Vinegar is one of the oldest home recipes for stain removal using safe and effective ingredients. Of course, not everyone feels comfortable dousing a stain with something so pungent. Vinegar might be good at getting out food stains, but what about mud, sweat and blood? If you’re looking for a well-rated, all-around good stain-busting product, then you may want to try the Ecover stain remover. This Belgian company has been around for almost 30 years creating environmentally friendly household cleaners and sustainable factories.

Though there are only nine reviews, all the Amazon users have high praise for the Ecover stain remover. One consumer said he had to use the product twice to remove a wound stain, but adds, “I can count on it to remove grass stains, dirt, and food stains the first time around.” Another shopper says Ecover removed a year-old ink stain on a pair of khaki pants. “This is by far the best stain remover I have ever used,” another reviewer writes. One man comments that this stain remover even got rid of the dreaded “pit stains” his wife so despised. “It works like the chemical stain sticks and is the best I’ve ever used,” another reviewer says.

Even though there are no negative reviews for the Ecover stain remover online, many “green” seeking consumers are looking for 100% non-toxic ingredients. People who are concerned about adverse health effects and allergies from many cleaning products and personal hygiene products may find little consolation in the Ecover stain remover ingredient list. Sure, there’s no harm in water, alkyl poly glycoside C10-16 (a peptide), sodium chloride (salt), cellulase (an enzyme), citric acid, subtilisin (a protease) or linalool (an essential oil). However, there are some troublesome ingredients. According to www.scorecard.org, the ingredient 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1, 3-diol is a “suspected gastrointestinal or liver toxicant, immunotoxicant and skin/sense organ toxicant.” Another ingredient, ethanol, “causes skin and eye irritation,” according to the Material Safety Data Sheet. Sodium lauryl ether sulfate is in a lot of products, including Ecover’s stain remover, and is said to “cause mild irritation on contact with skin, eyes or mucous membranes” and may “cause irritation or allergic reaction.” Sodium lauryl sulfates are the most common source of eye irritation from shampoos and have been found to cause a drying effect on the skin by the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists. One must also wonder what exact ingredients are included in “fragrance,” as the label simply states.

It should be noted that all of these Ecover stain remover “toxins” have been approved for use in personal and household products. Most mainstream cleaners and hygiene products contain ethanol and Sodium lauryl ether sulfate, in fact. Using products containing these items have not been linked to cancer or serious disorders caused by long-term exposure. However, if you have extremely sensitive skin that tends to break out or get irritated, then this product may not be for you. Also, if you are looking for the most holistic items for your home, you may not be pleased with this stain remover, even if it does work well.

Sarah Lomas is a foremost expert in the treating yeast infection field. Her work has been extensively published in various online publications in the areas of cure for yeast infection. For more information on the treatment for yeast infections, visit remedyforyeastinfection.com.

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