How Clean is Clean?

I once read a review for a dish washing soap made by Seveth Generation. The reviewer's comment included a statement regarding how the detergent wasn't the most effective she had used, but it got things clean and her kid wouldn't die if he ate it. At the time, I didn't have kids, but I had dogs and sugar gliders. The comment made me laugh, but it also made me think. I was also toying with the idea of putting the dishwasher drain through a homemade filter in the backyard to use in the garden, and wasn't sure what would be safe to put on the plants. All of this led me to the term:  biodegradable. Here is what Google has to say:

bi·o·de·grad·a·ble

ˌbīōdəˈɡrādəb(ə)l/

adjective

1. (of a substance or object) capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms

The original use of the term applied to things made by nature, and therefore easily destroyed by nature. But, we now manufacture biodegradable products by using natural materials (wood to paper, vegetable oils to soap). For other products, chemicals and non-biodegradable materials are used. These substances are not easily broken down in our environment and as a result remain, build up, and cause negative impacts.

Having a clean home is universal throughout the globe. Standards of clean may vary, but the idea is generally the same. Clean might be lighting incense and using herb oils to purify, or it might be using an air purifier and a spray cleaner. Each culture has its own beliefs about what clean is and how one can accomplish it.