11.26.2007 6:54 AM

Sales of Green Cleansers Up 23%

Big Names Join Niche Producers

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Hand in yellow rubber glove holding cleaning sponge, other hand holding a sprayer bottle, cleaning blue tile in what looks like a bathroom shower.

Photo: IStock

By Dan Shapley

Sales of cleaning products that tout their "natural" or chemical-free formulas are up 23% from a year ago.

And that, according to USA Today, has big-name manufacturers entering the market once dominated by niche producers. Clorox, for instance, plans to unveil its Green Works brand this January.

As with many products labeled "green," consumers should be wary of unregulated claims, such as "nontoxic" or "chemical-free." These labels may sound good — and may be true — but there's often no assurance they are as good as they sound, in the absence of third-party independent certification of some kind.

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