GREEN CLEANING REDEFINED

Many products on the market claim to be "green", "natural", and "non-toxic." In reality, some still contain chemicals that take years to degrade in water and/or soil, leaving you and the environment at risk long after the product is used. 

Use these 5 standards to differentiate between the truth and clever marketing. If your cleaning products don't meet the mark, it's time to redefine how you clean green. 

MayLū ingredients are:

  • Readily biodegradable
  • Sustainably produced from bio-based sources
  • Include selections from the EPA Safer Choice Program Safer Ingredients List 
  • Free of artificial dyes and synthetic fragrances
  • Naturally scented with essential oils

Looking for a list of what to avoid? The following is a non-exhaustive list of harmful or potentially-harmful chemical ingredients often found in home cleaning products, as well as soaps and lotions. In addition to being terrible for the environment, many of these listed chemicals may also cause various allergies, sickness symptoms, and/or diseases–even cancer. 

  • Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APE),  or APE derivatives such as nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPnEO) and octylphenol ethoxylates (OPnEO)
  • Ammonia
  • 2-Butoxyethanol (glycol ether)
  • Butoxyethanol, butyl cellosolve, ethanol 2-butoxy-, ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether (ECBE), ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, monobutyl ethylene glycol ether, or n-Butoxyethanol
  • Chlorine
  • Coal tar dye
  • Formaldehyde
  • Hypochlorine, sodium hypochlorite, phosphoric acid, or sodium hydroxid
  • Monoethanolamine (MEA) (or ethanolamine, or ethanol 2-amino-, or 2-aminoethanol, or 2-hydroxyethanamine).  Also: Diethanolamine (DEA), and Triethanolamine (TEA or TEOA)
  • Organochlorines
  • Perchloethylene (PERC or PCEL)
  • Phthalates
  • Phosphates
  • Preservatives: Some preservatives may be contaminated with MEA and/or DEA and/or TEA.
  • Propylene glycol n-propyl ether
  • PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
  • Quarternary ammonium compounds (QUATS)
  • Silica powder/crystalline silica
  • Sodium dichloroisocyanurate dehydrate
  • Sodium hydroxide (lye)
  • Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
  • Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)
  • Sulfate
  • Synthetic musks
  • Trisodium nitrilotriacetatea
  • Volatile organic compounds such as propane, butane, ethanol, phthalates, and formaldehyde.