Over the past few years, people have begun to pay more attention to the products they use, the effect they have on the earth and the ingredients in them. A big leader in this discussion is household cleaning products. While some cleaners can get rid of absolutely everything, it may not be safe for your family to be exposed to them. Making the switch can be hard and slightly more expensive at first, but the benefits far outweigh the costs. Natural cleaners are becoming mainstream, and you can buy them at almost any store and online, and the prices for natural cleaners are becoming more and more competitive. If you’re a DIY-er, there is even the option for you to make your own natural cleaners at home, which would make it even less expensive for you than purchasing cleaners from the store. There are many different recipes all over the internet, including Pinterest. While some DIY cleaners sometimes aren’t as effective as store bought ones, you could use them for smaller clean up jobs, making your store-bought cleaner more cost effective.
Why Switch?
Natural cleaners are better for your family’s health and your home health. They are less harmful if swallowed by your child or pet and better for the air quality inside your home. More abrasive cleaners can affect hormones after long periods of exposure. Natural cleaners are also better for the environment as a whole. Many of their containers are made from recycled plastics and some even offer refills, making them even more affordable. Natural cleaners are also better for a clean water supply. Chemicals from non-natural cleaners can go into the wastewater (sewer) system and contribute to animal die-offs and other ecological problems, especially for communities so close to the ocean. The switch to natural cleaners helps air pollution as well since many of the toxic chemicals used in cleaners are what create smog within our environment.
Clean Water Supply
Although Earth is a very water-heavy planet, 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered in it, there is only a small percentage we can use. Much of Earth’s water is located in the oceans, glaciers and other natural elements. The amount of water that is usable on Earth is only 0.3 percent, and much of that percentage is unattainable. This is why it’s so important for us to protect our waterways and try to use products that are better for them. Trying to lessen the amount of chemicals and micro plastics introduced into our wastewater systems will help the usable water on Earth stay that way.
According to the Environmental Working Group, technology advances allow an uncommon look at chemical contaminants in water bodies throughout our country. They point out, “While wastewater treatment is extremely effective in removing biodegradable food and human waste, it was never designed to address this broad spectrum of unregulated chemical pollution. Advances in wastewater treatment may reduce some types of pollution, but new chemicals are introduced continuously into the marketplace. Expensive potential improvements to wastewater treatment facilities would result in higher consumer water rates, while only removing a fraction of these contaminants of concern. Instead, it is critical to look at more cost-effective ways to protect our waterways through reducing chemical pollution at the source.”
We hope that you consider using more natural products that are flushed or rinsed down the drain. It could improve your health and the health of our waterways. As a bonus, you may even save some money in the long term, especially if you mix simple ingredients to make your own cleaners. If you are getting ready to move towards better cleaning products, Real Simple provides an easy DIY guide. If you’re low on time or not up for making them yourself, BestProducts.com recommends the top fifteen eco-friendly products to buy right now.
