Myths about "Green"/"Non-toxic" auto products and list or researched products

[estcstm3]

I have been on a quest to find auto products that are safe for human use meaning I can touch it with my bare hands breath it and not worry about health effects in 5, 10, 15 years. As a secondary attribute I am looking for something that does not harm the environment.



Well here is where the "Green" misinformation starts. There is no regulation over the terms, Green, Biodegradable, non -toxic. It is very important to review the MSDS material safety data sheet for each company which they are required to renew every 3 years, or upon a change in product. You want to find products that are certified biodegradable, coupled with readily biodegradable (means breaks down in ~28 days).



For instance �Biodegradable� Does Not Guarantee Health or Safety

Of course, just because a product or ingredient is biodegradable does not mean it is healthy or safe for people or the environment. For example, the toxic pesticide DDT biodegrades to the compounds DDD and DDE, both of which are more toxic and more dangerous than the original DDT itself.



I know alot of autopians that keep claiming that HD brand is the greenest thing ever but do alittle research. There are others out there that fit the bill of safety and effectiveness.



Some 3rd party certifications and new EPA cert

green seal - Green Seal

Design for environment - Labeled Products and Our Partners | Design for the Environment (DfE) | US EPA

Ecologo - Ecologo Program





After that diatribe have people found products that truly are safe for people and the environment?



Here are some degreasers that I am trying to find out are aluminum friendly that I have been looking at:



Gemtek - SC-2000 and Metal Aircraft degreaser

SAFE CARE Industrial Cleaners, Solvents and Specialty Products



Envirosan - Solution 2000

SOLUTION 2000® colloidal cleaner, colloidal degreaser



Some others that I researched but have been found to be toxic are:



Flashwax cleaners - Brown Royal



On the fence about the HD line, as they do contain Sodium Metasilicate and look like a rebranded normal degreaser. Here is the HD car care MSDS sheets

Auto Detailing Products - Green Auto Detailing & Car Care Products | 3DProducts.com





I would like to see everybodys thoughts on this megapost





Sources:

GreenerChoices.org | <font color="000000">Program index</font> > Certifying program information



Auto Detailing Products - Green Auto Detailing & Car Care Products | 3DProducts.com



Biodegradable -- Does "Biodegradable" Claim Ensure Environmental Safety?



Site where you can look up which terms are regulated.

About.com: http://www.eco-labels.org/

[WMD-DFW]

BioKleen are probably about the safest for the interior, and they make a soy degreaser that works

[WAS]

Employee safety is my #1 concern, end of story. This starts with general shop safety (not getting run over, etc), and extends to long term health concerns with the products that I tell my staff to use.



I try and use environmentally friendly, non-toxic supplies whenever possible. I used EcoLogo, and found that our glass cleaner, made by a company called Blue Planet, is listed. So far, I`ve been able to find about half of the supplies we use listed on one of the sites mentioned above. Currently, the biggest concern I have in the shop is the APC we use. It`s one reason why I moved to using the Tornador cleaning tool, since the Tornador cleaning solution is far less health-impacting.



This is a good thread though, it`s important that we all look out for our health, the health of our staff, and the health of the environment.

[estcstm3]

Good point, with the tornador and APC, are you using a respirator as it is now blowing almost atomized particles of APC into the air you are breathing.

[Poordude]

I am a sales rep for one of the largest chemical manufacterers in north america. Unless the product is certified green or you are an expert in diagnosing chemical make up there is a lot of eco-babble & mis leading claims being made in the industry.