Friday, September 10th, 2010

E-Cloth® vs. Toxic Cleaners

by Jennifer Gray, Pharmacist |

Cleaning and sanitizing our living space has become a multi-million dollar industry. The United States market for household cleaning products reached an estimated $7.3 billion in 2007 according to a February 2008 study by Packaged Facts, and the national yearly per capita use of household cleaning chemicals for 2006 came in at 25 gallons. It is clear that consumers want clean homes and have been convinced they have to buy many different products for specific applications and pay a lot for them. The cost is also not just financial, every day Americans pour about 30 million pounds of cleaning products down the drain, polluting waterways and soil. Also, indoor pollution is of growing concern as more and more evidence points to the harmful health and environmental effects of chemical and solvents used for “cleaning.”

More people are suffering today from asthma, allergies, respiratory ailments and autoimmune deficiencies—all conditions, which are aggravated by exposure to many of the chemicals found in conventional cleaning products. It is no wonder consumers are seeking new ways to clean naturally and chemical-free.

Before you make your next cleaner purchase, consider the following information:

Windex® and Paper towels

Windex®, the most recognizable window cleaner in the United States, contains ethylene glycol ether (EGBE) which acts as a degreaser. The compound is on the California list of toxic air contaminants. Its ability to linger in the air allows it to enter the lungs of anyone walking through the area in which it is used. The most immediate reaction to exposure to EGBE is irritation of the eyes and nose, headache, vomiting, and a metallic taste in the mouth. Ninety percent of Americans use convenient, disposable paper towels for their everyday cleaning tasks. More than 20,000 gallons of water is used to produce a single ton of paper towels and over a million tons of paper towels soaked with cleaning chemicals hit our landfills every year as they cannot be recycled once they are used.

E-Cloths® and Water

Eliminating the need for chemicals and using only water as a cleaning catalyst, E-Cloth® is the modern answer consumers are seeking. Cleaning can be fast, easy and non-toxic—it’s a back to basics idea for today’s households. These cloths, made from a blend of fibers are designed to attract dirt and capture, grease, bacteria and grime effectively. This means less scrubbing. Conventional cleaning methods rely on chemicals to break down dirt to be absorbed by a rag or paper towel. These cloths can be used to clean almost any hard surface, tile, stainless steel, granite, laminated counter tops, mirrors, glass, etc. E-cloths can be washed and reused up to 300 times (minimum) and are manufactured using sound environmental processes which create neither upstream nor downstream pollution. In addition, the packaging and labeling are 100 percent recyclable.

Windex contains harmful chemicals, which cause indoor pollution. With the cleaning power equal (or superior), it becomes “clear” that it is possible to get streak-free cleaning without the environmental and financial costs. By changing cleaning methods it is possible for consumers to reduce harmful pollution and the financial strain of multiple, custom cleaners. At an estimated 25 gallons per household and $8.99 a gallon, that leaves an extra $500 annually in the household budget.

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