Eco-friendly/Green cleaners are usually made from sustainable/renewable plant-based products (rather than petroleum) and are non-toxic and biodegradable. They are also manufactured in a more environmentally friendly way and are reusable or safe to dispose. Green cleaners are usually safer for the world's water systems, fish and wildlife, better for air quality (reduced contribution to ozone depletion, global warming and air pollution), and have no carcinogens (hazardous ingredients known to cause cancer). The packaging the products come in is usually less wasteful and made from recycled materials. The product can also conserve energy and water as well, often coming in concentrated forms. Green cleaners also tend to be more gentle on surfaces, as traditional/toxic cleaning agents can wear out furnishings and floors, not to mention green cleaning agents are more gentle on the cleaner's skin and eyes.
Not all products that claim to be eco-friendly meet industry standards. There are various third party certifications a product should have, including Green Seal, Greenguard, the EPA's Safer Choice program, Cradle to Cradle, BioPreferred or EcoLogo. Scoring a rating of 8.1 on the Goodguide, a database of over 210,000 personal and household products, is also considered comparable to this. To pass certification standards, several environmental criteria are assessed, as is the life cycle of the product.
If you care about you and your family's health, and the health of the planet, it's worth it to make the switch to green, environmentally friendly cleaning products and practices. Go green...