All-purpose cleaners: Necessary?
The all-purpose cleaner that I have been using at home received an "F" per EWG, with the top scoring factor being "corrosive". This came as a surprise because it was produced by a fairly environmentally-friendly company. So I started re-evaluating why I even needed such a product.
A small study published in wire cutter last year looked at cleaners' ability to remove grease, dirt, soap scum, and crayon. While they had a "best overall" product, they make the point that:
A small study published in wire cutter last year looked at cleaners' ability to remove grease, dirt, soap scum, and crayon. While they had a "best overall" product, they make the point that:
It's pretty much impossible for one cleaner to be great at eliminating all kinds of gack...The type of cleaner that works well on oil, usually an alkaline type, will not work well on soap scum, which tends to need a more acidic cleaner.
My favorite explanation that google shared with me when searching for the rationale for an all-purpose cleaner was:
...fingerprints on the stainless steel fridge doors, spilled toothpaste in the tiled bathroom, and some melted chocolate on your painted-wood bedside table...
Well, at the end of the day, our house just doesn't have that much spilled toothpaste or melted chocolate. This is probably because we don't have children...but really, aside from a need to wash the floors and clean up occasional cat vomit or dog pee, I can't validate spending money on a product I don't really need.
Ultimately, I decided to try out some for fun. [Insert lots of internet searching, price shopping, and wandering the aisles of nearby stores]. My husband and I quickly learned that we dislike the lingering smell of lemon, lemongrass, and vinegar. And really, the more I tried these products, the more I realized our home didn't really need them...
So this brings me back to the recently published study whose take home message was:
...cleaning chemicals...are usually unnecessary; microfiber cloths and water are more than enough for most purposes.----------
I will say that that I am loving a Dr. Bronner's dilution for floor cleaning. It only takes 1-2 tbsp soap for a month's worth of cleaner in a spray bottle, and the peppermint makes the house smell fresh and clean. The extra bonus is that I can use it as hand soap, bodywash, and for handwashing dishes. So I suppose at the end of the day, I did find my own version of "all purpose".
- More info on Dr. Bronner's dilutions can be found here.
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A summary of EWG general purpose and glass cleaners is below (as of March 2018): 