In the age of green consumerism, we're all looking for safer, eco-friendlier alternatives to conventional cleaning products. Enter Simply Green, a household name that's won hearts with its promise of a "non-toxic," "biodegradable," and "non-hazardous" all-purpose cleaner.¹ Touted as a responsible choice for your home, your health, and the planet, this green-bottled solution seems heaven-sent. But what if we told you that beneath the feel-good branding lurks a toxic truth that's anything but simple?

The 2-Butoxyethanol Bombshell

Flip to the federally-mandated Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for Simply Green, and you'll find an ingredient that's more at home in a hazardous waste facility than under your kitchen sink.² We're talking about 2-butoxyethanol, a potent petrochemical solvent used in products like Windex, comprising up to 4% of Simply Green's formula. Far from harmless, this compound carries a laundry list of nasty classifications:

- "Harmful (Xn)" per the EU's Dangerous Substance Directive³
- Recommended for addition to Canada's Schedule 1 toxic substances list⁴
- A "hazardous substance" and "toxic air contaminant" according to California⁵

Suddenly, that green bottle is looking a little less "green," isn't it?

Health Hazards Hiding in Plain Sight  

Now, let's dive into the MSDS to see just what makes 2-butoxyethanol such a formidable foe:

- Its official shipping name? "TOXIC LIQUIDS, ORGANIC, N.O.S. (2-BUTOXYETHANOL)"⁶
- Under Exposure Controls/Personal Protection, it's a "Confirmed animal carcinogen with unknown relevance to human"⁶
- Inhalation can cause respiratory irritation, narcosis, and more⁶  
- Ingestion leads to GI tract irritation and "systemic poisoning"⁶
- Skin contact sparks irritation and enables absorption into the body⁶
- Eye exposure via vapors or splashes? Severe pain and damage⁶

And the cherry on top: chronic exposure to 2-butoxyethanol can wreak havoc on your liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, blood, and more.⁶ Yikes.

The Women & Children at Greatest Risk

Perhaps most alarmingly, research suggests that using 2-butoxyethanol-laden products as directed could expose people to levels 12 times higher than California's one-hour exposure guideline.⁷ And who bears the brunt of this risk? Women, children, the elderly - AKA those most likely to use or be around household cleaners like Simply Green. A 2018 study even found that regular use of cleaning sprays was as damaging to lungs as smoking 20 cigarettes a day, with significantly more harm seen in women.⁸

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Yet, in the face of these red flags, Simply Green continues to market itself as a non-toxic, eco-friendly choice. A casual scroll through their website reveals claims like:¹

- "powerful cleaner and degreaser is EPA Safer Choice Certified"
- "environmentally safer use on counters, carpet, floors, fabric, equipment, vehicles, and more"
- "leaves behind a refreshing sassafras scent"

They even promoted the product for use in the Gulf Oil spill clean-up⁹ - the very situation where 2-butoxyethanol's toxicity led to it being banned!

The Greenwashing Lawsuit

If you're feeling a bit duped right now, you're not alone. In fact, concerns over Simply Green's non-toxic claims recently came to a head in a fascinating industry showdown. It started when one major cleaning product company brought a complaint against another to the Better Business Bureau, arguing that their use of "non-toxic" claims gave them an unfair marketing advantage.¹⁰

The National Advertising Division (NAD) then issued an opinion: to claim non-toxicity, a company must prove their product can't harm any living thing, even if misused.¹⁰ This unleashed a flood of class-action lawsuits against several cleaning brands, including Simply Green, for deceptive labeling.¹⁰

How did Simply Green respond? By quietly pulling the "non-toxic" language while insisting that their formula remained unchanged.¹⁰ In their words, "the method to prove non-toxicity is no longer based on the science and regulatory framework that has classified it for over 50 years."¹⁰ A settlement was reached to avoid a drawn-out legal battle.¹⁰

A Safer, Simpler Solution  

So what's a health-conscious, eco-minded consumer to do? Take matters into your own hands and whip up a homemade all-purpose cleaner, like this one shared by Wellness Mama.¹¹ Her simple recipe relies on natural ingredients like castile soap, borax, washing soda, and essential oils to tackle grime without the toxic load. Best of all, you can customize the scent to your liking and rest assured that your cleaner is truly non-toxic.

As Wellness Mama notes, this DIY blend "works really well" and has earned rave reviews from readers who finally conquered stubborn bathroom gunk and other messes.¹¹ Plus, by making your own, you're saving money, reducing packaging waste, and taking control of what goes into your cleaning products. It's a win-win-win.

The Bottom Line

The Simply Green story is a cautionary tale in the importance of looking beyond clever branding and digging into the dirty details. Armed with the facts about 2-butoxyethanol's alarming impact, it's clear this cleaner doesn't live up to its claims. Instead, we're left with a wolf in sheep's clothing - or, more aptly, a toxin in a green bottle.

As individuals and families seeking to reduce our toxic load, it's crucial that we advocate for stronger regulations around terms like "non-toxic," and more transparent labeling practices. Until then, the onus is on us to do our homework, read between the marketing lines, and make informed choices about the products we bring into our homes - for our health, and that of our loved ones. And if all else fails, grab some borax and essential oils and get mixing up a truly "green" clean.

Looking for a ready made, truly natural all-purpose cleaner? Check out the Truly Free, value-focused solution here.

References

1: "Simple Green® All-Purpose Cleaner," Simple Green, accessed June 09, 2024, https://simplegreen.com/products/all-purpose-cleaner/.  

2: "Safety Data Sheet: Simple Green® All-Purpose Cleaner," Simple Green, accessed June 09, 2024, https://cdn.simplegreen.com/downloads/SDS_EN-US_SimpleGreenAllPurposeCleaner.pdf.

3: "Council Directive 67/548/EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances," EUR-Lex, accessed June 09, 2024, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:31967L0548. 

4: "Draft Screening Assessment Ethylene Glycol Butyl Ether (EGBE)," Environment and Climate Change Canada, accessed June 09, 2024, https://www.ec.gc.ca/ese-ees/default.asp?lang=En&n=6F6A4533-1.

5: "2-Butoxyethanol (Butyl Cellosolve)," State of California Department of Industrial Relations, accessed June 09, 2024, https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/5155table_ac1.html.

6: "Material Safety Data Sheet: 2-Butoxyethanol," Sigma-Aldrich, accessed June 09, 2024, https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/MSDS/MSDS/DisplayMSDSPage.do?country=US&language=en&productNumber=B8158&brand=SIAL&PageToGoToURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sigmaaldrich.com%2Fcatalog%2Fproduct%2Fsial%2Fb8158%3Flang%3Den. 

7: Jane Kay, "Cleaner in 141 products poses health hazard, group says," SFGate, December 19, 2007, https://www.sfgate.com/green/article/Cleaner-in-141-products-poses-health-hazard-3233924.php.

8: Øistein Svanes et al., "Cleaning at Home and at Work in Relation to Lung Function Decline and Airway Obstruction," American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 197, no. 9 (2018): 1157-1163, https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201706-1311OC.

9: "Help Clean-up the Gulf Oil Disaster with Simple Green," Simple Green, accessed June 09, 2024, https://simplegreen.com/help-clean-gulf-oil-disaster-simple-green/. 

10: "Greenwashing: Simple Green Class Action Says Non-Toxic Claims are Misleading," ClassAction.org, accessed June 09, 2024, https://www.classaction.org/news/greenwashing-simple-green-class-action-says-non-toxic-claims-are-misleading.

11: Katie Wells, "Natural All-Purpose Cleaner (That Works!)," Wellness Mama, July 6, 2023, https://wellnessmama.com/74038/homemade-all-purpose-cleaner/.