Living Naturally - Natural Home Care Products

A report from Packaged Facts says eco-friendly is where the opportunity is, with products offering ideological, practical and functional benefits.

The new study, "Green Household Cleaning Products in the U.S." on dish detergents, bathroom cleaners, general household cleaners, laundry care/detergents, and other products, says that of the $557 million consumers spent last year on green products, $339 million came from green household cleaning products, and $218 million from green laundry products.

While that $557 million is only 3 percent of the total amount that consumers spent last year on the category, Packaged Facts says sales of green cleaners grew 229 percent between 2005 and 2009, more than doubling their footprint in dollar terms and more than tripling their share of the total household cleaner market.

Don Montouri, publisher of Packaged Facts, says, "If the trend continues, sales of green products will reach $2 billion by 2014."

Why are natural home care products important?

• Thirty-seven percent of Americans suffer from chemical sensitivities, skin rashes and allergies — many of them provoked by chemicals in cleaning products.
• Reactions can include eyes watering, breakouts, skin rashes, and coughing or sneezing uncontrollably.
• Asthma is the leading cause of emergency room visits and absenteeism in schools.
• Children breathe faster in proportion to their body weight than adults, making them more vulnerable to chemical exposure.
• Warm baths and showers open pores so that what we have cleaned with is more readily absorbed.

Use Watkins Natural Plant-Based Cleaning Products