How Cleaning Products Affect the Environment

Household cleaning products help us care for the places where we live, but what happens to those products after we use them?

Ingredients can enter the air inside our homes, wash down our drains and eventually make their way into the broader environment. Packaging and disposable cleaning products can also contribute to unnecessary waste.

Understanding how cleaning products affect the environment can help us make more thoughtful choices—not only about what works, but also about what we're bringing into our homes and what we're sending back into the environment.

Below, we'll look at several common household products and ingredients worth paying attention to, including VOCs, phosphates, bleach, disposable wipes and single-use plastics.

How Cleaning Products Can Affect the Environment

The environmental impact of a cleaning product doesn't begin and end with the surface we're cleaning.

A product may affect indoor air while it's being used. Some of its ingredients may be rinsed down a sink, shower or toilet. Its container eventually has to be recycled, reused or discarded. Disposable products such as wipes create another stream of waste.

That means there are several things worth considering when choosing products for your home:

• What's in the product?
• How much of it do you need to use?
• Does it introduce unnecessary fragrances or volatile compounds into your indoor environment?
• What happens when it goes down the drain?
• How much packaging and disposable waste does it create?
• Is there a concentrated or refillable alternative?

A little awareness can make everyday choices more intentional.

1. Cleaning Products and Indoor Air Quality

One environmental concern associated with some household products is volatile organic compounds, commonly known as VOCs.

VOCs are emitted as gases from certain solids and liquids and can be found in many types of household and commercial products. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, concentrations of many VOCs can be higher indoors than outdoors.

Cleaning supplies, air fresheners and other household products can all contribute to the mixture of compounds present in indoor air.

This doesn't mean every cleaning product containing a VOC is automatically unsafe. It does mean that ingredients, ventilation and how a product is used are worth considering—particularly when products are being used frequently or in enclosed spaces.

Opening windows when appropriate, following label directions and choosing products thoughtfully can all be part of maintaining a healthier indoor environment.

2. What Goes Down the Drain Matters

Once we're finished cleaning, much of what we've used eventually gets rinsed down a drain.

From there, wastewater generally travels to a wastewater treatment facility or, in homes with septic systems, into the home's septic system.

Wastewater treatment is designed to remove many contaminants before treated water is released back into the environment. However, treatment doesn't mean that every substance entering wastewater simply disappears.

This is one reason it's important to follow product directions and avoid assuming that anything can safely be poured down a drain simply because it's a household product.

The choices we make inside our homes can eventually have consequences beyond them.

3. Phosphates and Water Quality

Phosphorus is a naturally occurring nutrient that plants need to grow. The problem occurs when excessive amounts of nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen enter waterways.

Too many nutrients can encourage excessive algae and aquatic plant growth—a process associated with eutrophication.

As large amounts of algae and plant material eventually die and decompose, oxygen levels in the water can decline. Low oxygen conditions can negatively affect fish and other aquatic life.

This is one reason phosphorus pollution has received considerable attention from environmental agencies and why phosphates have been restricted in certain types of household cleaning products.

When shopping for products, reading labels and understanding what you're using is a simple but meaningful habit.

6 Household Products Worth Taking a Closer Look At

Environmental impact isn't limited to one ingredient or one type of product. Sometimes the concern is what's inside the bottle. Other times it's the packaging or what happens to a disposable product after we use it.

Here are six things worth considering around the home.

1. Products Containing Microplastics

Plastic pollution isn't limited to bottles, bags and packaging. Very small pieces of plastic—commonly referred to as microplastics—have also become an environmental concern.

Microplastics can originate from many sources, including the breakdown of larger plastic items and certain products manufactured with small plastic particles.

Because these particles are so small, they can make their way into waterways and the broader environment.

When choosing household and personal-care products, it's worth considering not only the packaging but also what the product itself contains.

2. Disposable Cleaning Wipes

Cleaning wipes are convenient, but convenience can come with a tradeoff.

Unlike toilet paper, many disposable wipes aren't designed to break apart quickly in water. Even products marketed as flushable can contribute to problems in plumbing and wastewater systems.

The simplest rule is this:

Unless a product is specifically intended to be flushed and local wastewater guidance says it's appropriate, put used wipes in the trash rather than down the toilet.

For many everyday cleaning jobs, a reusable microfiber towel or washable cloth can reduce the amount of disposable material going into the waste stream.

3. Single-Use Plastic Cleaning Containers

Plastic packaging is another part of a product's environmental footprint.

Many household products are purchased in relatively small bottles that are thrown away or recycled once they're empty. Over time, those containers add up.

One way to reduce packaging is to purchase larger or concentrated sizes when doing so makes sense and refill smaller reusable containers.

For example, Culleoka's Natural Based Cleaner is available in multiple sizes, allowing customers to use larger containers to refill smaller bottles rather than repeatedly purchasing individual bottles.

Reducing packaging doesn't require changing everything at once. Small changes made consistently can make a difference.

4. Antibacterial Products

There's an important distinction between cleaning and disinfecting.

Cleaning removes dirt, debris and many germs from a surface. Disinfecting uses products designed to kill certain microorganisms.

There are situations where disinfecting is appropriate and important. But not every surface in a home necessarily needs to be disinfected every time it's cleaned.

Using the appropriate product for the job can help reduce unnecessary product use while still maintaining a clean home.

Rather than automatically reaching for the strongest product available, consider the surface, the situation and what you're actually trying to accomplish.

5. Products Containing Phosphates

Phosphates have historically been used in some detergents because they can help soften water and improve cleaning performance.

The environmental concern arises when excessive phosphorus reaches waterways.

As discussed earlier, elevated nutrient levels can encourage excessive algae and aquatic plant growth, which can ultimately reduce oxygen levels in the water and negatively affect aquatic ecosystems.

Regulations and product formulations have changed considerably over the years, but checking labels and choosing products thoughtfully remains a good practice.

6. Chlorine Bleach

Chlorine bleach is a powerful household product and can be appropriate for certain applications when used according to its label.

However, powerful doesn't mean it needs to be the default solution for every cleaning job.

Bleach should be used only as directed, in appropriate concentrations and with proper ventilation. It should also never be mixed with ammonia, acids or other household cleaners, because dangerous gases can be produced.

For routine soil, soap residue and mineral buildup, consider whether the job actually requires bleach or whether a product designed specifically for that type of cleaning would be more appropriate.

You Don't Always Need the Harshest Product

One of the biggest changes we can make is also one of the simplest: use the right product for the job.

More chemical doesn't automatically mean more effective.

A kitchen counter, shower surface, HVAC coil, drain and septic system all present very different challenges. Choosing a product designed for the specific application—such as a Natural Based Coil & Fin Cleaner for HVAC maintenance—can help you avoid using something unnecessarily harsh simply because it's familiar.

At Culleoka Company, this idea is central to how we think about product development.

We believe people should have effective options for caring for their homes and workplaces without automatically defaulting to traditional harsh chemical solutions.

Small Changes Can Add Up

Creating a healthier home and reducing environmental impact doesn't require replacing everything in your house overnight.

Start with a few simple habits:

Read the label. Understand what you're buying and follow the manufacturer's directions.

Use only what you need. More product isn't necessarily better.

Choose reusable options when practical. A quality microfiber towel, for example, can replace many disposable cleaning wipes.

Consider larger or refillable sizes. Refilling a smaller container can help reduce packaging waste.

Don't flush products that don't belong in the wastewater system.

Use the right solution for the job. Routine cleaning doesn't always require disinfectants, bleach or other aggressive products.

Those may seem like small decisions, but they're decisions we make again and again.

A More Thoughtful Approach to Everyday Cleaning

The products we use inside our homes don't exist in isolation.

They become part of our indoor environment. Some eventually go down our drains. Their containers become part of our waste stream. And collectively, the choices made by millions of households can have a much larger impact.

That's why we believe it's worth asking a simple question before choosing a product:

Is there a better way to accomplish what I'm trying to do?

At Culleoka Company, we're continually working to create natural-based solutions for the places we call home, the businesses we frequent and the schools our children attend.

Effective products matter. But so does thinking about the people, places and environment around us.

Ready to explore a different approach?

Explore Culleoka's Natural Based Solutions →

Less Toxins. More Life.