Hate Chemicals? Clean Green!
I hate cleaning. Hate it. I also hate the nasty chemical smell that can come with it. In fact, cleaning products are some of the most toxic materials in your home. Not only do they pose a health hazard, but many of them contain petrochemicals that are harmful to the environment. So what to do to keep your house clean AND earth-friendly? As much as I hate cleaning, I like it a lot more when I find awesome green cleaning products.
Like Rebecca's Tip O' The Day noted earlier, baking soda is a wonderful, earth-friendly cleaning product you can get almost anywhere on the cheap. Borax, white vinegar, and cream of tartar are just a few items you can use to make safe, non-toxic cleaning products. This site has plenty of recipes if you want to eschew commercial products completely. However, if you are not into the DIY scene, there are a plethora of cleaning products out there that are non-toxic and biodegradable. I've used several, and these are some of the lines that have produced favorable results.
Probably the most widely available, and certainly popular, are Method products. Method produces non-toxic, biodegradable cleaners that are minimally (and tastefully) packaged, and they don't test on animals. They also just introduced floor cleaner kits (which I am SO resisting buying, since I already have a perfectly good mop and bucket), called the oMop that include those popular disposable microfiber mop pads–however, theirs are compostable. Method's appeal is their cost-friendliness and availablity–you can get it at your big-box discount store, and it does stand out in a sea of traditional toxic cleaners in those stores.
Seventh Generation makes paper products and cleaning products–in fact, their Free and Clear line has no fragrances or dyes for those with allergies. Their company has rigorous standards for their products, namely that they are all vegetable-based and biodegradable, are not environmentally hazardous or acutely or chronically toxic, contain no phosphates, chlorine, or animal products. They also have awesome coupons on their website.
If you are looking for straight-up awesomely-scented cleaning products that make your kitchen smell like flowers, not chemicals, Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products fit the bill. Their biodegradable cleaners come in three scents, geranium, lemon verbena, and lavender, with a limited run of honeysuckle products out right now for spring cleaning. I love their laundry soap–there's nothing like lavender-scented t-shirts right out of the dryer.
However, my new favorite eco-cleaning line is Bi-O-Kleen, which I pick up at our local green general store. Bi-O-Kleen products are biodegradable, non-toxic, highly concentrated to reduce packaging, and they have an entire soy-based product line. The best part about Bi-O-Kleen products is that their containers are refillable at many retailers–I just take back my empty bottle, and my store refills it (for a discount, too!) I must insert a personal rave on their automatic dish soap: I've never found a biodegradable dishwasher soap that actually worked with our dishwasher, but this soap leaves my dishes completely streak-free. A note on their website–they haven't updated in quite a while, because their products have completely different (and I think better) label design, but it is the same product line.
March 22nd, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Bio-O-Kleen — I’ll definitely give them a try.
Another great brand is Imus Green the Cleaning products — 100% after tax profits donated to Deirdre Imus’ Ranch for Kids with Cancer.
maureen
March 23rd, 2007 at 1:54 am
Thanks for the post! Cleaning greenly is something I’m trying to move towards - really helpful info.
March 23rd, 2007 at 5:38 am
I’ve slowly tried many of their products! They work! They’re concentrated…so you don’t have to use much of it (e.g. dishwashing, laundry detergent, etc.). Plus, nothing conventional or otherwise) get stains out like Biokleen’s bac-out. I’m a huge fan - if you couldn’t tell.
March 24th, 2007 at 2:02 am
I have used Simple Green as my all-purpose cleaner for years. You can dilute it to any strength you like. I also use Orange Clean because I like the scent. For scrubbing I use baking soda.
March 26th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Another ‘greener cleaner’ is Soda Crystals (aka Washing soda) It can be used to clean pretty much anything around the home from boosting the washing power of laundry detergent, cleaning greasy grillpans, unblocking sinks, cleaning floors and even the bathroom! They contaion no bleach, chlorine or phosphates - so have less impact on the environment. For more info and great ‘green’ cleaning tips visit http://www.soda-crystals.co.uk
April 2nd, 2007 at 4:56 pm
The best microfiber mop can be found here.–> http://www.simplygoodstuff.com/microfiber_mops.htm. Use it wet or cry for cleaning any hard surface, then just wash the pad. It’s so easy to use and does an amazing job cleaning my floors.
June 6th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I don’t spend much time cleaning my house, my mom does that. Actually i like the smell of the cleaning products, i have learn to associate it whit a clean place. I had no idea they are harmful, i will try to dig more about this to see what i can find out.
July 16th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Great ideas everyone. However, even cleaning ’solutions’ such as vinegar are poisoning our waterways, and reduces the ability for fish to float. And if you are like me, I can’t stand the smell of vinegar!!! And to the above post, you certainly shouldn’t enjoy the smell of cleaning products, do some research on the damange they are doing to your health, you will be surprised.
For the last year or so I have been cleaning areas of my home such as my kitchen and bathrooms, with a product range called Enjo - fibre-based cleaning technology, with a range of colour gloves which trap and hold dirt and bacteria, and you don’t need to use chemicals- just water. Hard to believe…?
I heard about these products at one of those ‘at-home parties’ a friend of a friend hosted, I was curious to see how just a cloth and water could clean better than my chemicals. The Enjo consultant showed a wide range of products and packages available to buy, and what appealed to me was the fact they last for years and years- reducing the overall costs of cleaning your home significantly (obviously, because you are not buying all the chemicals you used to!)- but also what was appealing- was they really, really worked. I live in the Toronto area, but the products are available all across Canada and parts of the US (you would have to check with them, I am not 100% sure where!)
In the past I had tried one of those micro-fibre mops and the cloths etc, but they were cheap and their quality is nothing in comparison to the Enjo products I purchased, and the end result of my clean bathroom, was significantly better.
If you are health conscience about the bacteria in your home, and want to be apart of “going green”- I can assure cleaning with Enjo will certainly help you like it did for me.
Phone - 416.629.4888
E-mail - office@ca.enjo.net
Web - http://www.enjo.net
July 20th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Hey I tried calling ENJO with the number you gave- but it didn’t work- when I looked it up online, its 905.629.4888 not 416. - just so everyone knows.
Great help though. I have booked an ENJO demo! Will let everyone know how it goes!
August 14th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
It is extremely important to check the ingredients listed on so called “green cleaners” because some of the ones mentioned in the article and comments actually do use certain levels of toxins. Even Simple Green was reported by Women’s Voices for the Earth to contain chemicals. A line of all natural, organic cleaners I actually came across through my children’s pediatrician is BabyGanics, by Healthy Home Products. From what I understand these cleaners are absolutely non-synthetic with zero traces of chemicals in their formula. They work great and I know they are safe to be using.