Ecological cleaning with moderation and purpose
Whether at home or at work: cleanliness is an important factor in feeling good all around. To ensure that cleanliness does not come at the expense of the environment, the choice of ecological cleaning agents and the correct dosage are crucial.
The selection of cleaning products on supermarket shelves is colourful and huge. Some of these products pretend to be environmentally friendly - with indications on the package such as "natural", "gentle" or "environmentally friendly". Harald Brugger, ecotoxicologist at DIE UMWELTBERATUNG, warns: "However, these terms say nothing about the actual environmental standards of the product. The "Austrian Ecolabel" and the "EU Ecolabel" are helpful when reaching for truly ecological products. A close look at the packaging is worthwhile!"
Large ecological selection, strict criteria
Products with the Austrian Ecolabel or the EU Ecolabel are available everywhere today - in drugstores, discount shops or organic food shops. There is also a large selection of them for professional building cleaning. The criteria that these products have to meet are strict and are regularly revised. They take into account health and environmental compatibility as well as the packaging material. For example, the products must not contain microplastics, phosphates or other particularly hazardous substances. Especially important: the products must also meet criteria for fitness for use.
Eco-clean into the future
Companies are constantly working on new developments to optimise the ecological properties of cleaning products. The latest trends in cleaning products are currently heading in these directions, for example:
- Ingredients based on renewable raw materials
- sawdust or marble powder instead of microplastics as abrasives
- Reduction of packaging material through refillable packaging and stand-up pouches for refilling
- Packaging made from 100 % recycled material
The dose makes the difference
Even if products are ecological, overdosing is unnecessary and harmful to the environment. "Not too much and not too little!" is the motto to get the optimum cleaning performance. It is best to follow the dosage instructions on the packaging. Did you know that too much detergent leads to more dirt? Because if a film of detergent remains on the floor, for example, dirt will stick to it. So more detergent doesn't make it cleaner, on the contrary!
Easy to find in the Öko-Rein database
The Öko-Rein database contains all products that bear the Austrian Ecolabel as well as products that have been rated as environmentally friendly by DIE UMWELTBERATUNG and the Energy and Environment Agency of the Province of Lower Austria. Meanwhile, a total of more than 750 products for private households and building cleaning are listed here: www.umweltberatung.at/oekorein