Green Home

Cleaning Products

In reality, all you need are just a few mild cleaners to make for a spotless home.

HCHW offers many home recipes for cleaning.

If you prefer to buy ready to use products, we encourage you to try non-toxic alternative cleaning products that fit your budget and personal preferences. Any alternative to the standard brands, whose manufacturers do not consider the health and environmental impacts of their products, is a good one.

Avoid unnecessary exposure to fragranced products that can trigger asthma and allergic reactions. Use unscented or naturally lightly-scented products for cleaning.

Beyond what they do to our health, chemical-based cleaners pollute whole ecosystems too proving toxic to aquatic animals and fish. For example, Phosphates, the water-softening mineral additives used in most dishwasher detergents, over-nutrify waterways, causing algae to grow profusely. Overabundance of algae deprives fish of oxygen and results in declining populations.

We are pleased to recommend the products of Seventh Generation and Shaklee, partners of Healthy Child, Healthy World.

For other green cleaning brands visit your local health food store and HCHW’s Marketplace.

To look up what is in common household products please visit the Household Products Database.

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Spotlight on the Experts

Melinda Gray

Melinda Gray completed her Master of Architecture at UCLA Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning in 1982. A licensed architect in the state of California, she has more than 15 years experience with small and large scale projects in the Los Angeles area. Her experience includes the design of sound studios, stages, and offices, retail stores, a medical diagnostic clinic, UCLA hospital renovations, a preschool renovation, … Read More »

Little Green Steps

A recent California Air Resources Board study found that elevated exposures to air pollutants can be expected to occur following the use of common cleaning products and air fresheners. The study also found that some chemicals present in household cleaning products react with ambient ozone, resulting in formation of other potentially hazardous compounds and particulate matter. Read more

“Compelling evidence links the chemicals in household products to cancer, asthma, allergies, multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome -- also known as environmental illness -- hormonal disruption, reproductive and developmental disorders, and other conditions. Yet cleaning products are exempt from the full ingredient disclosure on product labels as required for food and personal care products and enter the marketplace with little or no testing for potential health risks.” From the founder of Seventh Generation, Jeffrey Hollander’s book, “Naturally Clean” , New Society Publishers.