In a recent Life Science article, researchers examine the ins and outs of green cleaning products, why they are important and what benefits they have for both humans and the environment. Some experts comment that using any cleaning chemical in moderation — green other otherwise — will not impact your health. But, the problem might be, instead, that cleaners use a myriad of products in the restroom, for example, and the combination might contribute to health problems.

According to the article, manufacturers test the chemicals that go into their cleaners, but research shows there are still harmful ingredients in some of the 80,000 cleaning chemicals in common use. Many green cleaning manufacturers have developed a "dirty list" of chemicals that they refuse to use in their products and make a practice of eliminating these "banned chemicals."

There are benefits to going green, but experts quoted in this article comment that it should be up to the cleaner. "You don't really need any chemicals to clean," said Tom Natan, a chemical engineer with the non-profit National Environmental Trust. "These chemicals make cleaning easier, but they don't make cleaning any better."

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