Most of us want to do better for the planet and our health, but it can be hard to find products that are both effective and environmentally friendly. Sometimes we go the more ‘green’ route with cleaning, hygiene, childcare or food products only to find out that they don’t get the job done as well as we hope.
Ideally, we could minimize our carbon footprint in every aspect of our lives. But with the hustle and bustle of our daily schedules, it’s often easier to take shortcuts with the more convenient products rather than trying to be ‘green’ all the time.
“I care about the environment, but I hate wasting money on ‘green’ products that don’t end up working!” – Nicole, 32
“I want safer products for the household, but its been challenging to find a green window cleaner that does the job as well as the most popular brands on the market.” – Riley, 49
In addition to the guilt of how our favourite household cleaning products contribute to environmental degradation due to ending up in water streams and landfills, there are also concerns about what some of the ingredients in these products do to our bodies.
In the United States, there is no specific list of standards for cleaning products. As a result, there are tons of toxic chemicals found in our everyday cleaning products. Continued exposure to these toxins can impact our health in a lot of ways, mainly through inhalation that leads to respiratory illnesses. However, although our digestive system can pick and choose what it takes in, our skin cannot – so skin-to-skin contact with these chemicals allows us to absorb them into our bloodstream.
Some of the most common chemicals found in your everyday cleaners:
Phthalates: Found in fragranced air fresheners, dish soap and even toilet paper. They are endocrine disrupters, which means they affect our hormones. They’ve been found to lead to lower sperm count in men!
Ammonia: Found in polishing solutions for bathroom fixtures, mirrors and windows. Is especially dangerous for those who are elderly or have asthma; people with high exposures to it, such as housekeepers, can develop asthma as an adult or chronic bronchitis.
2-butoxyenthol (2-BE): Found in everyday window and kitchen cleaners, laundry stain removers, degreasers, and more. There are no laws in the US requiring this ingredient to be listed on the packaging, and if it is listed, it can be under a variety of other names, such as “ethylene glycol monobutyl.” Continued inhalation of this chemical can cause sore throats, and even contribute to long-term liver and kidney damage, infertility, allergies, asthma, and anemia.
QUATS (Quarterly Ammonium Compounds): Found in fabric softeners that you add to your laundry, and in other products that are labelled as ‘antibacterial.’ These are skin irritants and can also contribute to asthma, even in healthy people.
Bleach: Very common, but can also be deadly when misused. Found in many cleaners, and toilet, tissue paper and paper towel are also tainted with it. Bleach is a corrosive substance and can be dangerous to yourself, pets and children if instructions aren’t carefully followed. Misuse and overexposure contributes to breathing problems, childhood respiratory illnesses and other infections.
Coal tar dye: Found in all-purpose cleaning products, mainly laundry detergents. Its known to be a carcinogen, which means that continued exposure can be cancerous. It appears under several different names on a label, so its almost impossible to spot unless you know what to look for
Other toxins not mentioned here but found in your everyday cleaners are MEA (monoethanalomine), DEA (diethanolamine), TEA(triethanolamine), Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) Phosphates, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), sodium hydroxide, and many, many more.
There’s no doubt that we want these ingredients off our shelves, and out of our cupboards, and replace them with cleaner, all-natural products. But how do we know for sure that we can trust a business that claims to be toxic-free?
Why you should still be wary of some “green” products
Knowing the popularity of switching to natural or DIY cleaning products, many household cleaning companies have taken advantage by trying to market themselves as “green,” or “natural”- unfortunately, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re completely free of toxic chemicals. In 2010, a study found more than 95% of ‘green’ consumer products make certain statements to make themselves appear trustworthy, but aren’t relevant. There are no strict laws in the United States about who can call themselves “all-natural,” so don’t be fooled by these package claims alone. Always read the ingredients, but also be aware that many of these harmful toxins have up to a dozen names, so unless you’re an expert in knowing what to look for, it can be very hard to tell which products are completely clean, and which arent’t.
A cleaning line that we WOULD recommend
Nantucket Footprint cleaning products are a great solution for those who want don’t want to sacrifice quality and convenience for taking care of their health, or the planet. The company values honesty, and only uses trusted ingredients that appear on official lists of ‘safe’ products. Their products are effective but are also completely biodegradable. If you’re looking to make small changes for the planet and the health of your family and pets but want products that do a good job, then these products would be an asset in your home.
Nantucket Footprint’s Window Cleaning Bundle as well as their Laundry Detergent Sheets both come in 100% biodegradable and child-safe packaging. Both products are effective at what they aim to do, and make life easier for you (thoroughly clean your laundry, and windows and other surfaces in your house); they also leave no carbon footprint, contain only ingredients free of toxins. This means that not only is the package and product itself biodegradable and leaves nothing behind, but their ingredients are safe for babies and children and people who want to reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals found in mainstream products.
Not only is Nantucket Footprint doing its part to be transparent to us abut which ingredients they use in their products and use environmentally friendly packaging, but it is also dedicated to giving back to a cause thats important to them – 2% of the proceeds from every sale they make go directly to rainforest preservation. By supporting them, you’re supporting their initiatives and helping the rainforest too!
Every time we make a purchase, we are voting for the kind of businesses we want to support, and for the type of world we want to live in. We want businesses that: a) help the planet, b) care about our health, and c) produce products that do the job well!
Nantucket Spider has found a way to combine these three desires through these two effective, highly-rated cleaning products.
Laundry Detergent Sheets- Concentrated Dissolving Strips (32 loads)
Nantucket Footprint cleaning strips are made from plant-based and other non-toxic and biodegradable ingredients, so they are safe to use for you and the environment. Your clothing will smell fresh, and not artificially perfumed.
These strips are effective and easy to use – they require no extra time on your part than a jug of detergent or a laundry pod. Simply place them on top of front-loading washing machines, and turn your machine on. Your laundry will be clean, stain and chemical free!
Nantucket’s Laundry Detergent Sheets:
It is truly a wonder that in 2023, people are still using heavy, plastic laundry drugs that sit in landfill for hundreds of years after use. A cardboard, lightweight 100% compostable box containing sheets that do the job just as well as a detergent is so much more convenient!
Window Bundle: Window Strips & Reusable Glass Bottle & Professional Window Cloths
It is truly a wonder that in 2023, people are still using heavy, plastic laundry drugs that sit in landfill for hundreds of years after use. A cardboard, lightweight 100% compostable box containing sheets that do the job just as well as a detergent is so much more convenient!
Window Bundle: Window Strips & Reusable Glass Bottle & Professional Window Cloths
Nantucket Footprint is confident that their Glass & Window Cleaner will be the best natural window cleaner you have ever used. When used as directed, it effectively eliminates grease, grime, and dirt on most surfaces with ease. It is convenient and safe for you, and causes no harm to the environment.
The bundle includes three items: a package of cleaning strips, a set of reusable cleaning cloths and a beautiful glass spray bottle that is pretty enough to sit on the table.
Here’s what you need to know about each item you’ll receive when you buy the window bundle:
Glass and Window Cleaning Strips: Makes four full 16 oz bottles. Simply add the strips into the glass bottle with water and shake to create a natural-scented, effective and environmentally friendly cleaning solution. The strips dissolve quickly in the water, making you a fast and convenient earth-friendly solution.
Professional Window Cleaning Cloths: Work well on granite, stone, wood, glass, chrome, mirrors and painted surfaces. Generously sized professional chamois textured waffle cloth that is effective in removing dust, dirt and grease. The finer polishing cloth polishes the surface to create a perfect, streak-free transparency. These cleaning cloths are non-toxic, made from plant-based surfaces and a hint of steam-distilled rosemary and mint essential oils.
Glass Spray Bottle: Reusable, with a silicone no-slip base. Visually appealing and stylish; glass is also a renewable resource, and more environmentally friendly than plastic
Say goodbye to products that sit on grocery store shelves degrading in quality, as other cleaning solutions do!
The Window Bundle:
You can’t go wrong!
Nantucket Footprint is a great choice for those who want a clean and toxic-free home at an affordable price, but also want to reduce their environmental impact and make a difference. And, with their commitment to donating 2% of their proceeds to rainforest preservation, consumers can feel good knowing they are helping to protect the environment while supporting a great cause.
Who is Nantucket Footprint?
Nantucket Footprint is a household cleaning line created by a small business, founded by two friends, Nancy Jack and Jeffrey Busch. Their business Nantucket Spider has been a leader in the natural essential oil insect repellent industry since 2013. Nantucket Footprint is the new cleaning line they launched, which produces plastic-free, concentrated zero waste household cleaning products. Nantucket Footprin strives to be a leader in the eco-friendly cleaning industry. All products contain no artificial fragrances and are only lightly scented with essential oils. The products are extremely effective as well as having been thoughtfully formulated.
Nantucket recognizes that there are thousands of businesses out there trying to fool you into buying into the ‘green’ or ‘natural’ labels on their products. One of Nantucket’s values is honesty and transparency. All of their ingredients are on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safer Choice list, and none of their ingredients are listed oon Suzuki “Dirty Dozen List”.
Nantucket believes, rightfully, that any product that cleans the surfaces in your home and fills your air should also be safe enough to put on your skin.
Supporting Nantucket is to support a business that is committed to supporting our environment and the future that we want to have.
Grab your Natucket products today
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