The time for Spring cleaning is just around the corner, and I encourage you to consider the ingredients in cleaning products and to use some of the 50+ cleaning products from black owned brands provided below.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), many ingredients found in common household cleaners are detrimental to your health and the environment. The EWG is a non-profit, non-partisan research and advocacy organization, dedicated to improving public health and the environment. They provide a rating system for cleaning products and ingredients. Using their Guide to Healthy Cleaning, one can obtain information on over 2500 products, and enter specific ingredients as a search term. Products and ingredients are rated A – F based on their impact to health and/or the environment. Reasons behind the ratings are also provided.
By law, companies are not required to list any or all ingredients, only those that are considered to cause immediate harm. Yet some ingredients may become hazardous with repeated exposure. EWG obtains information about products from various sources. These include ingredients listed on product labels and company websites, and from documents companies submit to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration such that employees and custodial professionals are aware of chemical exposures in the workplace.
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Lizzie’s All Natural Products (advertisement) offers a handcrafted one gallon laundry detergent made with natural ingredients. Use the code LESLIE for a 10% discount.
True Products offers laundry detergents free of SLS and other harsh chemicals. True Products are available on Amazon (advertisement).
Professor Amos (advertisement) offers several climate friendly products that include the following cleaners: a cucumber melon concentrate, a lavender scent concentrate, and a lemon scent concentrate.
Smell Good Spa (advertisement) offers a plant based and organic “fresh sheets” spray for personal spaces. Use the code leslie in the Shopping Cart for a 15% discount.
Clean Kangaroo offers a selection of powerful and ecologically friendly cleaning products made with natural biosurfactants that are 100% biodegradable.
Earthlymart offers a plant based laundry detergent.
Freedom Paper Company offers an ecologically friendly fabric softener.
Clean & Cute offers a panty wash, developed by a Gynecologist to remove vaginal discharge.
Karmalades (advertisement) heralds as providing household cleaners with a conscience. Their Scrubbing Souflee is a “mild abrasive emulsion” that can be used on garments, jewelry, bathtubs, and counter-tops. Their eco-friendly dish washing liquid comes in a variety of scents. Products are packaged in glass to reduce the carbon footprint.
Pardo Naturals developed a line of natural products in response to a family member’s medical condition. They provide a list of ingredients on the packages of their cleaning products. These include among others automatic dishwasher tabs, dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent, brush and flush toilet tabs, carpet, and all-purpose cleaners.
The Hoot offers a variety of all-natural cleaners (scented and unscented). Products are free of “SLS/SLES,” acronyms used for sodium lauryl sulfate, for which the EWG gives a C rating. Ingredients are listed on bottles, and consist of eco-friendly elements such as citric acid, water, and rosemary extract.
Earthlymart offers several biodegradable plant derived cleaning products for the bathroom, kitchen, and multi-surfaces. Products for cleaning decks and patios are also available.
Derx Wipes offers a selection of surface cleaners made with lavender and peppermint oil.
PUR Home offers several cleaners made with healthful ingredients. This includes an all purpose bar and laundry detergent packaged in a biodegradable container. A dishwashing liquid, spray disinfectant, multi-surface, glass and floor cleaners are also available.
Laura Kay Innovations offers cleaners with biodegradable formulas that include a dishwashing liquid free of SLS, a germ & virus fighting multi surface cleaner with hydrogen peroxide, carpet stain cleaners, and air fresheners.
In clearing unwanted goods, consider Freedom Paper Company, whose products include recycled paper goods, and black extra heavy trash liners made from recycled materials.
At ScentBagz you will find a variety of non-aerosol room fresheners.
At Powder Power you will find a Ziada carpet deodorizer.
LooHoo (advertisement) and Lizzie’s All Natural Products (advertisement) offer wool dryer balls, which the EWG puts forth as a more eco-friendly option than fabric softener. LooHoo also offers a laundry helper stain stick to help remove stains. At Lizzie’s All Natural Products, use the code LESLIE at checkout for a 10% discount.
I hope you find Spring cleaning products to suit your needs. I encourage you to use information in the EWG database to guide your decisions.
ALSO, Shop With Leslie has ETSY and Redbubble stores with merchandise celebrating culture and enterprise. Proceeds go towards supporting this blog. Check out our Etsy merchandise at ShopWithLeslieBlog (free shipping). Find my Redbubble merchandise here, ShopWithLeslieRedbubble. A mixture of products is provided below.
References
- Environmental Working Group. https://www.ewg.org/
- Environmental Working Group. “Guide to healthy cleaning.” https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners#.Wq3_ZJch2Uk
- Environmental Working Group. “Skip the fabric softeners.” https://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2016/05/skip-fabric-softeners#.Wq3_npch2Ul
- Fioravanti, Kayla. “The Household Product Labeling Act of 2009.” https://personalcaretruth.com/2010/05/the-household-product-labeling-act-of-2009/ 26 May, 2010
- Govtrack. “S. 1967 (111th): Household Product Labeling Act of 2009.” https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/s1697
- Murphy, Lauren. “Beverage container showdown: Plastic vs. glass vs. aluminum.” https://earth911.com/living-well-being/recycled-beverage-containers/ 11 August, 2017
- Nelega, Paulina. “Vegetable gycerine.” http://www.naturalwellbeing.com/learning-center/Vegetable_Glycerine/ 15 June, 2012
- Peltier, Karen. “Sodium laureth sulfate overview: What it is, how it’s used, and more.” https://www.thespruce.com/sodium-laureth-sulfate-how-its-used-1707030 2 March, 2018
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I love that you shared this list of black brands hat are green!! We are small, but growing in the sustainable world. Hopefully our influence will show people of more backgrounds that easy and affordable sustainable living does exist.
Thank you for bringing attention to these companies! I always love to support Black owned businesses!
It’s crazy how we have to be so mindful of things we never did before. I’m sure the danger was always there but it still trips me out. I’m so glad there are more and more natural companies emerging. Thanks for sharing this info!
Thanks for sharing! Bringing light to brands we (I) didn’t know we’re out there.
I’ve been trying to slowly switch into a more holistic lifestyle. I’m not really sure how I feel about not cleaning with bleach. I’m kind of conditioned to associate that with things being super clean. Maybe I’ll check one of these stores out.
I love supporting BOBs and I love natural products from skincare to cleaning so thank you for this list!
I am buying more and more “green” products from cleaning agents to skincare to food. My paranoia is starting to kick in. I just don’t trust the loosening of the EPA regulations from this current administration, basically allowing these companies to make products out of anything with little oversight and blocking our ability to sue if these poorly made products make us sick. So let’s get back to basics and if we can buy black, it’s a win-win.