EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning

Finally! The Environmental Working Group has come out with a list rating household cleaners. I've been using the SkinDeep database for years for beauty products, and have been wanting to know a bit more about household cleaners.

Although I'm sure some of this warrants being taken with a grain of salt, it seems to be a pretty comprehensive guide. It also reveals how deceptive packaging can be. For awhile, I have been using this stain remover. If you look closely, you can see a "Greenlist" emblem on the label. I assumed this meant it was environmentally-friendly. But according to this database, it scores an F, the worst you can get! Upon more detailed research, Greenlist is a process deployed by the company who makes the products, not an independent reviewer as I assumed.While some strides have been made, there is still apparently a long way to go.

My other surprise on this list was that my go-to HE laundry detergent, Seventh Generation, did not fare well. The one I use in particular scored a D. "D" is for disappointing! Across the board on other projects, they did not score as well as I would have expected. I just switched to Whole Foods 365 Everyday laundry detergent, unscented. I'll let you know how it works! I've got some other cleaners that may need replacing, and others I thought might be bad that actually aren't. For example - "Lysol Professional Disinfectant Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner" just sounds like an earth-polluting product by nature, doesn't it? Not so. Actually scored a B. Just goes to show, don't judge a book by its cover.

Any products you were surprised by in this database?