Bleach acts by sterilising organic matter through oxidisation. When you chuck bleach down your toilet it not only kills bacteria in your loo (which is why you do it), but it continues to do this right down the sewage chain, killing bacteria which help break down sewage in processing plants. Eco-friendly alternatives use acids which dislodge the dirt, rather than oxidising it.

The purpose of a detergent is to break down the surface tension of water, allowing other chemicals (like surfactants) to make contact with the substance being cleaned. So if a detergent comes into contact with, say, the mucous membrane in your nose, it does the same job.

Avoid products containing perchloroethylene (carcinogen, and suspected to damage, liver, kidneys and nervous system), and ammonium hydroxide (corrosive irritant).

Avoid petroleum distillates (possibly carcinogenic), and products containing nitrobenzene (highly toxic).

Many commercial drain cleaners contain corrosive or toxic products like sodium or potassium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid and petroleum distillates that kill sewage-eating bacteria and aquatic life and make water more expensive to treat.

For every litre of washing powder you use, it takes 20,000 litres of water to treat it until it can re-enter our water system safely. It is water that cleans your clothes; the detergent (surfactant) just separates the water molecules to create a wetter water that can penetrate the fabric deeply.

VOCs is the generic name for a group of compounds including ethanol, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, propylene glycol, and glycol. They are used as solvents in many cleaners and other products such as sprays. They can cause drowsiness, breathing difficulties, asthma attacks, disorientation, and headaches skin and eye irritants and can be flammable. Because they are volatile they are gaseous at room temperature, and are easily breathed in.

Synthetic musks are chemicals used in perfumes, soaps, laundry detergents, fabric softeners and cosmetics which can disrupt hormones – try to find products with alternatives like citronella, or use fragrance free products.

Synthetic musks have until recently been considered non-toxic, but opinion is changing. At the very least, they adversely affect the body's ability to cope with toxic compounds.