Natural cleansers
Synthetic chemical cleansers are troubling, so some environmental groups are advocating that we return to traditional cleaning methods such as using soy bean powder, soapberries, and enzymes.
These materials are not harmful to the body, but even they have an effect on the environment. The biologically active enzymes in natural detergents, for example, could interfere with the ecology. Soy bean powder contains the nutrients phosphorous and nitrogen, which find their way into lakes and rivers after going down the drain and affect water quality. (The presence of too many nutrients in water causes overgrowth of oxygen-depleting algae, which choke marine life and severely reduce water quality.) Toxic materials are created indirectly.
There is also the "physical washing" method developed by biotechnology companies: just as petroleum is turned into petroleum-based products, orange and coconut oil are turned into natural surfactants that are environmentally safer. To them are added edible minerals and trace elements, and the end product can be used as a cleanser.
Chen Jin-shu gives the example of the mineral magnesium, which can change the surface tension of water and make it easier for the surfactants to work their way into the fabric of the clothing and carry away the dirt.
However, Gaston Wu points out that in recent years Europeans have been looking at the "life cycle assessment" of products, demanding not only that the product itself is non-toxic but also the processes used to create it.
For example, activated carbon can be used in physical washing and it absorbs impurities, but on the other hand it is expensive to make pure activated carbon that isn't hazardous to the health. The processing of activated carbon could also be a waste of resources or harmful to the environment. Looking at the situation from where we are now, it seems impossible to completely escape synthetic chemical cleansers.
Cleansers free us from the danger of germs and disease, but using them too much or inappropriately carries other threats. With cleanliness on the one hand and health on the other, it is difficult to strike a balance. This is a problem we all need to be aware of.
Tips for Selecting Cleaning Products
1. Choose products with the Environmental Protection Administration's "Greenmark": Cleansers that meet the standards for the mark contain no phosphorous, fluorescent agents, or phosphates and are in the top 30% of safe products. Thus, they are safer to use.
2. Buy name-brand products: Though well-known manufacturers also have problems with safety, they use proper channels and are subject to various inspections so consumers have a certain level of assurance. Don't buy cheap cleaning products that come from unknown sources and have unclear labeling.
3. Switch brands from time to time: Ingredients vary from product to product, so by using different ones you lessen the danger of accumulating toxins over time.
4. Purchase products with clear, complete label information: Many product labels merely say the product "doesn't contain" such-and-such without plainly telling you what it does contain. For example, those who only buy products labeled "doesn't contain bleach" due to allergies should make sure to read the fine print on the labels as well.
5. Try to purchase natural, environmentally responsible products: Natural cleansers are more expensive than chemical ones, but from a health and environmental perspective they are worth the price.
6. Don't buy according to "cleaning strength": Usually the stronger the cleaning power, the more toxic the product.
Tips for Using Cleaning Products
1. Wear gloves: Surfactants in cleansers can harm the protective layer of the skin, and chemicals can easily penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream. Gloves protect against this.
2. Avoid mixing different cleansers together: Different chemical ingredients might react together in unexpected ways and present new hazards.
3. Read the instructions carefully before use: Some cleansers are corrosive or poisonous and should be used with care.
4. Use products quickly and less frequently: Chemical cleansers kill germs but also harm humans, so the less you use them the better. Clothing, for example, doesn't need to be washed after every wearing, and you don't need to wash your hair every day. Don't soak in soapy bathwater frequently, and avoid contact with tabletops in public places that might carry cleanser residue.
5. Use products in well-ventilated areas: Avoid using cleansers in closed environments where you might inhale high concentrations of chemicals. Some cleanser ingredients are volatile and are even easier to inhale when they come into contact with hot water.
6. Use traditional cleaning methods wherever possible: For example, use vinegar to clean windows or baking soda to clean counter tops. Wash dishes in water used to boil noodles.
Public tabletops, counter tops, and windows as well as household dishes and glasses carry residues from cleansers.
Environmental hormones are all around us. Dioxins can be found in cosmetics, PET bottles and other plastic products, the air, and seafood.
In addition to products with the Greenmark, consumers can look for natural products that are easily biodegradable--those are the best for health and the environment.
Environmental hormones are all around us. Dioxins can be found in cosmetics, PET bottles and other plastic products, the air, and seafood.