A green product or service is one that utilizes fewer resources, fewer toxic materials, and/or boasts a longer lifecycle. The effort and resources a company puts into the way it does business, uses raw materials, and energy to produce environmentally friendly services/products is one way to define a “green” company.

The term “greenwash” is what you get when a company or organization uses environmental trends to its benefit by lying to or misleading its customers. Greenwashing isn’t new — since the environment emerged as an issue in the early 1970s, there have been advertising firms trying to convince consumers that buying Brand X is the only way to save the earth.

Greenwashing is so prevalent these days that TerraChoice, an environmental marketing company, found in a recent study that 98% of green labels were false or misleading. And 23% of products making green claims carried an environmental badge with no authoritative meaning. The TerraChoice website www.terrachoice.com offers a list the “seven sins of greenwashing” — seven simple signs that should tip you off if a company is more interested in selling the earth than protecting it.

To avoid greenwashed products, learn about the products and techniques used by your home service providers before you hire them!  Ask questions! And don’t be afraid to tell them what you’re looking for – they might learn something new in the process and start using green products.  See our tips below on making eco-friendly selections on a few common household items.

Hiring a cleaning service?

When hiring a professional cleaner, you should find out what type of household cleaning products they use. Many cleaning products include harsh chemicals intended to disinfect and kill germs, but most of the time this is overkill. Unless you are cleaning up after raw meat or bodily fluids, these toxic cleansers are not necessary, and many cause dizziness, nausea, allergic reactions, and irritation of eyes, skin and the respiratory tract – imagine the impact on the environment! Drain, oven, and toilet bowl cleaners are some of the most hazardous products in our homes.

• Drano: Ditch it for a proven healthier alternative like baking soda and vinegar, or a hire a plumber!
• 409 all-purpose cleaner: contains Alkyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (wikipedia details).  Do you want this chemical on your kitchen and bathroom counters?
• The Works: a toilet bowl cleaner containing 20% Hydrogen Chloride. The label states “Danger: Corrosive. Causes skin burns and irreversible eye damage. Do not get in eyes, on skin, or on clothing.”
• Clorox “anywhere” hard surface™: a daily sanitizing spray, which advertises “gentle enough to use around kids and food”, but contains Sodium Hypochlorite (chlorine bleach). Bleach can cause respiratory difficulties, headaches, skin burns, loss of consciousness, and vomiting. People who already suffer from respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic bronchitis should never be exposed to bleach. And the risks are compounded when the cleaners are used in small, poorly ventilated rooms, such as the bathroom.

Switch to using non-toxic cleaners on a daily basis, and remember to ask about products used by any hired home cleaning professionals you bring into your home. If they’re not willing to use non-toxic products, then protect your family and don’t hire them!

Painting your home?

Consider hiring a painter that uses low-Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) or zero-VOC paints and finishes. The type and amount of VOCs in household paint generally varies with the type and brand of paint, but some paint contains many VOCs, including benzene, formaldehyde, and toluene. The fumes from VOCs are known to cause headaches, dizziness, eye irritation, nausea, and even cancer. Paint brands these days contain anywhere from 250 grams per Liter of VOCs to 0 grams per Liter (zero-VOC).

If someone tells you that a low- or no-VOC paint is not as good as a higher VOC paint, tell them you’ve heard otherwise! There are excellent low-VOC and no-VOC paints from leading brands including Sherwin Williams, Kelly Moore, Valspar (Lowe’s) and Olympic (Green Seal Certified). For Green Seal approval, the paint must be low-VOC (50 g/L for untinted flat interior paint), not contain harmful compounds or heavy metals, and must be tested for scrubability, hiding power, and washability.

Carpets need cleaning?

When choosing a company to do your carpet cleaning, make sure that they use safe cleaners. Environmentally safe cleaners should not contain any carcinogens, should not be combustible, and should not be corrosive to the skin or eyes. Some carpet cleaners contain toxins that can be harmful to those who walk and play on them. You should also avoid any products that could be harmful to aquatic life or that contribute to smog or other pollution. Many eco-friendly cleaning products are non-toxic, biodegradable, and made from renewable resources (not petroleum).

Tip: The common “Rug Doctor” carpet cleaning system found at Lowe’s, Albertson’s, and other store uses the Oxy-Steam Carpet Cleaner (red plastic bottle) which contains chemicals that are irritants to eyes and skin. Do you really want this cleaner on the floors that your children and pets walk on?