Trying to turn Mr. Clean into Mr. Green

Even Clorox, the largest maker of cleaning products, will roll out a new line of eco-friendly cleaners in January called Green Works. The all-purpose cleaners, glass and surface cleaners and floor, bathroom and toilet bowl cleaners will use plant and mineral-based ingredients, such as coconut oil and citric acid instead of chemicals.

“Our research shows 43 percent of consumers say they’re worried about chemicals in their household cleaning products,” said Matt Kohler, product manager for Clorox’s Green Works. “We feel this is a long-term growth opportunity.”

Kohler said Green Works products would be comparable in price and value to Clorox’s conventional products, which include Formula 409, Pine-Sol and Tilex.

Meanwhile, the European Union passed a bill that will require manufacturers to test thousands of chemicals used in consumer products and list any possible risks.

“We should have a right to know what we’re putting in our bodies and in our homes and make a decision about that,” said Steven Gilbert, who as director of the Institute of Neurotoxicology & Neurological Disorders in Seattle is pushing for more U.S. regulation. “Industry has got to get their heads around letting us see this data demonstrating the health affects” of products.

In the United States, the Consumer Products Safety Commission regulates household cleaners but only “strongly advocates testing” of product ingredients. The agency does not require or oversee testing, said Scott Wolfson, spokesman for the agency. Only household cleaning products that claim to be antibacterial must report ingredients to the Environmental Protection Agency.

One group, the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition, claims the government has not conducted even basic toxicity testing for about 75 percent of the 15,000 high volume chemicals in commercial use.

But household cleaning companies say they conduct extensive internal research to ensure products are safe for consumer use.

“Product safety and the safety of consumers that use our products is the top priority,” said Ross Holthouse, a spokesman for Proctor & Gamble, the consumer giant that makes brands such as Dawn, Mr. Clean and Cascade.

Although Proctor & Gamble lists some ingredients on its packaging, manufacturers of household cleansers are not required by law to list any or all of them on the packaging. No national standards exist yet for terms like “natural” or “non-toxic.”

“People hit a wall when they try to find out information and it raises eyebrows about what these companies might not be telling you,” said Urvashi Rangan, senior scientist and policy analyst at the Consumer’s Union in New York. “Consumers are left to be the guinea pigs in this.”

Brian Sansoni, spokesman for the Soap and Detergent Association, said mandating companies to list ingredients might crowd out more important safety information on labels. “Problems occur when products are improperly used, improperly mixed or improperly stored,” he said. “You don’t want your label to turn into an encyclopedia.”

More information
You can find cleaning recipes that use common pantry items at greenerchoices.org.

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