User:GenniferCann682
"Non-Toxic All-Purpose Cleaner" is quite a mouthful. What it really means isn't too hard to guess - or maybe it is.
Soap and detergent have been the universal "all purpose cleaners" since they were invented. They are used to wash the body, scrub our utensils, rinse our clothes as well as mop the floors - where applicable. What is stand out about this?
As for "non-toxic", we somehow assume that these products we use within daily life are "safe". We don't be prepared to be slow poisoned by our food, our cosmetics or our household cleaners.
Sadly, the truth is very different.
Most cleaners are surfactant-based, and they contain either soap or detergent. While soap is organic in origin and mostly safe, it foams less and refuses to lather whatsoever in difficult water, making it an inconvenient universal standard. Detergent, however, is laboratory manufactured, and designed to be cheap and versatile. In the process, certain compounds are introduced which are less than friendly towards the body. Any store-bought cleaner will probably contain a minumum of one of these ingredients:
Ammonia - Gives off fumes that irritate the eyes and lung membranes, leading to asthma, blindness, eye inflammation, bronchitis, and respiratory failure.
Ethoxylated nonyl phenols (NPEs) - They are called "gender benders", as they can cause male fish to exhibit female characteristics. Though banned in Europe, these NPEs are still utilized in the US.
SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate)/SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) - SLS, present in most shampoos and the body washes, is known to cause irritation within the scalp and skin. When absorbed through skin in to the bloodstream, it may behave like the feminine hormone estrogen and cause secondary sexual characteristics. SLES' effects are milder than SLS, but it can't be divided as SLS can, so stays in the body longer.
PEG, or polyethylene glycol - while PEG isn't dangerous in itself, it may get contaminated by a few highly toxic and potentially carcinogenic compounds - 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide, for example - within the manufacturing process.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Only recently have people grown conscious about the damaging toxins they get exposed to daily, and far scientific studies are needed before declaring any product a "safe" one. This research is only undertaken by companies taking a get up on ethics as well as profit, and make products that get the job done without unfortunate side effects.
Non-toxic all-purpose cleaners eliminate the damaging compounds in many commercial cleaners, and employ easy and biodegradable ingredients instead. Many of them will also be pH balanced to prevent skin corrosion, but they are as efficient as any from the toxin-laden cleaners popular in today's market.
Some non-toxic all purpose cleaners are laboratory-synthesized, they draw their raw materials from plants - a sustainable source, as opposed to petroleum products. The emphasis is on making certain these products don't harm anyone - either to the user in the short term, or our planet in the long term.
