleaning Products Right to Know Act will require household cleaning products to bear a label including a full list of product ingredients. This is the first step in pressuring companies to create safer cleaning products.

What You Can Do:
·       Make your own cleaning products! Until we know what’s in the products we buy off the shelf, we can mix our own with safe ingredients like vinegar and baking soda. Here are some great recipes and tips.
·       If you are concerned about a cleaning product that you currently use (and like), call the company’s toll-free number and inquire about the problem ingredients discussed in this report.

What are your tips for safer cleaning? Share them in the comments below or in our Parenting Community.