Are your cleaning products green?

Often times I am asked are your cleaning products green and the answer of course is yes.  Having founded the Good Home Company over 15 years ago in my kitchen, I work daily with our manufacturer to improve our ingredients to make them greener everyday.

Many products on the marketplace in Whole Foods, Target and your local drug or mart store carry green products, but the question is how green are they.

Current regulations do not require cleaning product manufacturers to list their ingredients.  There is also no regulation on using the words “green” or “natural”.  We have always disclosed our ingredients and always will.  However some ingredients that are considered natural are also cause for concern.  One of them being Sodium Laureth Sulfate or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.  This ingredient is commonly found in soaps of any kind, from baby bubble bath to laundry detergent.  This ingredient is derived from coconut oil and has been altered many times to create a soap form.  It produces wonderful bubbles, but there has been a concern as to it containing carcinogens. 

A year back we started making efforts to eliminate SLS or any SLS derivatives from all of our products.  This was no small feat, as you do need a powerful soap to wash clothes, dishes, etc.  We have successfully made the transition and will be completely sulfate free as of 2011.  Half of our products already are.

Consumers should know that there are many forms and names of sulfates and for the greenest product, look for labels that say sulfate-free.

The best way to know if your product is green is to be knowledgeable and if you cannot understand the ingredients, call up the company and ask.  Ask if their preservatives are green sealed approved and also ask if they are 100% free of sulfates. 

There is also a reason why some cleaning products are more expensive than others.  Just like food – they use better ingredients!

Christine Dimmick, Founder, The Good Home Company, Inc.

Next week – What are phthalates and why should I make sure my product is phthalate-free.