Environmentally friendly solvents and cleaners

My usual preferred approach is just to not use such things much. Rather than keep brake cleaner around, for example, I just make an effort not to get grease on my brake surfaces to begin with. They don't have to be food-grade clean ... most of the time they're about as clean as anything else that's been rolling down public roads for thousands of miles, and they still make the car stop.

Brake cleaner can be needed for new rotors, with a coating protecting them from rust in storage. But I still have no idea how old a Prius needs to be to need new rotors.

 

There are two versions of brake cleaner. The older style is “worse” somehow, either for the air quality or carcinogenic (or both). The newer one is better in that regard, still pretty effective, but also more flammable. I went with the newer one.

Addendum: the diff is chlorinated (old-style) vs non-chlorinated (new-style):

Brake Cleaners and Maintenance - Automotive Car Care | CRC Canada Co.

I’d second @ChapmanF ’s thought, to just minimize your use of such chemicals. Sometimes you have to, but yeah.

too, check the back of your tool shelves: sometimes there’s an old can kicking around. Similarly, with oils and greases: try to use up what you’ve got. Or if you’ll never need it, maybe pass it on to the gearhead up the block; at least it’ll get used.

 

i use simple green for everything, even shower with it