Natural Cleaning Solutions:
How Does Force of Nature Compare?

“How does Force of Nature compare to…”? We get this question a lot! We know you have lots of choices when it comes to cleaning products – scents, surfaces, foams, sprays, wipes, expensive, inexpensive, “natural”, “green”, and more. Here is how Force of Nature compares to the most common types of cleaning products.

How does Force of Nature compare to “Natural cleaning” or “Green cleaning” products?

First let’s start with some facts about cleaning product ingredients that might surprise you.

Cleaning product manufacturers aren’t required to show their full ingredient lists on their labels. So your fresh smelling cleaner can absolutely contain phthalates or other endocrine-disrupting chemicals without you knowing it.

There are no federal safety or health standards  for products labeled “natural” or “green” or “eco-friendly”. As a result, these products frequently contain chemicals linked to health problems like hormone disruption, triggering the onset of asthma and allergies and more. Fragrances are a great example.

• Fragrance chemicals can pass through the skin and enter the blood stream. They have been classified as carcinogens, hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, skin and respiratory irritants.
• Manufacturers are not required to list fragrance ingredients on product labels, so the single word “fragrance” on a label can hide a cocktail of more than 100 toxic ingredients.
• Fragrances commonly contain phthalates which are chemicals that allow the scent to linger. Studies have shown that more than 75% of products with fragrances contain these endocrine disruptors. The Centers for Disease Control reported that phthalates can be found in the blood of most Americans, and the greatest quantities are in women. They can act like hormones in the human body, which can cause a host of heath problems. For example, children with mothers exposed to phthalates during pregnancy were shown to have problems with language development and motor skills. Phthalates have been banned for use in cosmetics in the European Union. Research on the reproductive and developmental impact of phthalates has found a link to genital malformations and undescended testes in baby boys and lower sperm counts in men.

Besides fragranced chemicals, another sketchy class of chemicals found in “green”, “natural” or “eco-friendly” cleaners are preservatives.  For example, Methylsothiazolinone (MIT) & Methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT) are extremely common in “natural” cleaning products even though they are linked with inhalation toxicity, dangerous allergic reactions and possible neuro toxicity.

Surfactants are another category of chemicals to watch for in “natural”, “green” or conventional cleaners, including sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES).  Sodium lauryl sulfate has been linked to skin & eye irritation, organ toxicity, reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption & ecotoxicology.  Sodium laureate sulfate is linked with skin & eye irritation. A concern with both of these is their contamination with the carcinogenic by-product called 1,4 dioxane.

Dyes that make “natural”, “green” or “eco-friendly” cleaning products blue, green, lavender or any other color are there to give you the perception that the product is more effective, but they don’t actually add to performance and can introduce significant health risks.

Force of Nature is different than the “natural”, “green”, or “eco-friendly” cleaners out there in that it has no fragrances, preservatives, surfactants, dyes, allergens or irritants.

How does Force of Nature compare to traditional cleaning products?

If you’re like most people, you probably assume that if you rinse your surfaces from harsh chemicals like bleach, and don’t breathe them in, that they’re safe. There is one very important reason why this is not a safe assumption.

Manufacturers aren’t required to test the health impact of exposure to their products over time.

But thankfully, now researchers are, and the news isn’t good. Recent studies have shown that chronic exposure to the 3 most common categories of cleaning chemicals (bleach, quaternary ammonia compounds and fragrances) over the long term can:

• Young children frequently exposed to cleaning products can be up to 50% more likely to have asthma.
• Frequent exposure to cleaning chemicals in early life, especially within the first three months, is associated with an increased risk for asthma by age 3.
• Kids with greater exposure to cleaning products are 35% more likely o develop chronic wheezing and chronic allergies than children with the least exposure.

Besides causing asthma and allergies, these chemicals can cause dangerous reactions in people who already have these conditions. Estimates are that 30% of US adults and 40% of US children suffer from asthma or allergies. In fact, the CDC recommends not using cleaning products with quaternary ammonium compounds (quats), bleach, or fragrances around this population.

Quats are worth calling out because they are just as ubiquitous as bleach, and they are lurking in most of the wipes, sanitizer and disinfectant sprays out there. They are associated with a broad range of health issues including allergies, asthma, fertility issues & birth defects. They are hard to avoid because they are in most of the top disinfectant brands, and are listed on labels with varying names such as benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides, alkyl dimethyl ethylbenzyl ammonium chloride, didecyldimethylammonium chloride, dioctyldimethylammonium chloride, benzalkonium chlorides, etc.

What are the Force of Nature ingredients?

Force of Nature uses electricity to convert tap water, plus a capsule of salt, water and vinegar, into an all-in-1 cleaning, deodorizing, sanitizing, and disinfecting formula. It does this by changing the molecular structure of the solution into 2 new molecules:

• Hypochlorous acid – The same substance your white blood cells produce to keep you healthy.  It’s gentleness & efficacy are what make it commonly used in wound, healthcare, and veterinary care products. Hypochlorous acid kills pathogens while at the same being extremely gentle on skin, which is what makes it so unique and versatile.
• Sodium hydroxide – a detergent used at low concentrations in products like toothpaste and skin moisturizers, and at higher concentrations in conventional cleaners. Force of Nature contains a concentration of just 0.0000003% (not toxic). In all-purpose cleaners, typical concentration levels are from 1-5% (3 million to 17 million times the concentration as in Force of Nature, and can be extremely harmful).

We created Force of Nature to end the compromise between cleaning product performance and wellness. It’s a federal EPA registered hospital-grade disinfectant that kills 99.9% of germs, viruses, and bacteria. It’s on the EPA’s List N (approved for use against COVID-19) and List Q (approved for use against the monkeypox virus).  In 3rd party independent lab testing, it’s proven to be just as effective as Formula 409 on grease, Windex on glass, Scrubbing Bubbles on soap scum, Febreze on odors, and Resolve on rugs. EPA state info here.

How does Force of Nature compare to typical cleaning products on sustainability?

Force of Nature allows you to reduce plastic waste by 97% compared to typical bottled cleaning products. Each small recyclable Activator Capsule eliminates a single-use plastic bottle, as well as the environmental pollution from the production, transport and disposal of those bottles. It also contains no toxic chemicals to flow into our water systems. We’re proud to be Green Seal certified for meeting the highest standards in protecting human health, preserving the climate, ensuring clean water, and minimizing waste and a proud partner of Carbonfund.org in supporting carbon reduction projects around the world.

Learn More

At Force of Nature, our mission is to end the compromise between cleaning and health, for people and our planet. Our appliances come in 2 sizes, Force of Nature, which makes 12 ounces at a time, and Force of Nature Pro, our system for large and high traffic spaces which makes 64 oz at a time. Both make our powerful yet gentle all-in-one formula that costs up to 80% less per ounce than the top brands. We designed Force of Nature to be budget-friendly and accessible to everyone who wants to reduce plastic waste and the environmental health risks associated with typical cleaning products.