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How well do "green" products work on your floors, sinks, ovens and carpets? Three organizations offer different answers:

Green Seal

Non-profit Green Seal certifies as environmentally sound more than 800 products and services ranging from floor, tub, glass and other household cleaners to soaps, lotions and other hand cleaners.

All products that are certified have been tested by private and university labs for effectiveness, and the Green Seal organization has reviewed the tests, said its marketing director, Linda Chipperfield.

Green Seal's performance standards require that products must perform as well as any other product in that category "or we won't certify them," Chipperfield said.

The tests are based on standards set by a range of trade, industry and non-profit groups, such as the Soil, Carpet and Rug Institute and the American Society for Testing Materials.

To get a list of Green Seal certified products, go to http://www.greenseal.org/ findaproduct/index.cfm

Shop Smart

Shop Smart magazine, published by Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, rates the environmental soundness and effectiveness of many green products in this year's October-November issue.

Among the topics: flooring, carpets, paints, accessories, wood furniture, lightbulbs, household cleaners, appliances, sheets and towels.

Bamboo, cork and linoleum all drew high environmental ratings, but the magazine said its tests found that bamboo and cork flooring didn't always wear or keep their colors well.

Paints low in toxic volatile organic chemicals weren't as tough and durable in testing as regular paints, but the technology is improving as the demand for them increases, the magazine said.

It said natural fibers or recycled synthetic materials result in eco-friendlier carpets, but that some natural fibers such as sisal and sea grass aren't hard-wearing materials, and should not be placed in entryways and other high-traffic areas.

Finally, the magazine warned, "If you're used to aggressive commercial cleaners, some greener versions may not work as quickly or effectively. In our tests of green products over the years, we have found that quality can vary a lot."

State of California

A few years back, California published a guide to household chemical alternatives that rated nearly a dozen leading alternative cleaners, pest-killers and wood care products.

Among its findings: Baking soda, borax, hydrogen peroxide and citrus-based d-Limonene are as effective household cleaners.

Vinegar did not rate well, but tri-sodium phosphate fared well in anecdotal information from various sources — there is no published research, the report said.

As for pesticide alternatives, the report said boric acid and diatomaceous earth are effective at long-term pest control but take several weeks or months to have an effect.

Linseed oil is an effective alternative to solvent-based wood preservatives, sealers, polishes and waxes, but published research regarding its environmental effects isn't available, the report said. It can cause moderate skin irritation.

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'Green' products lack details, too

Women's Voices for the Earth, a Montana-based group, published a report last summer slamming many conventional cleaners for causing health risks.

But it does not endorse commercial "green" cleaning products, partly because many don't label their ingredients — just as most conventional cleaners don't label theirs.

"I do personally believe that there are green companies out there making good, safe cleaning products," Alexandra Gorman Scranton, the group's director of science and research, said in an e-mail. "The problem for me and for the average consumer is figuring out which ones those are, and which ones are merely clever marketing schemes."

Green cleaning company Ecover, based in Belgium, does label its ingredients. It tests its 23 products to ensure they don't have irritants that could cause asthma, said Kipling Rutherford, a company spokeswoman in Long Beach, Calif.

"A lot of our products don't even have directions for what to do if it gets on your skin," Rutherford said. "They are so mild, they aren't even issues."

Alternative cleaning manufacturer Method Home, based in the San Francisco Bay area, says it starts with materials known to carry no potential for asthma, skin irritation or other health problems, said spokesman Drummond Lawson.

On its labels, it discloses the kind of materials in its 40 products, such as "naturally derived surfactant" from corn alcohol. But it doesn't disclose substance names, said Lawson, "given that most consumers are not familiar with existing chemistry. A lot of the time that would be rather senseless information."
Arizona Daily Star


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