If you pay great attention to cleaning and you always want to keep your home safe and spotless, you may want to keep on reading. Chemical cleaners are already known to be extremely dangerous and the environmental Protection Agency recently discovered that the overly popular detergent Tide contains several carcinogenic substances. What is more, The New York Times magazine recently published an article according in which, 1.4-dioxane- a substance usually found in varnishes, paints and cosmetics- became a number one chemical. Since health and environmental groups force Procter & Gamble to recreate popular laundry detergent to decrease the level of cancer-causing ingredients, the company will have to adapt in the end.

In addition, last autumn, Women’s Voices for the Earth carried on various tests on diverse cleaning products and found out that the original levels of 1.4-dioxine that were detected in the Tide’s formula were extremely high. Smaller amounts were detected in Bounce Free 7 Clear dryer sheets. The organization presented the data to the producer company, Proctor & Gamble and demanded it to take immediate action. Even a petition was created to force P&G change their detergent formula and come up with a healthier alternative.

In response, the company argued that there is no reason to worry. They claim that the level contained in the detergent is low enough and that it does not represent an actual risk. Still, the company continued to work on a new formula which would still be effective, but not as damaging as the environmental organizations say it is now. They are making an effort to reduce the level of 1.4-dioxine and that’s a step forward.

Nevertheless, people should know they have the alternative of switching to natural products that are toxins free. Unfortunately, there have been carried on studies that showed there are natural cleaning substances that are not so green either. In a report published by the Organic Consumers Association in 2008 it was displayed how organic cleaners produced by reputable companies, such as Ecover and Seventh Generation have products that contain 1.4-dioxane. Believe it or not, we don’t have that many choices when it comes to green cleaning. We can never know what secret formula companies include in their products. It seems like the only solution would be to make our own homemade cleaners. They say baking soda, lemon and vinegar are the best at cleaning and they can’t be compared with any other natural cleaner out there.