Evolving Wellness^TM

Practical Applications and Information for Optimal Health and Living Naturally

Misleading Health Advertising - The Culprit: Clorox

Published

on Jul 30, 2008

in Bacteria and Viruses, Cleaning Products, Environment, Health, Prevention

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Okay so a while back when Clorox introduced its Green Works line, initially I was very excited that finally a popular chemical company has come forth with something better where our health is concerned.

However, after doing some research and writing two articles on the topic, which you can read about here and here, I came to the conclusion that Clorox Green Works is nothing more than a typical greenwashing initiative.

As I said in the past, I applaud them for trying to improve but you cannot mislead people and give them a false sense of security while doing so.

Well, not to let you think that I am picking on Clorox again, but I just came across one of their online ads that would make me lose sleep if I did not write about it here. Okay, just kidding, but seriously I have seen ads like this from the SC Johnson & Company, Mr. Clean, Febreeze, Glade and now Clorox, just to name a few and I find them utterly disgusting. There is one in particular that I will be writing about soon.

But for now here is the Clorox commercial, check it out (only 30 seconds) and read on.

First - don’t you love the subjects they are using… children! Why of course, because what do we want to protect more than anything in the world and what do we feel most vulnerable about - our kids! So naturally the ad is going to speak volumes to many moms out there who want to protect their kids and of course do not want to be a “bad” mom so they will be gravitating towards these products.

Secondly - the first half of the ad, literally, is all nice and fuzzy showing these cute kids in all these nice play scenarios.

Well finally the last half of the ad kicks in and the fuzzy, innocent bubble bursts as a cabinet is opened and inside of it are featured about half a dozen bottles of various Clorox chemicals (none of them Green Works by the way).

I mean honestly who in their right mind is going to use those chemicals themselves, never mind around kids and on stuff they touch. Okay, don’t answer that - only about half of North America. I get it.

We are so quickly influenced by these ads that most of us never stop and think about the bigger picture.

So this ad is basically telling me that I will stop my kids from getting a cold, flu or perhaps a stomach virus, while exposing them to risks of getting asthma, allergies and possible cancers in the future. Great, just great. I am not saying that colds and flus are okay, but removing one problem for an even bigger problem does not solve anything.

Then the best part comes in - the punch line of the Clorox ad:

When their world is cleaner, their lives are healthier.

Right, because health has nothing to do with how they eat and sleep, right. What a complete play on emotions.

For those of you who think it is natural and somehow our birth right for us and especially for kids to get sick, read Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Perhaps that can shed some light on why kids really get sick in the first place.

Do not get me wrong, I am not saying let’s not clean and live in bacteria and virus infested homes and wait for the next plague to hit. Not at all. But the truth is, is that most of our houses do not have even half of the germs that these commercials and companies would have you believe they do and what is more, houses can be cleaner than they ever need to be with simple soap, baking soda, vinegar, etc.

There is simply no need to bring in an army of chemicals, especially when kids are involved, that exposes them to other serious risk factors that are not small and curable like the common cold. We have to remember - our houses are in no way meant to be or compared to hospitals. Perhaps one can rightfully argue this in a daycare scenario, but that just leads me back to Dr.Furhman’s book. If kids were not getting sick in the first place, then our daycares would not need to be sterilized either.

Read any number of books, articles or studies, like: Child Health and the Environment (Medicine) by Donald T. Wigle, Exposure to Dust May Protect Against Allergies: Study, Dirt Pills May Help to Ease Kids’ Asthma and the list continues and you will see quickly where I am coming from.

It is not a coincidence that when children are actually exposed to germs they build stronger immune systems and have significantly lower asthma and allergy rates. Again, I urge you to read deeper into this, rather than panicking and thinking that they should be surrounded by dirt and illnesses or something.

I am not even going to get into the whole environmental side of these chemicals with the disposable wipes and such.

Bottom line, my observation is that commercials like these are made for no other reason but to make us feel scared and vulnerable and hence run out to the stores and spend our money on products that in the average home do more harm than good.

*Photograph provided by showbiz kids

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5 Comments, Comment or Ping

J Berg says:

I think these companies just care more about consumers’ wallets than their health!

Aug 1st, 2008
Evita says:

Thank you J Berg for your feedback. That is an excellent point and I think more and more people are starting to see right through these companies.

Yes there are some products we may “need” to make our lives better, but unfortunately most of what is on the market today is simply there to have a robust economy not to have a healthy population.

Just think too of how the circle works… population gets sick from irritation by the chemicals and that is where the pharmaceutical companies step in to do what they so call “help”. Well imagine we can avoid these two unnecessary middle steps completely if we take our lives and health into our own hands and not let others dictate how it will go.

Aug 3rd, 2008
pam says:

i agree with J.Berg , no one cares abt consumers , dey just want money thats it , we can see examples of our soft drink or the hazards of non-sticking kitchen utensils.

Aug 30th, 2008
Katie-Faith says:

Hi Evita,

Are there any cleaning products that you have experience with that you would recommend for a household with small children? I am concerend about the health hazards of most cleaning products. Is Seventh Generation recommended or Melaleuca? I appreciate your thoughts.

Oct 10th, 2008
Evita says:

Hi Katie-Faith,

You bring up an excellent point - so what can one use around children to keep them safe from the harmful microorganisms and yet not expose them to harmful chemicals?

My first choice whether for young or old is always the good old baking soda and vinegar (not used together of course).
The thing about these two substances is that they are known to disinfect well while not being carcinogenic, or causing any asthma or allergies, etc. I mean yes today it is possible to be allergic to literally anything, but these two substances have the lowest toxicity if any compared to any other cleaners.
Now most people shy away from them because they are “not as” convenient as the typical stuff out there.

As far as more convenient, while still relatively safe cleaners go, Seventh Generation, Ecover, Dr. Bronner’s (more personal care based) are an alternative.

I have tried Seventh Generation and they are better, but by no means perfect especially where health goes, they are more concerned about the environment but one has to appreciate their scent free and dye free formulas.

I have not tried Ecover or Dr.Bronner’s but heard very positive feedback about both. (Ecover is on about the same lever as 7th Generation.)

There is one more company you may be interested in, it is called Shaklee:
http://www.shaklee.com/index.shtml

It is a company who was bought out by a couple whose child had severe allergies and health problems from cleaners and apparently one of its first purposes is to be totally safe for health. I cannot attest to this product as I have not examined their ingredients or tried it, but it was widely featured and approved, even on Oprah as a dynamic and different company.

I have had no experience with Melaleuca, but having looked at their site briefly, I could not find any ingredients or product write-ups. If they are based on tea tree oil that is a good place to start as it is anti-bacterial among other things.

Anyway - hope that helps!

Oct 13th, 2008