With all the information out there about cleaning products that are hazardous to your health and to the environment, so many people are looking for alternatives. Terms, such as Volatile Organic Compounds, that were unfamiliar before are becoming something you now make sure your products don’t contain. Learning about what to look for and what to avoid removes the mystery from biodegradable, non-toxic cleaners and dispels some of the myths, such as cleaning your home only with vinegar and water. What you will be looking for as a health-conscious consumer, are all natural multipurpose cleaning products that are biodegradable, don’t have solvents, and have a neutral pH.

Avoid Volatile Organic Compounds - Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs are fumes that can be toxic when emitted from certain solids or liquids. According to the EPA, concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. This is because of the lack of ventilation of the VOCs that are off-gassed from many common products used at home. Health-harming VOCs in the home come from cleaning supplies, paint and paint removers, air fresheners, dry cleaned clothing, and plywood.

It may seem that having used these Volatile Organic Compounds causing products for years in the past, you could just continue unaffected. There are some symptoms and side-effects from their use, however, with which you may not have associated the cause and effect. Ever experience eye irritation, headaches or dizziness while cleaning? How about flu-like symptoms? Those are just some of the short-term health considerations. Long-term consequences can include cancer. It is apparent that these chemicals are not safe for even the healthiest adult, however, there are specific groups who appear to fall under a higher risk category. The elderly, of course, as well as babies and children, but also pregnant and nursing women. Individuals with compromised immune systems are also vulnerable. Understanding that these fumed are present for hours after use let’s you know that anyone could be exposed.

If you are like most people starting to learn about this subject, you could go to where you store your cleaning supplies right now and you would find that every product emits Volatile Organic Compounds. Unless you already buy pH neutral and biodegradable, the cleaners you use for your floors, tubs, carpets, countertops, grill, and windows all produce Volatile Organic Compounds. You know now that using them produces these fumes that last for hours, but even sitting there, unused, they emit gasses.

Neutral pH - Another new plus in your cleaning arsenal is going to be the use of products that have a neutral pH. A compound with a pH of 7.0 is considered neutral, being neither alkaline or acidic. This means it will be non-reactive to when it touches a surface, when it touches your skin, and when it reacts with the environment when it exits your home through the drainage system and gets into the water. When a compound has a high pH (over 7.0) it is alkaline, such as bleach. A lower pH (under 7.0) means it is acidic, such as battery acid. Quite expectantly, both of these are highly corrosive to surfaces and skin.

Burns to your skin from caustic products are no joke. Nor is damage to a sensitive surface, such as certain tiles and marble. Using neutral pH natural home cleaner is the way to ensure that neither of these happens to you.

No Solvents - Solvents often contain corrosive chemical ingredients, such as alcohols, esters, Ethylene Glycol Ethers (EGEs), and Propylene Glycol Ethers (PGEs). These are carcinogenic and toxic to people & the environment.

Biodegradable - Our environment gets exposed to everything we wash down the drain. Cleaning chemicals commonly pollute our environment instead of dissipating into non-harmful co-factors, but even the amount of time it takes biodegrade makes some cleaning product superior over the others.

Most natural multipurpose cleaner offer value beyond the hygienic. Better air to breath, no harsh residue, and virtually no environmental impact make green cleaner superior in every way!