July 11, 2008 | Cleaning products
The power of orange cleaning comes from the d-Limonene inherent in the citrus’ peel. It’s an acidic cleaner, making it great for hard water stains, to cut grease, on toilets and such. Several manufacturers have caught on to the ‘natural’ power of orange and use it to ‘boost’ their products - but unfortunately often by name only. We checked on some of the top selling orange cleaners, and here’s what we found.First off, there’s no regulation on the name of “orange” and cleaners on the market that are labeled orange may not actually have any orange oil or d-Limonene in them. There’s also no way of telling, as companies are not required to disclose thier list of ingredients, and d-Limonene is not registered as hazardous (and therefore not required to disclose on MSDS). Every “orange” cleaner we checked was highly alkaline. That’s odd when orange oil and everything part and parcel to oranges is acidic. In other words, the power of these cleaners does not come from the orange or d-Limonene additives - it comes from other caustic solvents and surfectants. Orange is an afterthought, added to make you think it’s natural, and to boost sales. Just another example of greenwashing.
We did find plenty of other things in ‘orange’ cleaners - petroleum distillates, chlorine, and other chemicals that break down into highly destructive chemicals over time. A true orange oil cleaner that’s powered by nature, as many of these claim to be, would be harmless unless swallowed in large quantities or used as eyedrops (and come on people…). But in flipping through the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets, as required by OSHA), you’ll find that most of the orange cleaners you find on your supermarket shelves are harmful when inhaled, can cause chemical skin burns, or can be absorbed into the skin and make it into the bloodstream. Further, many of them use manufactured d-Limonene as opposed to naturally-ocurring orange oil. When using conventional chemical-laden products, please be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions - if it says to use protective gloves or ventilate the room when you’re cleaning, do it. They don’t say that because they want you to enjoy the fresh air when you clean or because they’re partial to cleaning with rubber gloves. There are true health concerns associated with these products.
So what can you do if you want the power of orange without the chemicals? Opt for products that list all ingredients on the label. They are few and far between, but the companies committed to healthy products will often list their ingredients. Or, purchase your own orange essential oil and learn how to use it. A few drops on a microfiber cloth will clean and shine stainless steel better than just about anything else. If you have non-caustic cleaners around (that is, stable cleaners that won’t react - examples would be Murphy’s, castille soap, Mrs. Meyer’s, etc.) you can add a few drops of orange oil to them. If you don’t know if what you have is caustic, don’t mix it with anything!!! If you have bleach or ammonia, never, ever, in all eternity mix them with anything else, other than water.
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