How to choose nontoxic cleaning products

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Consumer Reports is an American nonprofit consumer organization dedicated to independent product testing. Some of the labelling discussed in this article may not apply to Canadian products.

Having a clean home is about more than just tidiness. It can also mean using cleaning products with safer ingredients that lead to healthier living spaces.

To help you achieve that, Consumer Reports partnered with Made Safe, an independent organization that screens household products and certifies those that are safer and more sustainable.

Here’s what you need to know about choosing safer and smarter cleaning products.

Why nontoxic cleaning products matter

Here’s a little secret about cleaning products: Not all of the ingredients in them are listed on the label. That’s because no U.S. federal law requires companies to disclose all cleaning product ingredients.

• Read Canada’s household chemical guidance
• Read more: Canada Consumer Product Safety Act

That is starting to change, thanks to a law that went into effect in California in 2020. Cleaning products sold there must now list their ingredients, with just a few exceptions for ingredients considered “confidential business information,” a U.S. federal designation that protects trade secret information. But companies can’t use that designation to hide any ingredient, including fragrances, that the state has identified as being harmful.

Because many companies don’t want to manufacture two versions of their product with different labels for California and the rest of the U.S., transparency is increasing across the country, making it easier to shop for safer products. Of course, not all companies take this route, so if you’re outside of California, you may still find labels to be lacking.

And that’s worrisome because some chemicals used in cleaners can contribute to allergies, asthma, and other health conditions. For example, some ammonium quaternary compounds, which are commonly used as disinfectants, are linked to reproductive harm in animal studies, as well as asthma and irritation. Some ingredients can also have a negative impact on household air quality. Formaldehyde, which can be released from some preservatives and is linked to cancer, and bleach, which is used to kill germs and is associated with asthma, can be released into the air from cleaning products.

Without full ingredient transparency or knowing which chemicals to watch out for, how are you supposed to select clean cleaners with confidence? Don’t worry: No matter where you live, we’ve got you covered with tips for choosing and using them.

Tips for Choosing Healthier Cleaning Products

Consider an all-purpose cleaner. Despite what product marketing may tell you, it’s not necessary to have a different cleaner for every surface in your house. An effective all-purpose cleaner will handle almost every job, including kitchen counters, floors, toilets, and bathtubs. This will not only reduce the bulk in your cleaning cabinet but also reduce the number of ingredients you’re exposed to.

While all-purpose cleaners will cover many jobs, glass is a notable exception. A simple mixture of equal parts vinegar and hot water can be a safe alternative. (Just make sure the spray bottle has never contained bleach, ammonia, or hydrogen peroxide, all of which can chemically react with vinegar.) It may not work as well as a traditional stand-alone glass cleaner, but it can be less likely to contain worrisome ingredients. And note that there are some things that you should not clean with vinegar, including many appliances and countertops, because its acidity could cause damage.

Select cleaners with specific ingredients listed on the packaging. Because current legislation doesn’t require companies to include cleaning product ingredients there, not all do. Some use catchall or category terms instead of identifiable ingredient names. Avoid nonspecific ingredient terms like “surfactant,” “dye,” “enzyme,” “carrier,” “cleaning agent,” “fragrance,” and other ambiguous language. By choosing products with disclosed ingredients, you know more about what you and your family are being exposed to.

Check ingredients lists on company websites. The California law that requires companies to list harmful cleaning product ingredients on the labels of products sold in the state also requires companies to include this information on their websites, so you can find that information if you live elsewhere. California’s list of harmful ingredients isn’t exhaustive, so products can still contain problematic chemicals.

Go fragrance-free. Because the components of a fragrance are not always required to be listed on labels, fragrances can contain hundreds of hidden ingredients, many of which have been associated with a host of health problems, including endocrine disruption, cancer, and developmental toxicity. Plus, fragranced cleaning products can also contribute to indoor air pollution.

Shop for simple cleaners. Product labels can be full of hard-to-decipher ingredients. One trick is to look for soap-based cleaners, which contain plant oils that have been saponified (turned into soap). Some of the most common examples you’ll find listed on labels are potassium cocoate, sodium cocoate, saponified coconut oil, sodium palmate, potassium palmate, and saponified palm oil (look for products with labels that declare they have sustainable palm oil). Another trick is to look for ingredients with “glucoside” listed in their names because they are gentle cleansing ingredients that are often plant-based. Some examples include decyl glucoside, lauryl glucoside, coco glucoside, caprylyl/capryl glucoside, and caprylyl/myristyl glucoside. This isn’t a perfect approach, but it can help you avoid questionable cleaning chemicals. Look for one or more of these ingredients as one of the first ingredients on the label.

Avoid cleaners containing dyes and colourants. The colour in a cleaning solution doesn’t typically contribute to its effectiveness, so it’s just another unnecessary chemical exposure. Plus, some colourants commonly used in cleaners have been linked to asthma, skin sensitization, irritation, and a lack of biodegradability. Sometimes you’ll find colourants listed on labels, but they’re often protected by trade secrets and are not disclosed. But a bright-coloured formulation can be a dead giveaway because it typically requires colourants to achieve those vivid hues. Not all colourants are harmful, but staying away from coloured formulations is a simple rule to remember for easier shopping.

Choose safer disinfecting ingredients. Those include ingredients like hydrogen peroxide (at least 3 per cent), ethanol (at least 70 per cent), or citric acid (at least 0.5 per cent). These are all active ingredients registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fight against various common pathogens.

• Health Canada: Surface disinfectants for emerging viral pathogens

They can be better choices than commonly used harsh options like ammonium quaternary compounds, which can be identified on labels by the term “quaternium” or “-onium chloride” in the name.

Look for products certified to be safer for people and the planet. They include those certified by Made Safe. Another good starting point is the EPA’s Safer Choice. Products carrying this label use ingredients verified by the agency to be safer than most conventional options.

Tips for safer cleaning

Have a disinfectant and an all-purpose cleaner in your arsenal. Disinfecting isn’t necessary for every job, so these should be two distinct cleaning products.

Know when to clean and when to disinfect. Disinfecting kills germs and should be used when the risk of exposure to them is high. That includes when cleaning up after cooking with raw foods, a pet, or human accident, or if you have an ill family member in the house. Make sure to follow instructions closely when using disinfectants to make sure they’ve had enough time on the surface to be effective. Cleaning, on the other hand, removes or reduces bacteria, viruses, dirt, and grime and is generally sufficient for cleaning up nonhazardous messes and everyday care. Cleaning with soap and water or an all-purpose cleaner is also necessary before disinfecting because grime can make it difficult for disinfectants to reach germs, which can make the product less effective.

Protect yourself when using disinfectants or harsh cleaners. Follow instructions closely, wearing gloves and ventilating your space properly.

Prioritize reusable cleaning cloths. Go with reusable cloths that can be tossed in the washing machine and sterilized to minimize waste.

Use cleaning wipes with caution. Wipes marketed for cleaning can be super-convenient, but most are made of plastic, contributing to pollution in our water—including drinking water—our food, and the environment. If you elect to go with cleaning wipes, make sure they’re made of a material that’s likely to biodegrade, like cotton, viscose, lyocell, modal, or Tencel (which is a trademarked lyocell or modal).

Choose a damp reusable cloth with a little all-purpose cleaner or water for dusting. Products marketed specifically for dusting aren’t necessary. Remember to dust frequently because indoor dust is a source of numerous contaminants.

By Sydney Cook, Consumer Reports