Review: Bayes Stainless Steel Cleaner and Protectant
About.com Rating
The Bottom Line
This stainless steel cleaner and protectant left my stainless steel clean and shiny, but its promises to be eco-friendly fell short. Read on for details about how it fared in terms of safety, environmental friendliness, and more.
Pros
Cons
Description
Company Background
Bayes cleaning products are made by Lab Clean, LLC, which was founded in 2005 by two entrepreneurs who wanted to create high performance, eco-friendly cleaning products that worked better than other products on the market and were safe for their families. The company makes a range of car, household, and outdoor cleaning products as well as a few green living products, such as water filtration bottles and produce wash.
All products made by the company are non-toxic and biodegradable. Check out the Bayes company website for more information about the company, special offers, and products.
Product Effectiveness
The label notes that this product will not only clean and shine, but protect stainless steel surfaces, too! According to the company website, it leaves a "micro layer [that] protects against environmental damage, moisture, [and] ultraviolet light," so it was tempting to try!
The trigger head design made applying this product directly to stainless steel surfaces or a cloth first super easy. I definitely found that it cleaned well eliminating fingerprints and cutting through grease and grime. After cleaning with it, I finished by wiping with a clean, dry, soft cloth using a circular motion, which left a nice finish on my stainless steel appliances bringing them back to a high lustrous finish.
Health & Safety
This product is non-toxic, but it contains synthetic, petroleum-derived ingredients and some unnamed ingredients. General terms, such as citrus distillate and polymer emulsion, instead of specific chemical names are used on the label, so it's difficult to assess the safety of the product as whole.
Paraffin and mineral oil, both of which are petroleum distillates, are the first and second ingredients listed on the product label meaning they are also the most prevalent. Mineral oil in mist form is a health concern, which is why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set limits on the amount workers should be exposed to; however, this product is in spray form, so the risks are greatly reduced. Nevertheless, why intentionally expose yourself when there are a lot of viable green alternatives out there using vegetable-based oils instead?
General safety instructions on the product label caution that eye contact should be avoided and the product should be kept out of reach of children. If accidental eye contact occurs, flushing with water is recommended. The MSDS is not available on the website, so no further information on safety is available.
Environmental Notes
This product is non-toxic and packaged in a recyclable bottle, but not all of the ingredients are that eco-friendly. For example, mineral oil is not an environmentally friendly oil, because it's not from a renewable resource and it doesn't biodegrade well as noted in the 2009 article, "Biodegradation of Mineral Oils - A Review," published in the African Journal of Biotechnology. Also, the process of making mineral oil from crude oil has implications for the environment. For example, spills, which have a definite negative impact on our wildlife and eco-systems, are always a possibility while drilling for crude oil, and a tremendous amount of energy and chemicals are required to refine crude oil.
Final Thoughts
This product is effective, but the fact that the manufacturer is not fully transparent and it contains some petroleum-derived ingredients left me dissatisfied with its eco-friendly claims. Therefore, I couldn't quite give it a full five stars.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
The Bottom Line
This stainless steel cleaner and protectant left my stainless steel clean and shiny, but its promises to be eco-friendly fell short. Read on for details about how it fared in terms of safety, environmental friendliness, and more.
Pros
- Effectiveness: Cleans and polishes stainless steel well
- Packaging: Recyclable packaging
- Safety: Non-toxic product
- Certifications: Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment Program
- Biodegradability: Biodegradable product
- Other: Not tested on animals
Cons
- Cost: Higher than many other comparable products
- Company Transparency: Some ingredients are not fully disclosed and the MSDS is not on the company website
- Environmental Friendliness: Some ingredients are not from renewable resources
- Safety: Contains synthetic and petroleum-derived ingredients
- Sizes: Only one size available
Description
- Type: Stainless Steel Cleaner and Protectant
- Size: 16 fl. oz. (474 ml.)
- Scent: None noted on product label
- Cost: $12.95
- Ingredients: Normal Paraffin, Food Grade Mineral Oil, Propylene Glycol Ether, Biodegradable Polymer Emulsion, Citrus Distillate
Company Background
Bayes cleaning products are made by Lab Clean, LLC, which was founded in 2005 by two entrepreneurs who wanted to create high performance, eco-friendly cleaning products that worked better than other products on the market and were safe for their families. The company makes a range of car, household, and outdoor cleaning products as well as a few green living products, such as water filtration bottles and produce wash.
All products made by the company are non-toxic and biodegradable. Check out the Bayes company website for more information about the company, special offers, and products.
Product Effectiveness
The label notes that this product will not only clean and shine, but protect stainless steel surfaces, too! According to the company website, it leaves a "micro layer [that] protects against environmental damage, moisture, [and] ultraviolet light," so it was tempting to try!
The trigger head design made applying this product directly to stainless steel surfaces or a cloth first super easy. I definitely found that it cleaned well eliminating fingerprints and cutting through grease and grime. After cleaning with it, I finished by wiping with a clean, dry, soft cloth using a circular motion, which left a nice finish on my stainless steel appliances bringing them back to a high lustrous finish.
Health & Safety
This product is non-toxic, but it contains synthetic, petroleum-derived ingredients and some unnamed ingredients. General terms, such as citrus distillate and polymer emulsion, instead of specific chemical names are used on the label, so it's difficult to assess the safety of the product as whole.
Paraffin and mineral oil, both of which are petroleum distillates, are the first and second ingredients listed on the product label meaning they are also the most prevalent. Mineral oil in mist form is a health concern, which is why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set limits on the amount workers should be exposed to; however, this product is in spray form, so the risks are greatly reduced. Nevertheless, why intentionally expose yourself when there are a lot of viable green alternatives out there using vegetable-based oils instead?
General safety instructions on the product label caution that eye contact should be avoided and the product should be kept out of reach of children. If accidental eye contact occurs, flushing with water is recommended. The MSDS is not available on the website, so no further information on safety is available.
Environmental Notes
This product is non-toxic and packaged in a recyclable bottle, but not all of the ingredients are that eco-friendly. For example, mineral oil is not an environmentally friendly oil, because it's not from a renewable resource and it doesn't biodegrade well as noted in the 2009 article, "Biodegradation of Mineral Oils - A Review," published in the African Journal of Biotechnology. Also, the process of making mineral oil from crude oil has implications for the environment. For example, spills, which have a definite negative impact on our wildlife and eco-systems, are always a possibility while drilling for crude oil, and a tremendous amount of energy and chemicals are required to refine crude oil.
Final Thoughts
This product is effective, but the fact that the manufacturer is not fully transparent and it contains some petroleum-derived ingredients left me dissatisfied with its eco-friendly claims. Therefore, I couldn't quite give it a full five stars.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
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