Household Cleaning Products - Home Truths

In 2011, the coalition announced its intention to end animal testing of household products in the UK. While Naturewatch welcomes any commitment to reduce animal testing, testing of household products is mostly undertaken outside of the UK. Only by adopting an EU-wide ban on animal testing of household cleaning products, and a marketing ban on animal tested cleaning products imported from non-EU countries, will animal testing of household cleaning products end.

EU legislation requires the testing of new chemicals and re-testing of some substances including those produced in bulk quantities. These substances include Optical Brightening Agents (OBA’s) and enzymes in laundry products; anti-microbial cleaning products and air fresheners to name a few.

Rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, rats and fish are used to test acute toxicity, chronic systemic toxicity, Skin irritation, Sensitisation, Mutagenicity, Carcinogenicity, Reprotoxicity, Teratology.
Owing to the very nature of household cleaning products, these tests are often even more intrusive and harmful to the animals involved.
In 2009, the household cleaning products market was worth a whopping £540 million in the UK alone. To secure their share of this market some companies continue to develop products that are tested on animals.

How YOU can help

Buy only cruelty free — Shopping for cruelty free needn’t be difficult, once you know which companies do have ethical non-animal policies in place, and which don’t. The Co-op, Bio-D, M&S and a whole host of other animal friendly companies listed in the Compassionate Shopping Guide, each have fixed cut off date policies and can be used with a clean conscience.
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Homemade cleaning quick fixes

It's possible to make cheap, effective cleaners from basic kitchen cupboard ingredients, and a little elbow grease! Cheap and effective, they make spring cleaning a breeze! So do try these at home

The sink cleaner on the right is one example and here are more for you to try at home [pdf].

If you like making your own products, then you might be interested in our 'Handbook of Homemade Toiletries'. Visit the 'Resources' section of our website for more information.

Sink cleaner

Ingredients:
1/2 cup bicarbonate
1/8 cup white distilled vinegar
Lemon essential oil
Lavender essential oil, Tea Tree Essential Oil

Mix together bicarbonate of soda, white distilled vinegar, 2 drops lemon essential oil, 1 drop tea tree essential oil and 2 drops lavender essential oil. Use with a scouring sponge and rinse.