Do natural cleaners work?

Natural cleaners (green cleansers) contain no chemicals and are non-toxic. They were originally created in response to individuals who wanted less chemicals in their homes and wouldn’t pollute the environment. Individuals are also using home-made cleansers as it is easy to find ingredients. However, are any of these cleaners effective?

Natural or green cleansers

The use of “green” cleansers made from natural ingredients such as plants and essential oils with no chemical ingredients has increased. For example, Green Works, produced by Clorox includes coconut derivatives, essential oils, and glycerin. There are several favourite companies that produce “green” cleansers for natural cleaning in the UK. They include: - Eco-works (Eco-works.co.uk) - provides probiotic cleansers for the entire home, including floor cleaning. - EcoForce (Ecoforce.co.uk) - provides cleaning supplies, including sponges and dusters made from recycled materials. - Dri Pak (Dri-pak.co.uk) - provides eco-friendly cleaning and laundry products using natural ingredients (e.g. white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, citric acid).

Home-made natural cleansers

Many people are using things found in the kitchen and other items for cleansing. The most commonly used are: - White distilled vinegar – used as a general cleanser. - Lemons and lemon juice – used as a natural bleaching agent and disinfectant. - Salt – when combined with vinegar, it can be used for cleaning tile, marble, glass and enamel. - Baking soda – mixed with white vinegar, lemon juice or water, it is used for cleansing, stain removal and deodorising. - Newspaper – used for cleaning and shining glass/mirrors after washing them with warm water and a drop of vinegar.

Do natural cleansers work?

Commercial products and many home-made ones can be effective cleansers. Commercial products also kill many germs. However, it is questionable if home-made products do likewise. Research indicates that the acidic ones, such as vinegar and lemon juice, can kill germs, but others won’t, unless used in conjunction with one of these. Neither group functions as disinfectants however, with very rare exceptions, failing to kill bacteria such as staph, salmonella, and E-coli. It is only termed as a disinfectant if it has been tested and meets EPA standards in the U.S., or abides by the related statutes of the Environmental Protection Act of 1990. In the UK, none of the larger companies' products meet these standards, although a few produced by small companies do. To be certain that you are killing these common yet dangerous bacteria, you need to use a product licensed as a disinfectant, natural or not, by the appropriate agency, and follow instructions for use. Make sure that you know what the product kills and what it doesn’t. For areas that don’t need to be cleaned with a disinfectant, this isn’t a concern.