You don’t want to eat chemicals in
your food—so why would you want to clean your counters, dust
your furniture, and wash your clothes with them? The nonprofit
Environmental Media Services recommends eschewing household
cleaning products with chlorine, phosphates, alkylphenols, and
volatile organic compounds. Instead, look for products that are
biodegradable and use plant-based ingredients, not petrochemicals.
These nontoxic products work just as well, if not better, than
conventional cleansers and detergents. Need help deciding? The
following five cleansers score high marks on both clean and
green.
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5 natural options
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What it
is
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Key
ingredients
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Why it's
special
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Ecos Earth Friendly
Furniture Polish
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Olive oil, orange
oil
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This fantastic, nonaerosol
polish brings out wood furniture’s natural gleam. Works great
on wood, paneling, and vinyl. Its citrus scent makes polishing
furniture more of a treat than a chore.
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Eco-Products All Purpose
Cleaner
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Vegetable-based
surfactants, orange oil
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Orange oil is a powerful
degreaser and works especially well in the kitchen. Citrus oils
don’t strip protective sealants the way many chemical
products do, and they dissolve hard-to-remove stains in a
flash.
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Ecover Ecological Toilet
Bowl Cleaner
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Plant-based surfactants,
citric acid, plant-based lactic acid, citrate, plant-based
fragrance
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This toilet cleaner is
safe for all septic systems and easily removes scum and mineral
stains. The bona fide pine scent adds a nice woodsy note to your
bathroom.
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Mrs. Meyer’s Clean
Day Liquid Laundry Detergent, Geranium Scent
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Plant-based surfactants,
cotton extract, borax, enzymes, essential oils of geranium, rose,
and clove
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This detergent infuses
clothes with the scent of fragrant flowers. In other words,
it’s sublime, not overbearing like most detergents. You may
even look forward to doing your laundry.
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Seventh Generation Natural
Glass & Surface Cleaner
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Vegetable-based
surfactants
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This cleaner is part of
Seventh Generation’s Free & Clear line, so it
doesn’t have any perfumes or dyes—perfect for those who
suffer from chemical sensitivities. Its dual use as a glass and
surface cleaner saves you under-the-sink real estate.
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