Cleaning Products Come Clean on Ingredients In California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – In a major victory toward safer cleaning products in the marketplace, today California lawmakers approved legislation to require manufacturers to disclose the ingredients in home and commercial cleaning products. If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the bill, California would join New York as one of only two states with cleaning products disclosure laws.

The Cleaning Product Right to Know Act, by state Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, would require ingredients – particularly hazardous chemicals, including those used in fragrance mixtures – to be listed on both product labels and online. It would not require disclosure of the concentrations of these ingredients, or how the product is formulated and processed.

“California will be the first in the nation to clear the air for consumers and workers about what is in their cleaning products,” said Sen. Lara. “Consumers are demanding transparency and the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act will set a strong national standard. Consumer advocates and manufacturers worked together to disclose potentially harmful ingredients while allowing businesses to protect proprietary information and retain some flexibility.”

 “Consumers and professional cleaners will be able to breathe easier knowing the ingredients in their household and industrial cleaning products,” said Bill Allayaud, EWG's California director of government affairs. “The demand for transparency is growing, as people, workers and business owners want to make informed decisions about the cleaning products they choose to purchase and use.”

Until now, consumers and public health agencies have been left in the dark by labeling requirement loopholes that have allowed manufacturers to hide allergic and even carcinogenic ingredients in their cleaning products. Many manufacturers make it difficult, if not impossible, for consumers to learn what ingredients are in products, because they don't want shoppers to know that their products contain chemicals that can cause reproductive problems, exacerbate asthma, burn or irritate skin, and harm the environment.

A Groundbreaking Bill

“Consumers are increasingly demanding information about the ingredients in their products, and this is especially true for cleaning products. Breast cancer survivors and new and expecting moms, in particular, work extra hard to avoid chemicals that could contribute to a re-occurrence of cancer or negatively impact the healthy development of their children” said Nancy Buermeyer, senior policy strategist for Breast Cancer Prevention Partners. “This groundbreaking bill will help consumers make educated decisions about their purchases and avoid harmful chemicals.”

“This is truly a breakthrough! For the first time ever companies will be legally required to disclose ingredients in fragrance,” said Jamie McConnell, director of programs and policy at Women’s Voices for the Earth. “But passing SB 258 isn’t simply about listing ingredients – it’s about eliminating the barriers that prevent women and men from having the information they need to avoid concerning ingredients like powerful allergens, or synthetic musks linked to breast cancer, or known hormone distruptors like phthalates – all of which can be found in fragrance. Calling this bill a game-changer is an under-statement. This is going to change lives.”

Even cleaning products advertised as “green” or “natural” may contain ingredients that can cause health problems. Manufacturers can use almost any ingredient they choose, including known carcinogens, and substances known to pose health or environmental hazards.

“We all have the right to know the ingredients in the products we bring into our homes that could affect our health,” said Avinash Kar, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. “That’s why consumers overwhelmingly support ingredient disclosure. The cleaning product industry recognized this consumer demand and worked with our coalition to craft a solution in Sen. Lara’s bill. This bill will put California, once again, at the forefront of public health protections.”

New York passed a cleaning products disclosure bill in 1971, but inexplicably never implemented it. After pressure from environmental and consumer groups, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation is currently working on guidance to manufacturers on how to comply with the law. With the two largest states mandating disclosure, some companies will likely reformulate their products to remove ingredients of concern.

Federal regulations do not require manufacturers of cleaning products to disclose their ingredients on product labels. In the absence of legislation, some companies like Proctor & Gamble, SC Johnson and Unilever have voluntarily provided detailed information on fragrance ingredients. But without mandatory disclosure, most companies resist calls to list all ingredients and use the term “fragrance” to hide hundreds of chemicals, including known allergens, on the grounds that they are obligated to protect the trade secrets of their fragrance suppliers. 

Workers, particularly janitors and housekeeping staff, are exposed to chemicals in cleaning products all day, every day. Women account for 9 out of 10 domestic workers and housekeepers, and of those, a majority are Latina or African American. Cleaning ingredients vary in the type of problems they can pose for workers: some cause acute allergic reactions, while others are associated with chronic or long-term effects such as asthma and cancer. Work-related asthma among California’s janitors and cleaners is nearly double the rate of the overall workforce.

“While research shines light on the harms of secret chemicals used in common cleaning products, very little of this information makes its way to domestic workers, like house clearners, who are the most exposed.  Domestic workers deserve the right to know and based on that information, hopefully have the ability to leverage the use of better products with their employers,” said Nancy Zuniga of the Institute of Popular Education of Southern California (IDEPSCA).  “Commercial cleaning professionals and domestic workers have a right to know what’s hiding in these products so they can protect themselves whenever possible in their workplace – their health shouldn’t be compromised for the work they do.”

“Every day consumers are exposed to chemicals commonly found in products used to clean and disinfect their homes, cars and offices,” said Mayra Soto of Pacoima Beautiful. “Consumers of all socioeconomic backgrounds have a right to know exactly what chemicals are in the products they are buying for themselves and their children. As the expectation of more transparency continues to skyrocket, this mandatory disclosure will guarantee that consumers and workers will know what chemicals are in these cleaners to better protect their health.”


EWG’s interactive Guide to Healthy Cleaning provides real-time hazard and ingredient information on more than 2,500 products to fill the transparency void, drive the market toward healthier products and empower consumers through education.

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Do Not Mix Household Drain Cleaners

STOW, Mass. (DFS) – State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said, “I want to remind people not to mix household drain cleaners when unclogging drains at home. Each brand of drain cleaner uses different chemicals, and when mixed can create dangerous fumes that can lead to breathing difficulties.”

A state Hazardous Materials Response Team responded to a Sudbury home for just such a situation. The first drain cleaner was not successful in unclogging the drain, so the resident tried a different brand of drain cleaner. Residue of the first chemical was still in the drain (since the clog was still there) and the two created noxious fumes.

State Fire Marshal Ostroskey said, “If a drain cleaning chemical does not work, either call a plumber, or the manufacturer of the product you used for advice.”

The Hazardous Materials Emergency Response division of the Department of Fire Services is an innovative response system designed to provide specialized response of personnel and equipment to the 351 communities of the Commonwealth, to enable them to protect the public, the environment, and property during incidents involving a release or potential release of hazardous materials.

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Know How to Clean Household Surfaces Efficiently

Want a clean house? Want more free time, and a happy family? Don't want to hire and worry about watching over a housekeeper? Clean your surfaces efficiently! (This article is general principles of removing dirt from a given area. There are other articles about organizing clutter and methods of selecting what to clean and the order in which to clean it.)

1. Don't work against yourself by re-soiling clean areas. Work from top to bottom, and from back to front (i.e., toward an exit or opening.
2. Remove loose matter in its easy-to-remove loose state. Vacuum it or wipe it off with a dry towel. Don't start by making it wet and sticky. Use a hard plastic vacuum nozzle and take it off and wash it first if you're concerned it has been somewhere dirtier than the surface to be cleaned (such as a kitchen counter).

3. Use the right material or product. A few dozen terry-cloth white towels such as those sold for automobile-related uses are excellent for wet and dry cleaning. Avoid colored ones, which hide dirt but bleed and stain surfaces they are used on and clothes they are washed with. The terry cloth loops absorb a great quantity of dirt rather than smearing it around, so avoid non-fluffy towels. Keep them in a bin or stack so they need not be folded. Use a different part or another when one may be spreading dirt around rather than simply removing it. Wash them with detergent, bleach and hot water with other things normally, by themselves if they're somewhat gross, or throw them away as they become potentially uncleanable and hazardous to other items (such as extremely greasy).

4. Let water and chemicals do the work. A heavy dampening with dish soap, water, time and multiple passes with a rag to remove each layer of newly-softened dirt can be very effective. It also avoids introducing dirt-collecting scrapes. Work on another area while one sits. Electrical items generally can be surface-cleaned with soapy water but not immersed; if any water gets inside, let them dry for a long time before using them.

5.  Put your effort into moving your cleaning surface, not yourself. Your arm and hand weigh quite a bit and have significant internal friction. Little dirt particles weigh next to nothing and, if loose or loosened by water and chemicals, take next to no force to move. If you swing your arm or twist your wrist each time you move a few little bristles or a wadded corner of a towel over a small area, you'll tire after cleaning a small area and removing an insignificant mass of dirt. Cover a wide swath with each pass with a wide cleaner, such as a broom, mop, or broadly folded cloth. Scrub it well with each pass with a broad cleaner, such as a push broom, big, floppy mop, or a cloth allowed to trail out widely behind your hand. Use an implement that doesn't fill up with dirt quickly, such as terry cloth or (again) a big push broom so a pass isn't interrupted by a loss of cleaning effectiveness. For something with corners, choose an implement that can conform to maintain broad contact, such as a cloth or scrubbing sponge rather than a stiff brush much of which will be held up by an edge or point. For a big space, such as a floor, use leverage to cover a greater area with each pass where possible. For instance, hold the end of a mop handle fixed in one hand, and move the middle modestly with the other. The working end will swing far.[1]

6. Don't use harsh methods unless necessary. Hard scrubbing and gritty cleaners (even "gentle" ones) can introduce dirt-gathering, dull scrapes. Use them as a last resort only.

7. Avoid dangerous chemicals and complicated, expensive cleaners unless necessary for a specific application. Dangerous chemicals are generally not more effective. Hand dishwashing liquid and water dissolves grease and loosens most dirt very well. It is extremely cheap and works great; it's even enough on glass. Use just a little soap where thorough rinsing is impractical. Use a proper mop to apply it to waterproof floors such as tiles (be careful not to fall) -- a sponge mop applies and removes it slower but can work OK; a floor wiper is not very good. Most surfaces have been made with the possibility of contacting them in mind. Use other cleaners only for specific purposes, and with careful protection and ventilation. Do not mix them because they can sometimes react in hazardous ways.

8. A squeegee, often sold for automotive use such as the "California Water Blade", can remove soapy water and dirt from counters, tubs and more in a single pass rather than in fractional increments.

9. A "steam" carpet cleaner is very effective on carpets, upholstered furniture (watch for fading and don't get it too wet), including in auto interiors.

10. Some surfaces can be treated to reduce dirt accumulation. Do this when they are clean; don't seal the dirt in. Modern wood finishes generally don't need any treatment. Worn finishes such as wooden floors can be sealed with wax to reduce penetration of dirt and water which can weaken them further. Unfinished wood surfaces can be sealed with drying oil such as linseed oil (whose application and soiled rags involve a fire hazard beyond the scope of this article). Fabric can be protected with treatments such as "Scotchgard". Materials exposed to direct sunlight can be protected from deterioration which tends to attract dirt with "Armor All" or other UV-blocking protectants and materials exposed to moisture can be protected with water-resistant protectants such as leather treatments.
    Acid-bearing toilet bowl cleaner should be used only in the toilet bowl and squirted under the edge of the rim and scrubbed with a plastic brush to remove malodorous uric acid crystals.
    Acid-bearing shower cleaners such as "soap scum" removers are good for removing deposits left mostly by hard water. (Actual soap and mildew not in water deposits will remove easily with soapy water).
    Specialized mixtures such as glass cleaner are often available inexpensively in bulk packages or concentrated forms. Try hardware and warehouse stores, or mail-order maintenance supply dealers that focus on commercial customers.
    Bleach solution kills mildew and hides residue. Wear only expendable clothes when using it. Mildew spores are ubiquitous and need very little to eat. Mildew will return and live in damp environments. Keep the shower curtain open all the way and use a fan or keep the bathroom door propped open when the bathroom is not being used to hinder its growth.
    Alkali such as lye (the solid crystals are much cheaper) removes residual drain clogs after a blockage has been removed by plunger, snake or hand (such as a hair blob). It just leaves a dangerous corrosive clog if put in standing water.
    Hydrophobic, volatile solvents such as acetone are good on certain kinds of paint and grease but attack many finishes and are flammable and not good to breathe. Rubbing alcohol is often effective and somewhat less risky though still somewhat flammable.
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