Why should you care about cleaning chemicals?
Do you ever look at the cleaning aisle of your local supermarket and feel overwhelmed? Rows upon rows of colourful plastic bottles, catchy brand names, and words like "extra powerful" and "ultra clean." But have you ever paused and thought about what’s really inside those bottles? And more importantly, what they could be doing to your family, pets, and our planet?
Today, we're going to talk about the chemicals used in cleaning, and how you can choose the right ones!
Chemicals: Can't Live With 'Em, Can't Live Without 'Em
Newsflash: everything is made up of chemicals. A chemical is simply a distinct compound or substance: We're made up of chemicals, that food you ate today contained chemicals, that water you drank earlier... that was a chemical solution!
In sustainability spaces we often hear people bashing chemicals, but that's a misunderstanding. There's been so much press about harmful chemicals and synthetic chemicals that we're starting to associate the term chemical with something being harmful.
But this is just not true, many chemicals are perfectly safe! However there are some to watch out for. When it comes to cleaning we believe it's not about avoiding chemicals, but about choosing the right ones to use in your home.
The "Dirty" Side of Cleaning
Some household cleaning products are actually pretty shady, hiding a cocktail of harmful chemicals under their flashy labels. Here's a couple of the worst offenders:
Phthalates: Often hiding under "fragrance" on product labels, these are bad news and can mess with our hormones.
Perchloroethylene: Found in carpet cleaners; this has been linked to nervous system issues.
2-butoxyethanol: Present in all-purpose & window cleaners; overexposure can lead to sore throats and kidney problems.
The list goes on with other synthetic fragrances, phosphates, chlorine, and ammonia. Cleaning is meant to protect us and those that we love, but sometimes the very products meant to keep our homes clean can pose risks like eye irritation, respiratory problems, and allergic reactions.
In fact, a recent study in Canada examined the effect of exposing children to different types of household cleaners during their first 3 months of life. This included dishwashing and laundry detergents, cleaners, disinfectants, polishes, and air fresheners.
The study was published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal and found that young infants (birth to three months) living in homes where household cleaning products were used frequently were more likely to develop childhood wheeze and asthma by the age of 3.
Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease and is the primary reason why children miss school or end up in hospital.
The Good Change Revolution
Back in 2019, we strolled down the cleaning aisles in supermarkets and we were frustrated by the lack of eco-friendly alternatives. Instead of waiting for the world to change, we decided to be that change. From that point on Good Change became not just a brand; but a promise.
What's our secret? Natural, safe & effective ingredients.
For example our Bottle for Good is crafted from glass and comes with refill tablets boasting 100% natural ingredients, which are:
Citric Acid (Occurs naturally in citrus fruit)
Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking soda is found naturally!)
Silicone Dioxide (Like you find in sand)
Sodium Coco Sulfate (From Coconut fatty acids)
MagStearate + L- Leucine (Natural lubricants)
Maltodextrin (Made from Corn)
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Essential oils & botanicals
Is natural always better?
This is the tricky part, not necessarily. Natural doesn't mean safe, many toxic chemicals are naturally occurring. What it comes down to is the toxicity of the chemical and the dose. Almost anything can be lethal at the right dose, even water! A great resource for looking into ingredients in cleaning products is EWG's Skindeep. It has a database of thousands of common chemicals and has a simple rating scheme.
To get a winning combination you need to choose chemicals that are effective, have low toxicity and no side-effects. This is where natural products tend to be better - they've been used for longer so we understand how they interact with the human body better. Synthetic chemicals are often used for years before we understand the damage they are doing to our bodies or the environment (look at CFCs and the hole they made in the ozone layer! Learn more about this here).
We understand this process and it isn't that easy to do. It took us 18 months of collaborating with local Scientists to produce our refill cleaning tablets, but the result was well worth it - natural, safe cleaning at it's finest!
But why aren't they Anti-bacterial?
Cleaning products labelled as antibacterial often contain germ-killing pesticides, which are by definition toxic. Antibacterial cleaners can also contain alkylphenol ethoxylates – these are hormone disruptors, which don’t biodegrade easily.
We understand that it's rational to kill some kinds of bacteria like salmonella, and e-coli, but when we use antibacterial and disinfecting products excessively, we can end up making germs more resistant to anti-bacterial cleaners, as well as killing some good bacteria along with them!
If a cleaner is effective (like ours) they can be just as good as eliminating bad bacteria as anti-bacterial cleaners. Just clean away dirt/grime, let the surface dry and it has the same effect, without the downsides!
Well that was a deeper dive than intended! But in order to talk about any of this sensibly we need to go into detail. We hope you've found this educational, we want everyone to understand why we're so passionate about this stuff!
We've meticulously designed our products to be effective, look fabulous in your modern home, and most importantly, are safe for your family and the planet! In the end, it’s the small changes that count - you don’t have to turn your life upside down. Just make little changes that altogether add up to having a massive impact.
Ready to make a Good Change in your home? Dive into our range of eco-friendly cleaning products, and embrace modern cleaning!
Eco Cloths
Proven for decades in Scandinavia, now available in the freshest designs and colours. Super absorbent, quick drying & streak & lint free. The dish cloth that doesn't smell!
Reusable Bamboo Towel
Our best-seller! Super absorbent and quick drying, this is the all-rounder your house needs! Reducing your footprint and saving you money, what more could you want?
