How to Choose Nontoxic Cleaning Products

Here’s a little secret about cleaning products: Not all of the ingredients in them are listed on the label. That’s because no federal law requires companies to disclose all cleaning product ingredients. 

That is starting to change, thanks to a law that went into effect in California in 2020. Cleaning products sold there must now list their ingredients, with just a few exceptions for ingredients considered “confidential business information,” a federal designation that protects trade secret information. But companies can’t use that designation to hide any ingredient, including fragrances, that the state has identified as being harmful.

Consider an all-purpose cleaner. Despite what product marketing may tell you, a different cleaner isn’t necessary for every surface in your house. An effective all-purpose cleaner will handle almost every job including kitchen counters, floors, toilets, and bathtubs. This will not only reduce the bulk in your cleaning cabinet but also reduce the number of ingredients you’re exposed to.

Select cleaners with ingredients listed on the packaging. Because current federal legislation doesn’t require companies to include cleaning product ingredients there, not all do. Some use catchall or category terms instead of identifiable ingredient names. What to look for and avoid are nonspecific ingredient terms like “surfactant,” “dye,” “enzyme,” “carrier,” “cleaning agent,” “fragrance,” and other ambiguous language. By choosing products with disclosed ingredients, you know more about what you and your family are being exposed to.

Go fragrance-free. Because the components of a fragrance are not always required to be listed on labels, fragrances can contain hundreds of hidden ingredients, many of which have been associated with a host of health problems, including endocrine disruption, cancer, and developmental toxicity. Plus, fragranced cleaning products can also contribute to indoor air pollution. 

Shop for simple cleaners. Product labels can be full of hard-to-decipher ingredients. One trick is to look for soap-based cleaners, which contain plant oils that have been saponified (turned into soap). Some of the most common examples you’ll find listed on labels are potassium cocoate, sodium cocoate, saponified coconut oil, sodium palmate, potassium palmate, and saponified palm oil (look for products with labels that declare they have sustainable palm oil). Another trick is to look for ingredients with “glucoside” listed in their names because they are gentle cleansing ingredients that are often plant-based. Some examples include decyl glucoside, lauryl glucoside, coco glucoside, caprylyl/capryl glucoside, and caprylyl/myristyl glucoside. This isn’t a perfect approach, but it can help you avoid questionable cleaning chemicals. Look for one or more of these ingredients as one of the first ingredients on the label.

Avoid cleaners containing dyes and colorants. The color in a cleaning solution doesn’t typically contribute to its effectiveness, so it’s just another unnecessary chemical exposure. Plus, some colorants commonly used in cleaners have been linked to asthma, skin sensitization, irritation, and a lack of biodegradability. Sometimes you’ll find colorants listed on labels, but they’re often protected by trade secrets and are not disclosed. But a bright-colored formulation can be a dead giveaway because it typically requires colorants to achieve those vivid hues. Not all colorants are harmful, but staying away from colored formulations is a simple rule to remember for easier shopping.

Choose safer disinfecting active ingredients listed as the active ingredient on disinfectant labels. Those include ingredients like hydrogen peroxide (at least 3 percent), ethanol (at least 70 percent), or citric acid (at least 0.5 percent). These are all active ingredients registered with the Environmental Protection Agency to fight against various common pathogens. They can be better choices than commonly used harsh ones like ammonium quaternary compounds, which are increasingly being recognized as chemicals of concern. They can be identified on labels by the term “quaternium” or “-onium chloride” in the name. 

Experiment with a vinegar-based solution for windows and glass. While all-purpose cleaners will cover many jobs, glass is a notable exception. A simple mixture of equal parts vinegar and hot water can be a safe alternative. (Just make sure the spray bottle never contained bleach, ammonia, or hydrogen peroxide.) It may not work as well as a traditional stand-alone glass cleaner, but can be less likely to contain worrisome ingredients. And note that there are some things that you should not clean with vinegar, including many appliances and countertops, because its acidity could cause damage. 

Check ingredients lists on company websites. The California law that requires companies to list harmful cleaning product ingredients on the labels of products sold in the state also requires companies to include this information on their websites, so you can find that information if you live elsewhere. California’s list of harmful ingredients isn’t exhaustive, so products can still contain problematic chemicals.

Look for products certified to be safer for people and the planet. They include those certified by Made Safe. Another good starting point is the EPA’s Safer Choice. Products carrying this label use ingredients verified by the agency to be safer than most conventional options.

Have a disinfectant and an all-purpose cleaner in your arsenal. Disinfecting isn’t necessary for every job, so these should be two distinct cleaning products.

Know when to clean and when to disinfect. Disinfecting kills germs and should be used when the risk of exposure to them is high. That includes when cleaning up after cooking with raw foods, a pet, or human accident, or if you have an ill family member in the house. Make sure to follow instructions closely when using disinfectants to make sure they’ve had enough time on the surface to be effective. Cleaning, on the other hand, removes or reduces bacteria, viruses, dirt, and grime and is generally sufficient for cleaning up nonhazardous messes and everyday care. Cleaning with soap and water or an all-purpose cleaner is also necessary before disinfecting because grime can make it difficult for disinfectants to reach germs, which can make the product less effective.

Protect yourself when using conventional disinfectants or harsh cleaners. Follow instructions closely, wearing gloves and ventilating your space properly.

Prioritize reusable cleaning cloths. Go with reusable cloths that can be tossed in the washing machine and sterilized to minimize waste.

Use cleaning wipes with caution. Wipes marketed for cleaning can be super-convenient, but most are made of plastic, contributing to pollution in our water—including drinking water—our food, and the environment. If you elect to go with cleaning wipes, make sure they’re made of a material that’s likely to biodegrade, like cotton, viscose, lyocell, modal, or Tencel (which is a trademarked lyocell or modal).

Choose a damp reusable cloth with a little all-purpose cleaner or water for dusting. Products marketed specifically for dusting aren’t necessary. Remember to dust frequently because indoor dust is a source of numerous contaminants.