Have you ever noticed the labels on traditional home cleaners? Some of them read ‘Toxic’ while others will give you a ‘Flammable’ warning. Isn’t it strange that home cleaners which are supposed to keep our homes safe can be hazardous to our health? In fact, the National Poison Control Centre has several guidelines on how to protect oneself from being exposed to household cleaners.
Traditional household cleaners are notoriously known to have poisonous ingredients such as ammonia, ethanol, sulphates, phosphates, bleach and corrosive acids.
The presence of such ingredients can cause harmful effects to your health. The harmful toxins in traditional cleaners can cause severe pain or burning in eyes and throat, can lead to vomiting or abdominal pain, and can also affect the nervous system. While these are certain side effects of the home cleaners on our body, they also contribute to environmental degradation.
Conventional cleaning products can affect both indoor and outdoor environments. The volatile organic compounds add to smog and when washed away they can accumulate chemicals in natural water bodies like rivers, lakes, and seas. This not only affects the marine environment but are harmful to the marine life as well. These compounds tend to mix with the molecules in water, which can result in unexpected mutation and disfiguring of marine organisms.
Most of these containers holding these cleaners are also not made from recyclable materials which means that when they are disposed off, they end up in landfills. Two of India's, Delhi and Mumbai, rank highest among the size of landfills. These landfills are not managed properly and most of the waste present is non-biodegradable. With no segregation facilities available, they often cause severe issues to health for animals and humans.
As an alternative to traditional cleaning products, several countries are trying to engage in the utilisation of plant based cleaners.
Not only are plant-based home cleaners more environmentally safe, they also do the work just as good (sometimes better) than traditional cleaning products.
Earlier, due to the low availability of eco-friendly home cleaning products the prices were expected to be quite high but as more consumers are consciously making the choice to switch to green home cleaners, the prices have almost come at par with the traditional cleaning products.
Let’s take a look at the benefits of natural home cleaners:
They are usually cruelty-free
Most natural cleaners strive to use toxin-free ingredients that are chosen for their plant-sourced goodness and formulated with eco-conscious science. They also strictly avoid testing on animals and are vegan. They are mostly lab-tested and are eco-certified which means that there are little to no chances of toxins being present in these cleaners.
Home cleaners, like Born Good, are EPR approved
Extended Producer Responsibility or EPR is a mandatory certification from the government which compels all brands to either process or recycle the plastic that they are using for business. Did you know that a brand like Born Good actually processes or recycles these plastics twice? In fact, their containers are also designed to contain 70% less plastic than any regular home cleaner bottle.
There is zero irritation on sensitive skin
Traditional home cleaners are made of harsh ingredients which have often been reported to cause rashes, burns, and dry, itchy patches on the skin. They can also be harmful for the respiratory system as they directly affect the indoor air quality. On the other hand, plant-based home cleaners are naturally derived which makes them safe and non-toxic. This means that they do affect the skin as harshly as other home cleaners.
Note: We all have different skin types. Some of us may be allergic to certain home cleaners. It is better to always check the ingredients on the bottle before use.
They erase the last bit of dirt
The common misconception about eco-friendly cleaning products is that they do not get the work done as well as the acid-filled cleaners. Truth is, they actually work better. Natural home cleaners are formulated with strong plant-based agents that kill nearly 99.99% bacteria which are harmful and cause bacteria. However, they also ensure that the surface of your floor or table or clothes remains as good as it was - only without the bacteria.
They are made for the family
Plant-based home cleaners are friendlier towards family. Due to their natural ingredients, they are far safer and organic which means that they are not as harmful as traditional home cleaners. That makes them both child and pet-friendly, since we all know that the most adorable beings in the world love to pick up things from the floor!
