Unless you are a sewage rat you probably clean your living space in some form or another, and usually that includes soaps, sprays, chemicals, etc.
Cleaning products contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) (Phosphorus, Nitrogen, and Ammonia) which whiten clothes, remove grease, and disinfect. These VOCs are the worst environmental hazards in household cleaners. When released into the environment they can contribute to smog, and accelerate aquatic plant growth.
(The acceleration of aquatic plant growth creates dense vegetation that will deplete the water oxygen supply killing animal life....)
Fun Fact
Commercial buildings in the U.S. annually consume ~6.2 billion lbs of chemicals, 4.5 billion lbs of sanitary paper, and 1 billion lbs or janitorial equipment. WOW!
Now, I am NOT going to tell you to stop cleaning your house, obviously. I am just going to tell you what signs to look out for when choosing which brand to buy.
What to Look for When Choosing Cleaning Brands
"Organic" Food = good "Organic" products = means nothing! The term "Organic" simply means carbon based.
If there is a warning symbol for your body, it will probably hurt the environment too... Danger/Poison = most hazardous Warning = moderately hazardous Caution = least hazardous
"Eco-friendly", "Natural" = means nothing without the proof of "Solvent-free", "Petroleum-free" or "No phosphates" in the ingredients.
Laundry Detergents: APE's (alkylphenol ethoxylates) are surface active agents. These mimic the hormone estrogen and harm the reproduction of fish.
Choose "plant-based" over "petroleum-based".
Choose bulk size to reduce the amount of plastic consumed and to lower your carbon footprint.
Safe, simple ingredients to clean messes in your house w/o chemicals
Soap
Water
Baking Soda (great for bathrooms)
Vinegar
Lemon Juice
Burox
Where to buy eco-friendly products
Natural Collection
https://www.naturalcollection.com/
They don't only sell cleaning products, but any sort of product from fashion to toys to garden. It's like an eco friendly Target!
They will also show the ethical tags and ingredients of each product so that you know exactly what you are getting!