In the past decade, ‘Green’ cleaning products have been edging their way on to the supermarket shelves and in some cases, have started to become more popular than their non-eco counterparts. Some have been useless and been nothing more than water with some food clolouring and some have been known to work amazingly. Rather than sit and lecture you on why choosing eco for the environment, I want to give you some statistics on why you should do it for yourself.

I recently got my hands on a research paper conducted by Air Quality Sciences Inc. (www.aqs.com) which goes into great detail about the health benefits of using greener cleaning products, and I’m going to touch on a few of those points to give you an idea of how by making a few minor changes to your shopping habits, you can improve the quality of your life at school, work and at home.

In a study, they found that having a clean environment reduced illnesses and viruses and increased productivity. There was a direct correlation between cleaner classrooms and higher test results in schools. There was also a direct link between higher productivity from staff in their workplace if the air quality and ventilation was better. “So why can’t we just use normal cleaning products to achieve the same result?” you may ask. Well, normal cleaning products that may clean and disinfect surfaces also have toxic particles that become airborne from aerosols and formulas which in turn are inhaled, leaving you feeling lethargic and in some cases cause headaches and other ailments.

Rather than take up your time with other findings from the research, I recommend you download the study and read it in your own time. Just reading the first few pages will give you a sound understanding of the differences in going green. What I will take up your time with is the importance of looking out for number one.

You might not understand the issues with global warming or how chemicals used in the house and washed down the drains effect the planet and our eco-system. You might not care that it kills wildlife, marine life and melts the polar icecap. What you should always do is look after your health. You might not be here in 50 years to witness the degeneration of the planet but what you will have to live with is the deterioration  of your health and the health of your loved ones around you. If you don’t do it for the environment, do it for yourself.

Tolga Soytekin, Founder and CEO at Eco Green