There really are so many factors to consider in what makes a cleaning product green or not green. Another of these factors is, is the product dyed by artificial means?
Dye is placed in cleaning products for consumers to to differentiate between products as well as to make products look good. Would you think that your dishwashing liquid was good if it was clear? Dishwashing liquid is traditionally green and it is now quite common for it to be orange with an orange fragrance as opposed to the usual lemon smell. A clear product may not leave all consumers convinced of the cleaning products ability to clean. Colour also helps us to easily see which product we have in front of us - dishwashing liquid is green, fabric softener is blue or white, bleach is clear, etc. Labelling the cleaning product and ensuring the label is always readable is very important when working with products that are not all dyed.
The problem with artificial dyes is that they can cause irritation to the skin. I fully support always using gloves when using any cleaning product. However, not everybody does use gloves and skin irritation is a possibility.
Some of the substances that make up dyes have been found to be toxic. Within the cleaning product this dye would be diluted to be a tiny amount of the finished product. However, the whole point of going green is to be good to the environment and good to people too. This would include the people who make the product and would be exposed to large quantities of the dyes and other raw materials.
In recent years there has been a move towards more natural dyes being available. These natural dyes are made mostly from plant sources. This is a much better choice for green products.
Blendwell Chemicals manufactures the Enviro Blend range of cleaning chemicals. The Enviro Blend range is free of artificial dyes and where possible we have eliminated dyes all together. Please visit www.blendwell.co.za to find out more about this fantastic range of green cleaning chemicals.
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