In Summary and What is to Come

My Green Planet is a small company started by six college students for the purpose of helping people and saving the environment.  We have discussed the negative consequences of using non-green cleaning products for both your own health and the the planets. We have provided our readers with tools to make their own green cleaning products and shown off examples of great green practices in the community.  We hope that everyone has found this information insightful, inspiring and empowering to make green decisions while staying clean. This being said My Green Planet will soon be taking our efforts one step further to make it easier for our readers to make a difference.

We have begun construction on our official website that will offer a wide selection of green cleaning products sold both in bundles and individually. We are designing each bundle to cover different areas of the household and we hope that our efforts to bring forth this information along side our soon to be price friendly service, will make it even easier for everyone to make a green switch.

Once the site is completed we will post a direct link from our blog and also discuss our product selections and make recommendations on each bundles use. We thank our readers for their time and welcome any feedback that you would like to share with us. Please email us at mktg455csuf@gmail.com to share your opinions.    

A Chemical Not to Go Bananas For

In a previous post we talked about some dangerous chemicals that are found in cleaning products. However, there was one chemical that we did not discuss and I think that it deserves our attention. The chemical is called Alkylphenolic ethoxylates. The main application of APEs is that they are used in detergents. 

APEs are synthetic surfactants. What a surfactant does is help dissolve matter (dirt, blood, ect.) that would not easily be dissolved by water. However,  APEs are very hazardous to human health. The World Health Organization and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have recognized APEs as carcinogens. In addition to causing cancer, APEs are believed to mimic hormones in your body and cause disruptions in your endocrine (the system responsible for regulation of your hormones) system. Some examples of the health effects that result from exposure to APEs are that it disrupts  your immune system and can cause breast cancer cells to grow more rapidly

In addition to human health effects, APEs causes harm to the environment. When APEs are introduced into a water supply, it can cause disruptions to the wildlife that dwell there. For example, APEs have been shown to cause harm to many salmon populations in the wild. When a salmon comes in contact with this chemical it can cause reproduction damage and feminization or hermaphrodation. Since this chemical can mimic estrogen, it can cause male salmon to become female salmon or develop female sex organs in addition to their male ones.

As you can see this chemical can cause harm to our bodies and to the environment. That is why you must check that the product you use does not contain APEs. At Planet Green Clean, we make sure that all products we sell do not have this chemical because we care about our customers' health and the well being of the environment.

Sources: http://www.healthychild.org/issues/chemical-pop/alkylphenols_and_alkylphenol_ethoxylates/

On a budget

Green cleaning supplies are the future of cleaning product industry. As we know this trend has been taken on by many large corporations in efforts to fulfill needs demand of green products. At My Planet Green Clean we provide consumers with links on where to buy green cleaning products, but we also would like to show you other ways of obtaining green cleaning products by making your own. As we know times can be tough and people can be on a budget we still would like to make sure people are keeping their houses clean the green way. Below is a video on how to make some green cleaning products.

http://youtu.be/DPKkbq8aai0

Allergies and Cleaning Products

In the world today there are many who suffer from allergies.  One of the best things allergy suffers can do to eliminate their symptoms is to make sure that their house is clean and free from allergens.  But using traditional cleaning products can damage the air quality in your home and the fumes and residue left by these products can exacerbate your allergies, cause asthma attacks and chemical sensitivity. Studies have shown that people who are frequently exposed to cleaning products like de-greasers, solutions with bleach and air fresheners are more likely to have asthma or respiratory symptoms like coughing and wheezing, often associated with allergies. 

By switching to a green cleaning product, the allergy and asthma symptoms one might experience from cleaning their home can be greatly reduced or eliminated.  By using a green product you can have the clean house you need, without the fumes and residue left behind by a traditional cleaning product. You no longer have to make plans to be out of your house after you clean, so your allergies and asthma won’t flair up. 

Simple Green is a great product replacement.  They are 100% naturally derived, non-toxic, and biodegradable.  They have many products line ranging from the kitchen to the bathroom and laundry detergent to carpet cleaner, so no matter what you are cleaning they make a product that is safe for you and the environment to use.

Green Buildings

My Planet Green Clean, Lead Educate Innovate

            As you are aware many people just don’t know, how toxic and destructive the chemicals in there household cleaning supplies can be to their health, let alone our environment. We salute those of you of who are using green cleaning supplies, and encourage you to educate your friends. Continue to be the catalyst for healthy cleaning and living.

“Be the Change you wish to see in the World”  Ghandi

            Here at MyPlanetGreen Clean we aim to not only push more green products but also educate the world of the ever growing and expanding Green Movement. Today we would like to highlight the efforts of California State University Fullerton’s Titan Recreational Center.  CSUF’s Titan Recreational Center is newly designed state of the art GYM for the college campus.  Upon it’s inception and within it’s first year of opening it received the Gold Certification by the U.S Green Building Council.

            This Gym goes beyond just using green cleaning supplies, “The gold certification awarded by the council is verification that a building or building project meets the highest in green building and performance measures. LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of green buildings. It rates five key elements: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality”

“Build it and they will Come” Field of Dreams

This building, campus, and article is truly a testament to power of the voices worldwide that demand Green Cleaning. Here is the Link below, We would hate to pollute, or provide chemical spoilers on this amazing article.  Check it Out.

http://calstate.fullerton.edu/news/2009/177-student-rec-center-celebrates.html

“Lead and they will Follow”,

MyPlanet Green Clean Staff

Harmful Chemicals in Cleaning Products

When shopping for cleaning products most consumers are looking for one thing, products

 that clean. What many consumers fail to look for this the chemicals and warning on the cleaning labels. So what should we look for? Although most cleaning supplies don't list the ingredients on the back label, there are clues to the content and harmful effects of these products. By looking for signal words, such as Danger, Poison, Warning or Caution you can judge the toxicity of the products. Products labeled Danger or Poison are the most hazardous, products labeled Warning are moderately hazardous and products labeled Caution are sightly hazardous. If possible look for products nontoxic enough as to not require one of these signal words on the label.

The harmful chemicals can be in household supplies ranging from hand soups to oven cleaner. These are some of the chemicals, which products they can be found in and their effect.

•   Chlorinated phenols found in product such as toilet bowl cleaners are toxic to respiratory and circulatory systems. Combined with other ingredients they can produce toxic flumes. There are over 19 different Chlorinated phenols
•  Diethylene glycol found in window cleaners can depress the nervous system.
• Phenols found in disinfectants are toxic to respiratory and circulatory systems.
•  Nonylphenol ethoxylate, a common surfactant (detergent) found in laundry detergents and all-purpose cleaners. It was been shown to biodegrade slowly into an even more harmful toxin.
• Formaldehyde found in spray and wick deodorizers is a respiratory irritant and suspected carcinogen.
•  Petroleum solvents in floor cleaners damage mucous membranes.
•  Perchloroethylene, a spot remover, causes liver and kidney damage.
•  Butyl cellosolve, common in all-purpose, window and other types of cleaners, damages bone marrow, the nervous system, kidneys and the liver. The list could fill a book. And it’s a book that would include thousands of other chemicals — some so dangerous that they’re found on lists of chemicals associated with Superfund toxic waste sites and in the toxins section of the U.S. Clean Air and Water Acts. Retrieved October 7, 2012, from http://life.gaiam.com/article/8-household-cleaning-agents-avoid.

References: http://life.gaiam.com, http://www.organicconsumers.org, http://www.epa.gov