Simple Green All Purpose cleaner doesn't mention bathrooms on the bottle but I thought I'd take a chance and brought it home. In fact it is a strong (though non-sterilizing) cleaner. Strong yet easy on the hands, and not as bad as some on the eyes and lungs. This is a very strong cleaner full strength when you actually need serious cleaning. The nicest thing of all is that it doesn't run when you spray it full strength. I like it.
The Green in the name refers to the fact that the product is (highly) biodegradable and less toxic than some (no bleach, ammonia, or similar harsh chemicals). Virtually all bathroom cleaners are biodegradable now, and many are little harsher if any than Simple Green.* However the Simple Green actual ingredients appear to be anything but "natural," so don't think of this as a natural or organic product. It's not really simple either, a better word would be sophisticated.The main surfactant alcohol, 2-butoxyethanol, has been used in many cleaning products since the 1930's. A better way to think of this is as a thoroughly modern cleaner made of a cocktail of modern synthetic ingredients that do the job well without being harsh or toxic, and is not too bad for the environment. Some other (now less common) bathroom cleaners contain little more than citric acid and may actually be simpler and greener. But whenever you have special lime or soap scum removers or sterilizers you do have something more harsh. Strangely, despite the essential claim of environmental friendliness, the inclusion of a phosphate means that it has some potential ill effect through the creation of algal blooms in waterways. But here, the Tetra Potassium Pyrophosphate is a secondary ingredient, in relatively small amount, so it has much less algal bloom stimulation as, say, pure TSP (which is also used as a cleaning compound--when you need serious cleaning). Phosphate containing cleaners are best dumped on one's own lawn after use. It looks like Simple Green is well disposed of this way since it doesn't seem to contain anything that would hurt your lawn, even the TKPP is potassium rather than sodium based also, which would generally be better for lawns. (TKPP is a well known industrial cleaner with similar performance to TSP.)
UPDATE: The web is full of websites blasting Simple Green's claims to being not toxic, largely on the basis of the ingredient 2-butoxyethanol, less than 5%. In 2012 Simple Green finally (after how many years?) decided to remove the 2-butoxyethanol. While it had that ingredient (click for MSDS), it had a 1 safety rating for health (1-0-0). The new formula (click for MSDS) has a 0 safety rating (the best) for health according to the newest MSDS and is not expected to cause respiratory, skin, or eye irritation, so the rating is 0-0-0.
Likewise, the standard for environmental friendliness has moved on from "low phosphate" to "no phosphates--long ago actually, and finally the new Simple Green formula has done likewise, taking out the TKPP.
The new main surfactant is Ethyoxylated Alcohol, which is notably less toxic and irritating than 2-butoxyethanol. Some of the other ingredients change also, possibly to compensate for the loss of the original somewhat harsh surfactant. There is now citric acid in addition to sodium citrate.
So you read it here. Simple Green was actually a slightly irritating and toxic and phosphate containing cleaner until 2012 when it decided to clean up it's act.
*Mainline bathroom cleaners are subject to fads and the formulations change every few years. Some years they contain simpler and less toxic formulations. Not long ago Lysol Bathroom Cleaner used only dilute Citric Acid. The recent fad is for bathroom cleaners to have bleaches and/or other sterilizing agents as well as specialized cleaners. Simple Green is safer for users and the environment than these pumped up cleaners. In anything other than a hospital environment, sterilizing agents are unnecessary. While common, bleach is one of the most toxic substances found in a home and should be avoided if possible. Cleaning agents with bleach or sterilizers may not be good for your lawn.
The Green in the name refers to the fact that the product is (highly) biodegradable and less toxic than some (no bleach, ammonia, or similar harsh chemicals). Virtually all bathroom cleaners are biodegradable now, and many are little harsher if any than Simple Green.* However the Simple Green actual ingredients appear to be anything but "natural," so don't think of this as a natural or organic product. It's not really simple either, a better word would be sophisticated.
UPDATE: The web is full of websites blasting Simple Green's claims to being not toxic, largely on the basis of the ingredient 2-butoxyethanol, less than 5%. In 2012 Simple Green finally (after how many years?) decided to remove the 2-butoxyethanol. While it had that ingredient (click for MSDS), it had a 1 safety rating for health (1-0-0). The new formula (click for MSDS) has a 0 safety rating (the best) for health according to the newest MSDS and is not expected to cause respiratory, skin, or eye irritation, so the rating is 0-0-0.
Likewise, the standard for environmental friendliness has moved on from "low phosphate" to "no phosphates--long ago actually, and finally the new Simple Green formula has done likewise, taking out the TKPP.
The new main surfactant is Ethyoxylated Alcohol, which is notably less toxic and irritating than 2-butoxyethanol. Some of the other ingredients change also, possibly to compensate for the loss of the original somewhat harsh surfactant. There is now citric acid in addition to sodium citrate.
So you read it here. Simple Green was actually a slightly irritating and toxic and phosphate containing cleaner until 2012 when it decided to clean up it's act.
*Mainline bathroom cleaners are subject to fads and the formulations change every few years. Some years they contain simpler and less toxic formulations. Not long ago Lysol Bathroom Cleaner used only dilute Citric Acid. The recent fad is for bathroom cleaners to have bleaches and/or other sterilizing agents as well as specialized cleaners. Simple Green is safer for users and the environment than these pumped up cleaners. In anything other than a hospital environment, sterilizing agents are unnecessary. While common, bleach is one of the most toxic substances found in a home and should be avoided if possible. Cleaning agents with bleach or sterilizers may not be good for your lawn.
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