What Ingredients Are in Eco-Friendly Cleaners, Disinfectant, and DIY Cleaning Solutions

The environments we live and work in are prone to getting dirty. It’s a part of living. Dust, dirt, grease, grime, and contaminants become widespread. Naturally, we combat this with disinfectants, cleaners, sometimes chemicals, and other times all-natural cleaning solutions.

 

So many of us don’t really know what’s in our cleaners and cleaning solutions. We know there’s more than water, that’s for sure. But, what else? In this article, we hope to take a deep dive through ingredients commonly found in cleaning solutions. So much of these solutions rely on chemistry, usually between water and ‘x’. Here’s a little bit on the chemistry of cleaning and cleaning solutions as an introduction to understanding what comprises these cleaners and why.

Here’s why water isn’t a good cleaner

To put it succinctly, water sucks at cleaning. If you’ve ever tried to clean a stain with water, you probably found out pretty quick it wasn’t working. That’s because water molecules have an attraction to other water molecules more than they are to external compounds. When applied on a spill, water molecules connect with one another and there isn’t really a reaction beyond this.

Why water needs a surfactant

‘Surfactants’ break the hydrogen bonds binding water molecules, allowing a new solution to be created. They turn water from ineffective to extremely, extremely effective, depending on what type of surfactant is used. Surfactants are seen in virtually every cleaning product, from simple hand soaps to chemical-driven stain removers. They change the properties of water and are a requirement in cleaning.

The most common cleaning chemicals

If you browse the Genesis Supplies catalogue, you will find a long list of different cleaners and disinfectants. Some of the cleaning agents used in these products are chemical-driven. These ingredients are the same you will find in the products located on the shelf at Walmart or in corporate retail chains. Here is a brief summary of what chemicals and ingredients are in commercial cleaners, and what they’re used for.

  • Ammonia is a cleaner that’s effective on glass, porcelain, and stainless steel. The big advantage to using ammonia is that it leaves no streaks after cleaning.
  • Citric acid is an active ingredient, all-natural, that you will find in many cleaning solutions targeting the kitchen or bathroom.
  • Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical that is used in cleaning bleaches, general purpose cleaners, and sanitizers.
  • Sodium hypochlorite is essentially a powdered bleach, exhibiting the same risks and advantages as liquid bleach.
  • Soap, as many of us already know, is a fatty acid compound that’s generally quite safe, void from any risk, and is also used as a lubricant in some industrial environments.
  • Sodium hydroxide is also referred to as ‘lye’, one of the oldest cleaning agents known. Caustic, it dissolves other substances with ease such as grease or limescale.

Why to switch to eco-friendly cleaners

These chemical cleaning solutions are sure powerful but they exhibit an environment risk that shouldn’t go ignored. These agents are bad for our personal health, irritating our lungs and allergies. They can make their way into our lakes and rivers, creating sometimes long-lasting pollution. When they aren’t disposed of properly, they can also have a negative impact on our environment there.

Why we advocate to move away from chemical cleaners and towards eco-friendly cleaning solutions is because few offices actually need those chemicals. In most cases, in an office, cleaning can accomplished with as little as some soap, hydrogen peroxide solutions, or some vinegar and baking soda. If this can be managed, you can completely avoid exposure to chemicals and irritants which used to be unfortunately very common.

What to use when cleaning the countertop

If you have a stone countertop – like granite or quartz – warm water and soap will suffice. More abrasive cleaners should be avoided with surfaces like this as they can easily damage the finish. Alternatively, if it’s a laminate countertop, be sure to avoid any sort of bleach chemicals. Laminates can have their color altered when bleach is used on them. Always avoid.

What to use when cleaning flooring

A ceramic commercial floor can take a mild soap solution and oftentimes, nothing more than that. For tougher stains, a gentle peroxide cleaning solution will take things up to the next level. For marble or natural stone, soap and water is again the recommended cleaner. Never use acidic-based cleaners on marble or stone as it can alter the properties of the stone and render one’s flooring appearance faded or quality lessened.

What to use when cleaning windows

What to use when cleaning windows is hot water and a microfiber towel. This works way more effectively than you might suspect. You may want to have a second towel on hand to take care of any streaks that may present.

What to use on general surfaces

A homemade-style, DIY cleaning solution for surfaces is a half and half recipe of vinegar and water. This is your ultimate all-purpose cleaner, all-natural and eco-friendly. You don’t have to worry about airborne contaminants or chemical residue being left behind. If you have to wipe down surfaces like tables, door handles, walls, or other things, vinegar and water’s enough to clean without damaging these surfaces. If you do have to use more abrasive cleaning products, test them somewhere hidden first. Abrasives can damage finishes or paint, or fade appearance.

Commercial eco-friendly cleaning solutions to look for

If you don’t want to create home-based cleaning solutions, there are commercially available cleaners that are very eco-friendly. There are many details you can look for on the bottle or in research of these products. Anything that biodegrades into water and oxygen minimizes environmental impact of a product. Anything non-toxic is unlikely to irritate people with allergies and/or is unlikely to cause a reaction when said non-toxic solutions comes in contact with their skin. A lot of eco-friendly, non-toxic, and biodegradable cleaners also are quite versatile, applicable on all sorts of surfaces.

 

There are many, many eco-friendly cleaners and disinfectants out there, and they aren’t tough to find. Shopping at Genesis Supplies, you have high quality, safe, and effective cleaners ready to ship anywhere in Canada. Next time you’re using your favourite cleaner, look at the list of ingredients. Are they safe or is there a risk – consider an alternative.

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