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As I told you in the previous article I wrote “Clorox Green Works…Not So Green for Your Health“, I had a few unanswered questions as to the safety of the product when it comes to our health. After posting that article, I wrote to Clorox Customer Service Department and after an email from them, which told me nothing, and another one from me and finally another one from them here is where the situation stands.
Don’t hold your breath…it isn’t too encouraging where your health is concerned. What it is, is eye opening as to how these companies can get away with what they say!
Ok so to remind you, in my first email I had 2 questions for Clorox regarding their Green Works cleaners, which were:
- Why are the ingredients not on the bottle? And what are the ingredients?
- Why is it labeled with a caution label as an irritant, if it is all natural from plant based ingredients?
Here was the response from the Clorox Customer Service Department(unedited):
Thank you for contacting us about Green Works Natural All Purpose Cleaner Spray. We always appreciate hearing from our consumers. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this problem may have caused you. We would be more than happy to share with you the ingredients in our Green Works products. First, which one are you specifically needing to know?
Even though these products are all natural, we still are required to place the eye irritant on the label, because this product is not designed in that way.
Again, thank you for contacting us.
Sincerely,
Tim Sharp
Consumer Response Representative
Consumer Services
So I do not know about you but I do not feel like I got much in terms of answers to my questions from that, or understood at all what the second part meant. So I wrote to them again. Here was the next email I sent (unedited):
Hello Tim
Thank you for getting back to me so promptly. As for the ingredients my first question was how come they are not on the products to start with? In Canada the FDA passed a law in 2006 for all personal products to have ingredients on the packages, I would have assumed that any company would put their ingredients on the product even if it is a cleaner to give the consumer more choice in deciding what is good for them and also to empower customers.
As for which product ingredients I am interested in, all of them actually. Before I use a purchase/use a product I would like to know what I am using and hence if you could email me the ingredients of the ALL PURPOSE CLEANER, BATHROOM CLEANER, DILUTABLE CLEANER, GLASS AND SURFACE CLEANER, and TOILET BOWL CLEANER.
Finally I am not sure I understand what you mean in the below statement when you say “Even though these products are all natural, we still are required to place the eye irritant on the label, because this product is not designed in that way” – if you could please explain what you mean they are not designed in THAT way?
Thank you again in advance for your help and reply.
And here is the email I got back in response to that one, again unedited:
Thank you for contacting us about Green Works Natural All Purpose Cleaner Spray. We always appreciate hearing from our consumers. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this problem may have caused you.
The ingredients for the GreenWorks Natural All Purpose Cleaner are; coconut-based cleaning agents, corn-based ethanol, essential lemon oil, and filtered water.
The ingredients for the Green Works Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner are; coconut-based cleaning agents, corn-based ethanol, essential lemon oil, citric acid, lactic acid, and filtered water.
The ingredients for the Green Works Natural Dilutable Cleaner are; coconut-based cleaning agents, corn-based ethanol, essential lemon oil, and filtered water.
The ingredients for the Green Works Natural Bathroom Cleaner are; coconut-based cleaning agents, essential lemon oil, and glycolic acid.
The ingredients for the Green Works Natural Glass & Surface Cleaner are; coconut-based cleaning agents, corn-based ethanol, essential lemon oil, and filtered water.
As for the statement regarding the eye irritant, we were simply stated that our products are not intended to be in a consumer’s eyes. We are required to place the warning on the bottle, whether or not the products are all natural.
Again, thank you for contacting us.
Sincerely,
Tim Sharp
Consumer Response Representative
Consumer Services
Are you thinking what I am thinking…come on, give me a break. Why do the large corporations continue to think that the general public needs to be deceived and is so dumb they are not going to look into this at face value for what it is.
So before I tell you my final thoughts on the Clorox Green Works products, I just have to say one thing. In my last article I applauded them for going green, but when a company comes across as dishonest, like they have something to hide and does not give the customer the benefit of the doubt for knowing better – well that is where I pull the plug on supporting them. I have no problem never buying their products, as I do not already.
My views based on this set of emails are as follows:
1. My original question was still not answered after 2 emails – why the ingredients are not there in the first place.
I engage peace into all areas of my life and try to give others the benefit of the doubt without looking for drama, but at the same time I am not naïve. When a company cannot even answer why they are not posting their ingredients – that to me is not positive news about the product at all.
2. As for the ingredients I was given, I do not for a second believe that that is the completely accurate version of them. Do you want to know why? Read the ingredients yourself again…
- Coconut-based cleaning agents – sounds nice right, well what are they? And if you notice it does not say coconut cleaning agents, but coconut based cleaning agents. There is a big difference in the wording and what that actually means from a chemists point of view.
- Corn-based ethanol – I will give them the benefit of the doubt on this one and assume it is just the alcohol extracted from the plant.
- Essential Lemon Oil – could be natural and could be synthetic, you really do not know its exact source.
- Glycolic Acid – you may notice this name from some cosmetic products which act as strong chemical peels. Yes it is plant derived – but if you have not read some of my other articles, like “The story of personal care products in the 21st century” – just because it is from plants does not mean it is automatically good for you. Glycolic acid is chemically classified as a strong irritant [source glycolic acid MSDS]. Do I need to say more?
- Citric Acid – this one may be recognized as the famous acid found in citrus fruits, but do not kid yourself, acids come in various strengths (i.e. concentrations) and since we do not know this concentration don’t start feeling too safe with this one yet. Citric acid also is a slight irritant as it is nonetheless an ACID. [source Citric Acid MSDS]
- Lactic Acid – and yes you may recognize this name from things like yogurt or what is made in your muscles after heavy duty exercise. Again seeing that we do not know the concentration of this acid we cannot conclude much about it. Although something tells me it is nothing close to what yogurt has. And if you still need a clue about this one, if you ever did have lactic acid build up, did you feel good? I didn’t think so, it is toxic to your body and that is why body tries as quickly as possible to convert it into something less toxic like pyruvic acid that your body can use. Anyway if you are still not convinced lactic acid is considered a strong irritant, read its MSDS sheet. [lactic acid MSDS]
3. So as a final proof, I looked up each of the products’ own MSDS sheets which Clorox provides on their site. There is lots of good information there, but I just want to mention to you the product pH’s.
- The all purpose cleaner has a pH of around 7, so that is very good – the only product possibly safe to use.
- The toilet bowl cleaner has a pH of about 2.1! Ouch – that is one heavy duty corrosive acid!
- The bathroom cleaner has a pH of about 2.7! Another strongly corrosive acid.
- The dilutable cleaner has a pH of about 10.3 – and that makes it a pretty strong, corrosive base.
- The glass and surface cleaner has a pH of about 10-11, which makes it another strong base with corrosive, alkaline properties.
So to all you people who have tried it and claim that it works – of course it works, it eats away through everything, including your skin!
4. Finally as to Mr. Sharp’s last comment as to why they have to label it with a “Caution – Irritant” label, he states that it was not meant to be in a consumer’s eyes – well neither is milk and it isn’t labeled with such a warning.
So ladies and gentlemen, I rest my case. Yes these ingredients are biodegradable but in no way are they good for your health, to touch, to breathe in, or to get the fumes absorbed through the membranes of your eyes (a common way fumes can enter our system).
All I have to say is that it is amazing what the word “natural” can mean today. I am afraid that this word will continue to be largely misused and continue to give the public a false sense of safety. And that is why research is your only option – again it is not fair that the onus should be put on you – but until these companies truly start thinking about us instead of their own pockets that is the way it is going to be.
Oh and if you are wondering if I will be contacting Clorox again regarding this issue – the answer is no. They had their chance to be honest, they chose not to and so on my part the case as I mentioned above is closed. What remains now is just to educate as many people as possible on this!
For your reference here are the MSDS sheets for each of the Clorox Green Works products, from their web site. At least they cannot fib the truth there (I hope) – I am also sure they are not banking on a lot of people seeing them :)
Clorox Green Works All Purpose Cleaner
Clorox Green Works Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Clorox Green Works Bathroom Cleaner
Clorox Green Works Dilutable Cleaner
Clorox Green Works Glass and Surface Cleaner
*(if you are wondering where the word natural is…I just could not make myself insert it in the above names – I am sure you understand)
About the author:Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN - is a certified holistic nutritionist, biologist, educator, writer, researcher and speaker in the areas of health, science and holistic wellness. She is a nutritional science expert and her teaching and writing focus on natural, wholesome, plant-based and organic nutrition to achieve optimal health and longevity. Learn more about Evita Ochel or Follow Evita Ochel on Twitter.
25 Comments to “Maybe “natural” Means “toxic” Today – The Clorox Green Works Update”
You did a great job here!
I bought a bottle of that stuff a couple of weeks ago with plans to test it and write about it on my site. It looks like you saved me from having to actually clean my house.
Good job on getting past the label! Most people buy anything that is labeled green without any thought about the product actually being green.
You seem to indicate that if a product is natural then it shouldn’t be toxic, and that’s just not true. Poisin Ivy, for instance, is a common toxic plant, and it is natural. Smallpox is also natural.
‘Natural’ sounds good but doesn’t mean that a product is going to be harmless.
As for the labels, if it’s not required by the govt or demanded by the consumers, it’s not on there. Space on labels is extremely valuable to the manufacturer, and if none of the competitors are listing the ingredients then they wouldn’t either.
Seth – you are right that if a product is natural it does NOT mean it is healthy and I do stress that in several of my articles. See the problem is that the general public assumes that natural means good for their health and THAT is the myth that I am trying to dispel.
As for space on labels, I have to disagree with you here, manufacturers seem to have no problem putting on huge slogans and pretty pictures. If they were honest they would focus on important stuff like ingredients first instead of building in us a false sense of safety. Why not give us the option to research the ingredients for ourselves? And there are many clever ways to expand labels as some companies do already.
And if a company is trying to go “green” I would think they would be leaders, not followers of what others are doing.
Wonderful blog and it is truly a whistle blowing kind. I have a blog in which I write about my impressions of what I read, see and experience. Do take a look at Discover the World and Passenger Views and leave your feedback
Evita, what’s you opinion on Simple Green? If my memory is correct, it is labeled as non-toxic, is smells good (in my opinion), and it does a good job cleaning.
Hi Green Home Improvements,
I have never personally tried Simple Green, but I know they do have quite a good reputation in terms of safety for the environment and generally speaking health. Their MSDS sheets look pretty good, but to give you a really good opinion on health safety I would need to see what is exactly in their ingredients.
I will try to look more into them in the future.
I bought Green Works natural all purpose cleaner and I used it on my tub today. It had a pleasant smell but it didn’t smell like it was all natural. I’ve been using other natural products and it didn’t smell like them. I looked on the bottle and it doesn’t say anywhere where it’s non toxic. The funny thing is right before I started to use it I was wondering if it really did have products in it that like you said are okay for your health. So, I got on the net and started searching around for information about it. I’m very glad that you wrote this article because I believe you are very right about what you said about companies saying things are all natural and in the end the products turn out to be not healthy for the consumer. I’m not saying this product doesn’t have naturnal ingredients in it but I feel that the ingredients that they did choose could have been a whole lot better.
How do you expect for a cleaner to be able to clean things if it’s completely nontoxic?
Hi Matt
To answer your question, we as a society have unfortunately become very accepting and used to cleaning products being toxic – when there are hundreds of products that clean just as well and are non-toxic.
Being toxic does not make something a good cleaner – yes it will kill micro organisms but seeing that you are made of cells just as most of them are – you have to expect acute and/or perhaps chronic changes in your system too from those chemicals.
So to give you a few examples: there are numerous vegetable soaps that clean and are non-toxic, there is always the good old baking soda and vinegar, and there are new companies making non-toxic cleaners as well like Dr.Bonner’s products.
So the choices are there, but it is first up to us to recognize that cleaning products should not have to harm us while cleaning and at the same time the fact that our society is obsessed with cleaning products. In present times in North America, we are starting to see that the the risks of cleaning products are starting to outweigh their benefits through the high levels of respiratory illnesses, auto-immune disease, allergies and skin infections.
Studies prove that the healthiest children for example grow up on farms not in sterilized homes…that gives one something to consider too.
Anyway I hope that answers your question.
Vinegar is still toxic, maybe not as toxic as bleach, but it’s not something I wouldn’t be pleased to be spraying into my eyes. That’s the point I was trying to make; there are tons of natural things that are toxic (death cap mushrooms anyone?), so demanding that a ‘natural’ product not have a ‘Caution: eye irritant’ label is ridiculous.
I agree that we are obsessed with being sterile and that that’s probably not the best way to be. But you can also go to the other extreme. If you demand that a cleaning product not have any eye irritant warning then you are asking that your cleaning product be basically luke warm water, and that’s not going to be an effective cleaner.
Yes Matt, vinegar can be toxic and burn your eyes and skin and so can poisonous mushrooms. Many times on this site I state the fact that natural or from nature does not mean necessarily good or non-toxic – however there is a big definition for toxic that perhaps I should be better explaining:
–> toxic as in burn your eyes a little or toxic as in give you cancer?
The point with the Green Works is just the fact that they are going after the natural cleaning market and giving people a false sense of security. To me they are just another cleaning product and I would have no problem with them and all their caution labels if it were not for the fact that they are trying to advertise like something from a natural health food store.
As for me I will still use vinegar and baking soda any day over any commercial cleaner as I know it will clean well and not give me the risk of cancer or any other allergy at the same time.
this is the question you asked Clorox: “Why is it labeled with a caution label as an irritant, if it is all natural from plant based ingredients?”
Do you rail against vinegar makers with similar questions? I doubt it. I’m not trying to defend Clorox’s product, I know nothing about it. It seems to me you are attacking this product more because of who makes it than because of what the product actually is.
You asked…”Why is it labeled with a caution label as an irritant, if it is all natural from plant based ingredients?”
Then you answered your question…
“just because it is from plants does not mean it is automatically good for you.”
Plenty of natural things are poisonous. Hence…Earth Options by Raid for roaches and ants. I live in a marina and wanted a product that was non toxic to fish. All I can say is, it was the only thing I could find so I went with it.
The reason I landed on your site was to find out how toxic bleach is toxic to our water supply and environment. I’ve read that it breaks down to salt and water…but come on..what else? I just don’t think bleach should be allowed to used.
Hello Bill
Thank you for your feedback and query! So to answer your question and touch upon what you said, here goes my reply:
1. First I am not sure if when you said “it was the only thing I could find, so I went with it” you meant Green Works.
In terms of Green Works it does not contain bleach – this is the one line in the Clorox line of products that does not use any bleach so that is very good.
The other good thing going for it, is that it is an environmentally friendly product.
Where my concern has and still comes in is when it comes to our health.
2. Hence that is why I questioned the label as an irritant, etc. My issue is that many people who will not look into it, will get a false security of how good the product is for them because of the way it is marketed as “natural”. Even though our world and labels are changing. Most people still feel very secure when they hear or see something labeled as natural, where using that product is concerned.
So my whole point of writing this article is to get people to see deeper and question the product not just take the company’s words at face value as those are often put on in their favor, not the publics.
3. Finally where bleach is concerned, I really have to say first that I admire your concern for the environment. It is something that is such a beautiful trait to have, especially today when our Earth needs so much healing.
Bleach does not just break down to salt and water, if it did, then bleach would be “an environmentally safe product” (relatively speaking as salt is not good in our fresh waters either)
BUT it isn’t!
Bleach is called SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE (NaClO) and because it is made of Na (the sodium) and the Cl (the chlorine) which is what typical table salt is and then an extra oxygen – it may give people that do not have a deeper understanding of chemistry a false idea that the oxygen just separates and the rest is salt in the water.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The key to understanding chemistry is to look at how an atom here or there can mean the difference between a poisonous substance versus a safe substance is the example of water and hydrogen peroxide. Water is H2O and hydrogen peroxide is H2O2, so one may think “oh what’s another oxygen”, right? Wrong.
Chemisty does not work that way. Every extra or different atom added or removed completely (usually) changes the properties of that substance.
Hence bleach breaks down into many volatile compounds, it just depends what other chemical it meets. And in today’s polluted water with thousands of other chemicals it meets a lot. Hence the degradation of many aquatic ecosystems because of it.
So what I would say is that if you are comfortable in using Clorox Green Works where your health is concerned, then by all means use it and it is environmentally friendly.
BUT I personally find it funny that a company that all of a sudden cares so much about the environment through “Green Works” refuses to remove one of the worst things for the environment from its product line a little hypocritical to say the least and suspicious as to their products. Hence cannot and will not support it.
And you are so right, bleach should not be allowed to use, especially given how fragile our ecosystems already are today. What it does to fish and coral reefs, etc, is really tragic.
I’m just curious why you posted that the pH levels of the cleaners….I actually stumbled upon this site looking for the pHs of different things for my chemistry lab, but as I’m a big vinegar and baking soda cleaner (enviornmentally friendly, and cheap, correct?) but when I was looking, the pH of vinegar is 2.5 (a very strong corrosive acid) and cranberry juice is 2.3, so just because the pH happens to be low or high shouldn’t make it unevironmentally friendly. That shouldn’t make it a negative at least.
However, I’m TOTALLY in FULL agreement that ALL cleaners, and most products in general, should have full labeling. I want to be able to know what I am using, even if it means there’s less other advertising on the bottle. I would pay more or at least choose the better labeled bottle. I do have a bottle of GreenWorks, but I’ve had it over a year and I don’t think I’ve used much more than a couple of table spoons of it. Why should I when I can buy three gallons of vinegar and a pound of baking soda and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to clean for $5, and feel good about using it.
Hi Megan
Thank you for your great feedback and query.
So as to why I posted the pH:
Your comment stated at the end a very good point, that if something has a low or high pH it shouldn’t make it unenvironmentally friendly. And that is very correct.
However, my spin on green works is not from an environmental point of view but from a health point of view. As I have stated in another article on Green Works, I do not doubt that this is a “green” or “environmentally friendly” cleaning agent. What I do doubt that their marketing is making people realize that it still does not mean it is good for their health. “Green” or “environmentally friendly” does not necessarily equal healthy for us. The human body normally cannot take what the environment can.
So the pH was given just as an additional point that these products can and most likely are still corrosive to the skin and/or the respiratory passages. Although I am a big fan too of vinegar, I do not doubt that it can irritate people’s skin (but generally only people with sensitive skin)
See the whole pH thing does not tell the whole story, there is also the dilution factor. So while I can be using hydrochloric acid that has a pH of 2 normally, I can dilute one solution more than the other and still get a pH of 2 for both. I know this can go both in a positive and negative way as to where the chemicals in GreenWorks are concerned, but in general, I just do not want anyone out there thinking that this cleaner is off the hook where safety for our health is concerned.
So ultimately, even though vinegar may not pass the pH test, it passes the toxicity test hands down – and that is just not something I can say about the mixture of ingredients in Clorox GreenWorks.
So I hope I was able to address the reasoning for the pH a little better above.
Thanks again for your input!
Evita,
I see your review of this product as somewhat alarmist. I think you are making some assumptions and reading into things moreso than intended.
1 – “natural” usually refers to the origin of a product. Consumers have drawn themselves to this word and marketers have responded. “Natural” means “from nature”. Given this definition, petroleum (the black stuff that naturally occurs in the ground after millions of years), can also be considered “natural”.
2 – “Coconut-based” – again, refers to the sourcing of the product. “Green” shoppers are concerned with where their products come from, and the environmental impact of the sourcing of the product. Perhaps it was made from the fiber of the husk of the coconut, perhaps from the milk. A similar product may be able to be manufactured from used tires or some other man-made synthetic product, however Clorox chose to source their product from coconuts.
3 – You do not extract alcohol from anything. Other than fermenting (like beer), alcohol is created via chemical and manufacturing processes. However, regardless of its source, ethanol is ethanol. If you agree with the politics of corn-based ethanol, this is either a positive or a negative for you.
4 – The pH of a product does not determine how “safe” a product is to use. With proper protection, products of all pH levels are safe to use. If its a 7 you don’t have to worry about it oxidizing or reducing your skin. If it is different than 7 (the same pH as water), you may want to consider using gloves and consider what effects a product with this pH will do to your surfaces. There are many things in nature that have varying pH levels.
5 – Many things found in nature are irritant. Try putting some all-natural dirt in your eye…soon, you will find it to be irritated.
6 – The difference between having a warning label on a Clorox product vs. a gallon of milk is that if someone pours milk in their eye and their eye gets irritated, some dairy farmer doesn’t get sued for 10 million dollars. With a big multinational company like Clorox, not labeling the obvious can result in huge financial losses. For evidence of this, look to McDonald’s “CAUTION HOT” label on their coffee cups. Of course coffee is hot! There are also government regulations dictating what must be on household chemical product labels.
7 – “Natural” does not imply “safe”. Nowhere on this product labeling does Clorox make a statement about it being safer than competing products. Their only claims regard the origin of the product (flowers and green labeling and such). People have this idealized vision in their minds that all things from nature are safe and good. This is fantasy. If you base your product purchasing decisions on this idea then you will have many problems.
8 – Consumer product manufacturers know that people think highly of products labeled “Green” (assuming they meet the standards of being “green”), so they design products that try to meet consumers’ expectations. There are a number of certification bodies out there that help consumers find products that hold to these standards. The GreenWorks products are endorsed by the Sierra Club, the US EPA, and has the coveted “Good Housekeeping” seal of approval.
…and finally
9 – I am not some schill for Clorox or some chemical manufacturing council. I am a consumer that bought the GreenWorks Toilet Bowl cleaner and was impressed that I found a green product that worked well. I was also surprised that it came from Clorox. While researching the Bathroom Cleaner product I came across your site and felt that you attacked their products unfairly. I think you have made many untrue assumptions, and are disparaging their products based on your untrue assumptions.
I am glad that people can put their opinions on the Web, however I think you are giving this product a bad rap based on some misunderstandings. Thank you for sharing your opinion though.
@ ERIC – Thank you so much for taking the time to write your comment and your feedback. Right off the start I want to say a big thank you for showing class in how you went about it. While I do not tolerate misinformed or personal attacks, I really value constructive criticism, because that helps any person or product improve and only get better. So thank you again.
Eric, perhaps I am reading more into this whole issue, and perhaps I am not. The intention of this article is simply to raise some flags for consumers. I have been researching both big and small companies enough to know that there is so much and I mean so much hidden from the public’s view. Take all of the food we eat, all of the products we use, we trust that they are safe, right? We trust that the companies want to make good products, we trust that at least the scientists would do their studies on them, and we trust that the government above all else would not allow these products to be on the market if they were unsafe in any way.
But the truth is the economy and money drive, I would have to guess more than 90% of products out there. And on top of all of that, in the US the way to get approved to the FDA is to personally prove to them that your product is safe. I mean if that isn’t a huge flaw in the system, I don’t know what is. What company in their right mind is not going to find some way to show their product is safe.
As a scientist and educator, and expert in the areas of holistic and natural health, I am sorry, and I completely allow others to have their opinion, but I am no longer going to defend or not speak out about the status quo – simply because it is not serving the world.
The Western world takes the approach of “innocent until proven guilt”. While this may work for our justice system, they use the same approach when it comes to our food and the chemicals in our everyday lives. While this may work for some people, it does not work for me. There is just too much proof out there against it and the havoc it has done to our environment and people’s health. The European stance on the other hand is one that I am proud to adopt, and that is based on the cautionary principle (perhaps the product is fine, but first let us examine it, test it openly and fairly) and then approve it. It is the idea of better safe, than sorry. They have fully disclosed labelling and rules much more stringent than ours, because ultimately this all deals with our health, our children’s health and the future of our planet. Not areas one would think, which we should take lightly.
I mean let us look at the bigger picture here, we are talking about a cleaning product – it is not like there are no other choices out there. I don’t know but maybe it is just my opinion that it makes more sense to use things with caution, and pick better, more trusted items than gamble with ones that could prove unsafe in the future. In the end I only invite readers of this post to ask themselves this question:
“What do I have to lose by not using this product compared to what I have to lose by using this product?”
The answer is yours and personal – we each have our reasons.
Anyhow just a few points about your comments:
1. The word “natural” is highly misused today – I will be the first to admit that, and I simply don’t want people to fall prey to it. Yes consumers want natural and yes the market has responded, but in many ways in a very deceptive way.
Yes coconuts are natural and yes petroleum is natural, but here is where there is a HUGE problem… the processing they undergo. Any chemist can tell us that once a natural product has been processed, most of them no longer qualify for the word natural. Look at Corn Flakes cereal, sure corn is natural, but the cereal is not – that is why they call it processed food.
2. Again back to number one, the processing done on the coconut makes all the difference.
3. My bad on this one for using the word a little incorrectly, in terms of extracting. Yes I mean the idea of the chemical fermentation process that corn undergoes. No problem here, except that alchol is very drying and can be harsh to people’s skin, and while we should all clean with gloves on, most people don’t.
4. Aboslutely, I already responded on this issue in the previous comments above.
5. Again, already covered to the other people, and I stated this in the article as well, as in the line where I say “just because it is from plants does not mean it is automatically good for you. ”
6. Fair enough. But again my job is to raise flags for people, because when I watched these clorox green works commercials on tv, never mind the regular clorox commercials, with moms smelling all the chemicals, and kids playing and eating off those counter tops, sends out a very poor message in my opinion as to the power of these chemicals. It is said to combat the image it portrays and the message it sends to people. These items are taken way too lightly and people’s toxic loads today in their blood, urine and breast milk, prove that.
7. I think I have said enough on this one, with the above points.
8. You may be very dissappointed one day to find out how these governing bodies really work. Unfortunately their approval means very little today.
9. Thank you and I have no doubt as I said in the article that it will work well, but so will baking soda on your toilet and will leave it sparkling clean for a fraction of the cost and definitely no noxious fumes.
Ultimately, I understand that you do not know me, my educational background or the research that I do, and I can only pass on so much to people in one article and let the assumptions fall as they may. And yes sometimes words are limiting, or used incorrectly and all of us perceive the world according to our own biases.
So I am happy that it works for you and that you are happy with Clorox Green Works, but unfortunately when it comes to this product, just smelling it tells me all I need to know where its safety on my health is concerned.
Thank you again for sharing your opinion and I really appreciate any good discussion that is respectful and where people can walk away knowing that we can agree to disagree :)
Evita, thank you for this in depth review. I’d been using natural cleaners and decided to try the Greenworks – they were cheaper and more convenient.
Two weeks ago we had someone over to fix some chips in our quartz countertop. They gave me a detailed lesson on the importance of using products with a neutral ph. The greenworks products had dulled my countertop. Biokleen’s products (almost all) and also Bayes have neutral ph and I’m switching to them instead.
Thanks again for this review, further confirming what I already had begun to realize.
@ CELESTE – Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing this very valuable experience. I am also so happy that you found this overview helpful.
You brought up a very important point about a cleaner being neutral, as it can dull a countertop. I found that out too on floors as well in the past. We pour all these heavy chemicals on our stuff, obsessing over killing the microbes, which half the time are not even dangerous, without thinking that we are also killing our furniture, floors, counter tops, etc.
So yes, a nice neutral based cleaner is a great idea! I will have to look more into Bayes and Biokleen – thanks!
I do find this article interesting just for the simple fact that is does open my eyes to what “Green” really means. Most people, like myself who want safe and healthy products go shopping for “Green” ones. Like I said, safe and HEALTHY. As much as I am concerned about the environment, I am much more concerned about the direct affect a product has on the health of me and my family. So, yes, Clorox can get away with labeling their products as “Green” as long as they are from nature, consumers today to greatly equivelate green with healthy.
I think this is a good article, not so much for making Clorox look bad, but for showing what Natural/Green really means. Clorox doesn’t care about our health or the environment in my opinion, like most companies…they just want to make a buck…and the whole “Green” thing is geting more and more popular so “Green Works” is their attempt to profit from it.
@ NICOLE – Hi Nicole and thank you for your comment.
I cannot tell you how much my eyes were opened when I started to research these companies. The term “green” sounds great and as I mention in the article, and several others on the site, being good for the environment, does not equal being good for us. There are so many products that may be biodegradable, but still are toxic to our health. So the key idea is to keep the word “green” for the environment and not for a moment transfer it over to imply to our health to. It almost always doesn’t.
Your comment beautifully summarizes where this situation stands today – thank you so much for taking the time to write. It is very appreciated and I love when we all learn together in how to make our lives here happier and healthier!
Good job in getting the truth out! Couple of things I’d like to mention, tho. CITRIC ACID is not the same as CITRUS ACID, which is from CITRUS fruits-two totally and completely different substances. The HARMFUL CITRIC ACID is now a common food additive, used as a preservative and taste enhancer….also used in some personal products, and we all know that what you put on your skin penetrates into your system. Ethanol that has been processed for commercial use may contain BENZENE, a known carcinogen…and ethanol is a VOC…not good by any means. Try using Miracle II products for personal use and cleaning. Thieves cleaner, available from Young Living Products, is also a great non-toxic cleaner.
Hi Lori
Thank you so much for your feedback and the extra information you have provided is so valuable and appreciated.
There are so many corners that can be cut and most companies make sure that they do all for the sake of profit in the end. As for the consumer, most have no clue as to where to start with a typical label and it is not like the governments help to make matters better. Labeling laws and the ingredients approved for use are essentially a joke.
These days, even the natural companies that I research usually have some fault, no matter how small in whether they contain something not ideal for our bodies or health.
I have heard of Thieves and never tried their products, but they sounded great. I have never heard of Miracle II and will look into that – thanks again!