NEWS AND NOTES
Blue Water Sailing
April 22, 2010
Clean Your Boat The Green Way
In honor of Earth Day 40, the Cruising Compass offers readers a chance to clean up their act in one fell swoop. Out with the bad and in with the good products - courtesy of GreenBoating.com.
Listed below are a wide variety of common cleaning products. Along with their name is a brief description of how they harm the environment. If you are really committed to being green you will not be able to scrub your boat again with any of this stuff without a very guilty conscience. Here we go.
All Purpose Cleaners
How They Harm - Many contain toxins that enter the body when we breathe or through skin contact. May contain synthetic surfactants, which may mimic hormones, possibly leading to gender abnormalities in humans and animals. May contain neurotoxins such as benzene, a known carcinogen.
Ammonia
How It Harms - Found in many cleaning products, this chemical compound easily converts from a liquid to a gas, producing toxic fumes. Highly poisonous to marine life. Can cause eye, skin, and respiratory problems in humans.
Anti-Bacterial Soaps and Lotions
How They Harm - Many are made with pesticides and ammonia. May contribute to the evolution of "super-bugs", germs that are resistant to modern antibiotics.
Chlorine Bleach
How It Harms - Originally developed for chemical warfare use in World War I, chlorine is one of the most toxic creations of modern science. Deadly to all aquatic life. Even small doses may cause immune, endocrine, and reproductive system damage in all life forms.
Commercial Carpet Cleaners
How They Harm - Many contain naphthalene, a chemical cousin of the neurotoxin benzene. May be linked to eye, skin, and kidney problems.
Room and Carpet Deodorizers
How They Harm - Many contain formaldehyde and/or napthalene, both known carcionogens.
Disinfectants
How They Harm - Many contain ammonia, chlorine, cresol, formaldehyde, and phenol, all really nasty stuff. Can damage internal organs and the central nervous system.
Dish-washing Detergents
How They Harm - Many are non-biodegradable and made from petroleum products. Often contain chlorine, surfactants, and phosphates, all substances that cause varying amounts of damage.
Drain Cleaners
How They Harm - One of the most toxic products around. Usually made with lye and hydrochloric and sulphuric acid.
Floor and Furniture Polish
How They Harm - Many contain amyl acetate, benzene, cresol, organic solvents, and petroleum distillates, all highly toxic. Fumes can linger for days, especially in the confines of a boat cabin, causing eye, skin, and nervous system disorders.
Glass Cleaners
How They Harm - Many contain ammonia, methanol, and dioxane, products all believed to cause cancer, skin, lung, immune system and vision disorders, including blindness.
Laundry Detergents
How They Harm - Many contain synthetic surfactants, which may be linked to genetic disorders and cancer. Many contain non-biodegradable petroleum compounds, along with aggravating artificial colors and fragrances.
Metal Polish
How It Harms - May contain ammonia, diethanolamines, phosphoric acid, and sulphuric acid, all of which are toxic.
Mold and Mildew Removers
How They Harm - Many contain pesticides and chlorine. May cause eye, skin, and respiratory system damage.
Mothballs
How They Harm - Usually contain napthalene and paradichlorobenzene, both highly toxic compounds.
Optical Brighteners
How They Harm - Found in many laundry detergents, these chemicals make fabric look white but do not actually clean anything. Can cause skin rashes. Toxic to fish.
Oven Cleaners
How They Harm - Right up there with drain cleaners for toxicity. Most contain lye, sodium hydroxide and benzene. Can irreparable damage eyes, skin, and internal organs. Deadly to all marine life.
Phosphates
How They Harm - Found in many detergents, these naturally occurring minerals are not terribly toxic on their own. However, as they accumulate in waterways they often lead to the harmful over-growth of algae. These "algae blooms" lead to oxygen depletion in the water and are responsible for massive amounts of fish kill. This growing problem is creating dead zones of increasing size around the world.
Scouring Powders
How They Harm - Many contain crystalline silica and butyl cellosolve - substances linked to kidney, liver, eye, skin, and respiratory damage in animals and humans.
Toilet Bowl Cleaners
How They Harm - Many contain chlorine and hydrochloric acid. Fumes are toxic and can easily leak from even closed containers.
Tub, Tile, Sink and Shower Cleaners
How They Harm - Many contain chlorine and phosphoric acid. Can cause endocrine, immune, reproductive, and respiratory system disorders in animals and humans.
From: The GreenBoating Blog
For a complete list of Alternative Boat Cleaning Supplies, visit:
http://greenboatblog.com/blog1/green_cleaning_products/
