Ingredients in Shock It Clean

However; as with any product presented as environmentally-friendly, it's important to judge these claims for yourself by checking out the ingredients the product contains.

Ingredients Overview

According to the PAN Pesticides database, the active ingredients in Professor Amos' Shock It Clean are citric acid and metallic silver. This product is registered with the EPA under the name Axen(r) 30, and is sold under a number of different names besides the Professor Amos brand. By U.S. law, only the active ingredients must be reported, so it is difficult to say what else Shock It Clean contains, though the FAQ on the official product websites states it also contains degreasers.

Citric Acid

Professor Amos' Shock It Clean contains approximately 4.85 percent citric acid. Citric acid is a weak, organic acid that is nontoxic, and is often used as both a cleaning agent and a buffering agent in household cleaning products. In addition; the presence of citric acid in a solution can enhance the antibiotic or antimicrobial properties of other disinfecting agents. Citric acid is a natural substance found in most fruits and vegetables as well as in the human body, and is considered environmentally safe.

Metallic Silver

Metallic silver makes up 0.003 percent of the formula of Professor Amos' Shock It Clean. The antimicrobial properties of silver have been known for thousands of years, and it is often used as an alternative disinfection agent in situations where traditional agents carry a risk of producing toxic by-products or corrosion. As a disinfectant, silver has been shown to work synergistically when combined with other disinfecting agents. It is possible that, in this product the silver works with the citric acid to produce a disinfecting effect greater, than either ingredient would produce alone.

Degreasers

The official website for Professor Amos' Shock It Clean does not specify what kind of degreaser the product contains -- only that it may have a drying effect on the skin. According to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, oil-based degreasers tend to be both toxic and flammable. Since its makers claim that Shock It Clean is an environmentally-friendly product, the degreasers used in its formulation are probably water-based, making them much safer for both the user and the environment.