EWG's New Guide to Healthy Household Cleaning Products

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has done it again. Adding to their successful online databases for personal health care products, sunscreens, pesticides in produce and drinking water, the consumer advocacy group has just introduced a new guide to household cleaning products.
It's straightforward to use and should help in the search for safer supplies. (White vinegar mixed with water is a great alternative, but that's a whole different story.)

Click here to visit EWG's 2012 Guide to Healthy Cleaning.

And here's part of the email I received from the group announcing the new database:

"We all know cleaning is a chore that just has to get done - but why does picking a safer cleaning product also have to be a burden?

"The scary fact is, ingredient labels aren't mandatory for cleaning products. Some companies don't list anything, while others list just one or two ingredients or use vague nonsense terms.

"No one is making sure these products are safe for you and your family, so Environmental Working Group went to work. EWG's 2012 Guide to Healthy Cleaning rates more than 2,000 household cleaning products for toxicity and disclosure.

"It might not come as a surprise that there are dangerous ingredients in cleaning products - some known to harm the lungs, trigger asthma or are linked to cancer. What may surprise you is how few good options you have. Click here to see if your cleaners - from all-purpose cleaners to laundry detergent - make the grade.

"The good news is, EWG wants to give you information you won't necessarily find on labels. We've worked hard to find products that meet our standards.

"For more than a year, our staff scientists have scoured the labels and websites of thousands of products to compile a wide-ranging list of chemicals in household cleaners. We've conducted extensive scientific reviews of these substances.

"When we built our grading system, we looked not only at the toxicity of a product's contents but also the transparency of its labeling. We created this important tool so you can get the information you need to live healthier - and do it in a matter of minutes."