Why do we have to use preservatives?

At Nature Clean® we believe in full disclosure of what goes into our products. Most companies that produce household products (both large traditional brands and other “green” brands); will only list the word „preservative‟ in their ingredient list (if they offer an ingredient list at all).With hundreds of preservatives in the market, this does not allow the consumer to research what‟s actually being put into their products and brought into their homes.

Nature Clean provides a full ingredient list on each and every label following an international guideline called INCI (The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients). This means that each and every ingredient is listed, in its scientific form. This allows anyone to research each and every ingredient used in our products.

If a product contains water it‟s a breeding ground for mold and bacteria (you‟ll notice that none of our powdered products contain preservatives). Preservatives are used to prevent the growth of microbes in a product. A cleaning product contaminated with growing microbes can develop bad odors and lose its ability to perform as the microbes eat away at the surfactants (soaps) and other biodegradable active ingredients. Preservatives are used to protect both the cleaning product (ensuring it remains effective) and our health from some of the more dangerous molds
and bacteria that can grow.

People purchasing our products expect a quality product that remains useable for several months after the initial purchase date so they have enough time to use it up. Another factor to consider is how long the product will remain on the store shelves. Many consumer products are designed to remain usable for at least two years following the manufactured date.

In order to meet this time frame, most products must contain low levels of preservatives.

What do we preserve with?

We use Methylisothiazoline/Methylchloroisothiazolinone in our Dish and Laundry Liquids. This is a synthetic preservative that has been shown to be one of the safest choices we can use. This preservative is not a formaldehyde donor (meaning it doesn‟t turn into formaldehyde later on). It‟s biodegradable and has been proven to be non-irritating to skin at the level used in our products.

All Nature Clean products have been dermatologist tested for non irritancy and allergens. At this point in time, this preservative is the best option available to maintain the safety of you and your family. We‟re continuously looking for the safest, most natural alternative that will maintain both the integrity of the product and Nature Clean‟s high standards for choosing the healthiest option available. As with all the ingredients we choose, if a safer and more effective alternative becomes available…we‟ll switch!

There are also many Nature Clean products that do not require and thus are free of preservatives all together including: Auto Dish Powder, Auto Dish Pacs, Bar Soaps, Cleaner/Degreaser, Drain Cleaner & Septic Activator, Glass & Window Cleaner, Kitchen Surface Cleaner, Laundry Powder, Laundry Pacs (new), Liquid Hand Soaps, Multi Surface Cleaner Spray, Multi Surface Dilutable Cleaner, Oxy Bleach (liquid), Oxy Stain Remover Powder, Pet Stain & Odour Remover, Tile & Bath Spray Cleaner.

Please feel free to offer us your feedback on any of our ingredients, as we want to hear your thoughts. This is one of the main reasons we provide such an accurate and transparent listing of what goes into each and every Nature Clean product.