Shades of Green: The big scrub-off

It's good to be clean.

It's also good to be green. But can you scrub to your satisfaction without chemicals that can be damaging to people, animals and the environment?

The answers are not as straightforward as you might think.

Grocery stores and even chain stores like Target sell "eco-friendly" household cleaning products under names such as Ecover, Simple Green and Seventh Generation. According to the Environmental Business Journal, which tracks the industry, sales of household cleaners marketed as "green," biodegradable" or "environmentally friendly" have soared in recent years.

But it's debatable what those terms truly mean.

" 'Green' sells, so it is attractive for companies to have a green label," says William Nazaroff, a professor of environmental engineering at UC Berkeley who has studied the toxic effects of cleaning products. "But there is little or no oversight as to what 'green' really means."

Because manufacturers are not required to list ingredients on their product labels, it's difficult for consumers to quickly confirm whether a "green" cleaner actually is easy on the environment. One way to check is to look for products certified by Green Seal, a nonprofit organization founded in 1989. The seal, signifying that a product meets certain environmental standards, appears on items ranging from cleaners to paint.

Other manufacturers may call their products "green" or "biodegradable," but their claims can be misleading.

Nazaroff's group, for example, studied a variety of products that contain d-limonene, which is derived from citrus peels and is commonly included in "natural" cleaning fluids.

"We found that it reacts rapidly with ozone to produce hazardous byproducts," including formaldehyde, he says.

It has long been established that many standard cleaning products contain potentially toxic chemicals. Often, their labels include strict warnings about inhaling, spilling or improperly disposing of the products.

Phosphates, used in many dishwashing detergents, can contribute to an overgrowth of algae and threaten aquatic life. Nonylphenol ethoxylates, or NPEs, which are found in many cleaning products, can add to water pollution.

The study last year by Nazaroff and colleagues found that a host of household cleaners emit toxic pollutants at levels that could pose a threat to the user's health.

"We've focused a lot of effort in the last decades on controlling the big sources of air pollution and on the chemicals in consumer products that contribute to outdoor ozone formation," Nazaroff says. "However, now we've learned that we need to pay attention to other aspects of pollution sources that are right under our nose."

Companies that make both "green" and mainstream cleaning solutions insist that they are not hazardous if used properly, as instructed on their labels.

But if you're interested in buying legitimately "green" cleaning products, choose those with listed ingredients, advises Consumer Reports, the nonprofit and unbiased testing laboratory.

Skip solutions that contain chlorine bleach, ammonia, NPEs, phosphates and antibacterials such as triclosan, the organization warns, and be aware that products labeled environmentally friendly often cost a bit more than conventional ones.

For some, it all comes down to effectiveness. Will "green" products make your house sparkle?

In a decidedly unscientific study, we set out to answer that question.

We bought a range of household cleaners identified as being environmentally friendly, and tested them against products that contain ingredients believed to be toxic under certain circumstances to people or the environment. Other "natural" products that we have yet to try include drain openers, fruit and vegetable wash, hand soap, kitchen bags and paper products including facial tissue.

The greener cleaners that we tried generally performed well, although some required extra time and more persistent scrubbing to do the job. We purchased all of our "green" products at Whole Foods and the others at Bel Air.

If you're still not ready to invest in these items, you might check your pantry for planet-friendly alternatives.

Hydrogen peroxide can act as a mild bleach or sanitizer. Lemon juice may lighten stains. Vinegar helps kill germs and can clean coffeemakers and countertops.

They may not act as quickly as commercial products, but you may find yourself scrubbing with less guilt.

For more information on "green" cleaning, go to: www. thegreenguide.com, which reviews household products and gives consumer advice, or www.greenseal.org, which certifies environmentally friendly products and services.

About the writer:

• The Bee's Cynthia Hubert can be reached at (916) 321-1082 or chubert@sacbee.com.