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Gimme the Good Stuff

Home > Non-Toxic Cleaning Products > Comet’s Tale, A Safety Review
toxic comet

Comet’s Tale, A Safety Review

June 25, 2014 | BY johnlockegoss
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure page.

john headshot

By John, Certified Holistic Health Coach

Comet disinfectant cleanser is just one of several products sold that are meant to β€œgently” scour our bathtubs, showers, sinks, and tile. Others include Ajax, SoftScrub, and more. These cleaners are effective because they rely on chlorine bleach, and/or a bunch of other chemicals that are often not even listed on the label (which is somehow legal).

A chemical analysis of Comet Disinfectant Cleanser Powder showed that it, β€œβ€¦emitted 146 different chemicals, including some thought to cause cancer, asthma and reproductive disorders. The most toxic chemicals detected – formaldehyde, benzene, chloroform and toluene – are not listed on the label.” 

You might assume that there is regulation regarding cleaning products but, in fact, there are no regulatory agencies that monitor the products that are brought into your home.Β Manufacturers are protected by trademark law loopholes, so they don’t have to list their ingredients.

What’s Wrong with Bleach?

toxic cometChlorine (bleach) is a very strong corrosive substance that can easily cause damage to the eyes, nasal passages, and lungs simply from inhaling the fumes. In fact, chlorine was the main ingredient for the most damaging gasses used in WWI. In the workplace, chlorine is regulated and gloves and goggles are required when handling it…but at home there are no such requirements, and even better, all of the chlorine we use eventually gets washed down the drain and ends up causing harm to the environment.

Chlorine is used to treat municipal water supplies. It is so toxic that it very quickly kills bacteria and other life forms that might take root in stored water systems. This is good because it shields us from some pretty nasty pathogens, but it should be removed from drinking and bathing water before we use it. (This is part of the reason I always tell my clients to invest in a good water filter.)

How then, can these cleansers call themselves β€œgentle” if they use chlorine? Prior to the introduction of chlorine into scrubbing powders, the main agents used to get things clean were tiny abrasives that literally scrape away the stains. Of course, over many decades of use, the finish on sinks, tubs and toilets would eventually degrade due to the repeated abrasive action. Bleaching away stains with chlorine is less abrasive so they call that method β€œgentle”.

So by using less abrasive, (but more toxic), cleaners we might be extending the life of our bathroom/kitchen fixtures, while simultaneously possibly shortening our own lives, or compromising our family’s health. I don’t know about you, but this does not sound like a good trade-off to me.

Back to the Future

sonett_scouring_fluid
There are alternatives. Here at Gimme the Good Stuff, we use and now sell three such options:

  • Tandi’s Scouring Powder, which is handcrafted in Lancaster, PA, is super effective at cleaning all types of surfaces–including stainless steel, bathtubs, tile, toilet bowls, sinks and more. The essential oil combination boasts antibacterial properties, cuts grease, and best of all it smells fresh and delicious. Customers who’ve tried Tandi’s scouring powder rave about it and come back again and again.
  • We recently started carrying the German-made Sonnett scouring fluid, which we also love, and which also passed our safety review process with flying colors
  • We have a limited number of Eco-Me scrub cleanser jars left (we discontinued the line but not because it isn’t safe and effective).

Don’t want to buy from us? Even old-fashioned Bon Ami is relatively innocuous, and much safer than Comet.

I suggest you stop treating your home like a battlefield, and opt for one of these safe and effective alternatives.

Stay sane,

John Goss from Gimme the Good Stuff

 

 

 


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Filed Under: Non-Toxic Cleaning Products, Posts Tagged With: environmental toxins, bad stuff

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Comments

  1. Sarah says

    March 9, 2016 at 6:01 PM

    Do you recommend Zum clean sink & surface scrub?

    Reply
    • Maia James says

      March 9, 2016 at 6:24 PM

      We cannot recommend Zum products in general. The clean sink surface scrub is of the least concern of all their products but it still has a couple of “interesting” ingredients.

      Reply
  2. Tammy Ballard says

    April 17, 2020 at 12:05 AM

    What do you think of Norwex products in particular the Cleaning Paste as a replacement for Comet?

    Reply

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11 products that will help you save the earth (all available in our store). πŸ“¦πŸŽ‰1) 🧺 Cora Ball. Every time we do laundry, our clothes shed tiny, unseen microfibers that wind up in our waterways. This brilliant ball is simply tossed in the washing machine to collect our microfibers into fuzz we can see and dispose of in the right way.2) 🩹 Bamboo bandages. The adhesive sheet of a standard band-aid is made from a type of plastic, often toxic PVC. Patch bandages are made with soft, organic sustainable bamboo fiber and gauze.3) 🧽 Meliora plastic-free cleaning products. Their all-purpose cleaning tabs are a one-stop solution for cleaning the hard surfaces in your home in the most eco-friendly way possible.4) 🧊 Stainless steel ice cube tray. Regular plastic ice cube trays are not recyclable, so the next time you need to replace one, go old school!5) πŸ₯• Stasher bags. I have a drawer full of these, and haven't bought a plastic baggie in years!6) πŸͺ’ Straight razor. Around 2 billion plastic razors are disposed of each year, and they all end up in landfills. This eco-friendly straight razor has a bamboo handle and a recyclable metal razor.7) πŸ₯£ Cotton bowl covers. I use these daily to cover leftovers that I don't want to transfer to a separate container.8) πŸ’§ Stainless steel cup. This unbreakable 8-ounce tumbler cup will last forever, and is an excellent alternative to disposable plastic cups for a picnic, a party, camping, or for children in their classrooms.9) πŸ‘§πŸ½ Stainless steel lunch box. These bento-style boxes mean you never have to use Tupperware containers or Ziploc bags again.10) 🐷 Zip Top snack packs. This style of silicone bags is designed to fit in little hands. They come in cute animal shapes, and are another step your family can take to reduce single use plastics in packed lunches.11) πŸ’¦ E-cloths. These cloths will get you off of paper towels for good, AND you don't even need to use cleaner with them.12) πŸ₯Food Huggers. These do double duty, in my opinion--you don't use plastic to save your food AND you throw away less food because they really keep it fresh.

11 products that will help you save the earth (all available in our store). πŸ“¦πŸŽ‰

1) 🧺 Cora Ball. Every time we do laundry, our clothes shed tiny, unseen microfibers that wind up in our waterways. This brilliant ball is simply tossed in the washing machine to collect our microfibers into fuzz we can see and dispose of in the right way.

2) 🩹 Bamboo bandages. The adhesive sheet of a standard band-aid is made from a type of plastic, often toxic PVC. Patch bandages are made with soft, organic sustainable bamboo fiber and gauze.

3) 🧽 Meliora plastic-free cleaning products. Their all-purpose cleaning tabs are a one-stop solution for cleaning the hard surfaces in your home in the most eco-friendly way possible.

4) 🧊 Stainless steel ice cube tray. Regular plastic ice cube trays are not recyclable, so the next time you need to replace one, go old school!

5) πŸ₯• Stasher bags. I have a drawer full of these, and haven't bought a plastic baggie in years!

6) πŸͺ’ Straight razor. Around 2 billion plastic razors are disposed of each year, and they all end up in landfills. This eco-friendly straight razor has a bamboo handle and a recyclable metal razor.

7) πŸ₯£ Cotton bowl covers. I use these daily to cover leftovers that I don't want to transfer to a separate container.

8) πŸ’§ Stainless steel cup. This unbreakable 8-ounce tumbler cup will last forever, and is an excellent alternative to disposable plastic cups for a picnic, a party, camping, or for children in their classrooms.

9) πŸ‘§πŸ½ Stainless steel lunch box. These bento-style boxes mean you never have to use Tupperware containers or Ziploc bags again.

10) 🐷 Zip Top snack packs. This style of silicone bags is designed to fit in little hands. They come in cute animal shapes, and are another step your family can take to reduce single use plastics in packed lunches.

11) πŸ’¦ E-cloths. These cloths will get you off of paper towels for good, AND you don't even need to use cleaner with them.

12) πŸ₯Food Huggers. These do double duty, in my opinion--you don't use plastic to save your food AND you throw away less food because they really keep it fresh.
...

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Maia James, the founder of Gimme the Good Stuff, has a lifetime of experience in the world of natural living, and has turned this passion into a career, now helping clients easily enjoy greener, cleaner lives, peace of mind, and better health.

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Gimme the Good Stuff helps busy, conscientious parents easily avoid toxic products in their homes through our in-home consulting service, personalized shopping guides, and online store.We simplify the process of navigating the confusing world of β€œnatural” products, and our readers, customers, and clients enjoy peace of mind and confidence that their home is a safe, healthy place for their families.
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