The Cleaning Paradox
Your plates are sparkling now… but have you ever thought about what happens when you pull the plug in your kitchen sink? The dirty water doesn’t magically disappear (!), it actually goes down the drain and ends up in a sewer or in a septic tank system. Dirt never disappears, it just moves from one place to another, and this is what we call the cleaning paradox
Today it is proven that both conventional and Ecover cleaning products do the job of moving dirt from one place to another equally well. But the downside of using conventional products is that these contain nasty chemicals. When they shift the dirt, they will leave behind their harmful toxins…on your work surfaces, in your sink or on your plates. Cleaning with harmful toxins –found in conventional products- only adds to the problem!!
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. There are two kinds of dirt, the good and the bad. The good (but ugly) dirt is something like the grass stains on your kids’ clothes or the muddy footprints on your floor. The bad (and equally ugly) dirt could be food leftovers on dirty plates or stains left in toilets. If this bad dirt is left this way, bacteria will start to grow. But you really don’t need harmful chemicals (such as ammonia and bleach) or antibacterial products to remove this type of dirt!
By Cleaning the Healthy way –(our products only contain natural ingredients) you keep your surfaces clean in the first place so they don’t attract any bacteria and these little intruders won’t get through your door.
Bubbles
We all love a tall glass of bubbles, but bubbles in your sink is a different story. You might be used to seeing them on your plates, but when it comes to cleaning power, they actually don’t have a part to play. Most washing up liquids have foam boosters added but the extra bubbles they give don’t actually do a better job (leave this part up to the surfactants!). And the real trouble with bubbles is what you don’t see… foam boosters don’t biodegrade very well and fish don’t really like that!
Optical Illusions
Ever wondered about the real truth behind ‘Whiter than White’ laundry? Most conventional detergents contain an ingredient which is called optical brighteners. This is a chemical which reflects light and makes your clothes and linens look brighter or whiter than they really are. This effect is only an optical illusion: it doesn’t have anything to do with removing dirt. Optical brighteners leave traces of chemicals behind on your fabrics that neither you nor the environment need.
Optical brighteners are what scientists call persistent chemicals. They’re the most harmful ones because they don’t biodegrade at all.