An ecolabeled cleaning solution protects you, your surroundings, and the environment from unnecessary exposure to toxic substances.
Cleaning is essential in maintaining health and hygiene in healthcare, food production, public buildings, and private homes. However, regular detergents may contain harsh chemicals, which can have the opposite effect on the well-being of humans and the environment. To reduce the use of chemicals, choosing ecolabeled cleaning products can be a great solution.
Why Choose Ecolabeled Cleaning?
Choosing the right cleaning detergent can be a challenge. The wide variety of products often makes it difficult to select the right product for your purpose. At the same time, the amount and type of chemicals vary from product to product, which makes the correct dosing and application vary in every detergent. Hereby, you risk dosing too much of your product and hereby expose yourself, your surroundings, and nature to an unnecessary overdose of chemicals. The consequences can be an impairment of your personal health and of nature in general, such as water quality and wildlife.
Cleaning is one of our main ways to ensure good health, and using detergents provides us with the most efficient result. However, it is possible to avoid unnecessary chemicals by choosing ecolabeled cleaning solutions certified by, for example, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.
Which ecolabels should you look for?
There are many types of ecolabels, and the ones that apply to you can vary depending on your country and the product. However, here are two significant ecolabels associated with cleaning products that we recommend keeping an eye out for:
EU Ecolabel
- Limited use of hazardous substances
- Sustainable sourcing of raw materials
- Recyclability of packaging*
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is an environmental labeling system contributing to sustainable consumption and production. It is one of the world's toughest and most recognized environmental certifications.
Regarding detergents, a Nordic Swan Ecolabel certification requires that the product is responsible in production, use, disposal, and recirculation*. This means that all products have complied with several strict requirements, for instance, these:
Tip 1
Consider the packaging
It is easy to focus on the ingredients of ecolabeled products, but the packaging is just as important. Consider choosing products that use recycled or recyclable materials to help reduce waste. After all, packaging made from these materials can make a difference in the product’s overall environmental impact.
Fun fact: In 2024, ABENA supplied 1,216,753 cleaning bottles with a minimum of 95% post-consumer recycled plastic.
Tip 2
Choose microfiber cloths and mops
Mops and cloths based on microfiber gives great cleaning results because of the microfibers' high absorption ability.
What’s more, microfiber is a cost-effect cleaning solution because the high absorption ability often results in reduced usage of water and detergents. Lastly, this material has a long-life span, so you do not need to replace it as often.
Tip 3
Color-code detergents, cloths, and mops
When looking for ecolabeled detergents, consider purchasing those with color-coded bottle caps. This system allows you to easily identify and quickly select the right product for each cleaning task.
You can also use different colored mops and cloths to prevent cross-contamination, so your toilet cloths stay separate from those used in the kitchen or other areas.
What is microfiber?
Microfiber is made from ultra-fine fibers that contain polyester and polyamide. The microfibers are conjugated as fibers and cleaved into 16 threads. This makes the fibers thinner than one-hundredth of a human hair.
When the small, thin microfiber threads are assembled into a cloth, this creates a large surface area with lots of cavities, in which dirt and grime can be collected and retained. The fibers open and release the dirt when the cloths are washed at a minimum temperature of 67°C.
Puri-Line – ABENA's own range of ecolabeled cleaning products
At ABENA, we consider the Nordic Swan Ecolabel when developing, producing, and managing new products in our cleaning range.
You will find Nordic Swan Ecolabeled products in many of our product areas, including Puri-Line, our series of detergents and tools, all carrying the Nordic Swan Ecolabel certification. Moreover, in the Puri-Line series, you also find products without color and perfume, which help increase indoor air quality, your well-being.
