What's the "best" green home cleaning products?

So far all I have used for home cleaning is Method (specifically their dish soap, wood cleaner, all-purpose spray, and glass cleaner).  However, I have seen positive and negative things on them.  Nevertheless, I believe they are a lot better than a lot of other products.  They can be found at Target.

 

Also, you can order products on places like Amazon.com.  I tend to order in bulk since it will save in the long run.  I understand it is best to buy local, but some of the products I use just can't be found locally since I live in a small southern town. 

Edited by jennifer - Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:06:54 GMT

I really like 7th Generation products- some of them are available at Target.

You should check out the product reviews in the Clean Green section.

 

For all purpose household cleaners, personally I like Biokleen and Seventh Generation.

I make my own. The best is homemade soft scrub and laundry powder. it takes a little more but its fun, saves money and packaging.  i get so excited over this stuff.

www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/8088/clngrn.html for some recipes.

Vinegar, Essential Oils, Baking Soda, Citrus Acid, Washing Soda, Castile Soap (which i make from sratch from oils, milks and lye- but you can buy it too, or use whatever bar soap you like), Lemon Juice, Oils and Hydrogen Peroxide.
 

;-)

 

These are what are used to clean with in my house. Some jobs just require one ingredient, some a mix of a few of them. But it's cheap and easy to do (most people say they don't have time to make their own cleaners, invariably I find these people have never tried, it's amazingly simple and quick to make all the recipes I use, and the work just as well as store bought or better- and oh so much cheaper!)

If you can't find any green cleaners in your local stores you should definitely check out this article with different recipes for organic house cleaners http://quazen.com/shopping/home-and-garden/how-to-make-organic-house-cleaners/ You can make your own and it will actually save you money and not expose your family to fumes. They are pretty simple mixtures and just as effective in getting the job done! Glad you are stepping into the green world :)

Hello~ 

You can go to www.goodguide.com and it rates GREEN cleaning products and toxic products as well, on a scale from 1-10 in toxicity and damage to the environment. I use this site for EVERYTHING i purchase because I also want to go green. Or you can make your own if you want. 

If you are tuned into this website, you have probably already explored the need to ditch many of the cleaning products that used to be old standbys. I don’t even need to go into what is on the label and why natural cleaning solutions are a necessity to green living. What many do not realize is that green cleaning products come in two different flavors. There are those that come from the store, sold as “green” cleaners. This constitutes one type of natural cleaner. The other type of green cleaning products are those that can be made from things in your kitchen cupboard such as baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, and others. Many opinions exist as to which are better and these opinions divide green cleaners into two camps.

HAAN has green steam cleaners that are excellent! www.haanusa.com

Steam cleaning is an option as well as making your own homemade cleaning products. As far as commercial cleaning products go, I like Method, Seventh Generation and Ecos. You might be able to find the last 2 at one of the stores you mentioned. You might find Method as some of the larger grocery stores like BIg Y. You can order all 3 online. Hope that helps.

As for "green" cleaning products, I think I've tried EVERYTHING! Without question, there is only ONE TRUE "best":  EXTREME 18X from NaturOli.

 

There's many reason why, but here's my top three:

1 - It works for virtually everything (from washing laundry to cleaning windows, counter tops, your car...you name it). I've replaced 80+% of the cleaning products in my home with one tiny bottle! A little goes a LONG way! The only stuff it doesn't replace are strong solvents, degreasers and bleaches. So, I still keep some of those around for when needed. (Don't think there will ever be a "green" product that will replace "Goof Off".)

2 - This is genuinely "green"! It's a soap berry (soap nut) botanical super-concentrate - NOT another "psuedo" green, mass-marketed product that usually comes out of Method, Ecos, 7th Gen, etc. (I'm not knocking such companies. They just are what they are. Some products are better than others, but more attention seems to be given to their marketing than their actual products. IMO it's mostly just more "green-washing" if you know what I mean.

3 - Absolute lowest carbon footprint of any cleaner on the market! One squirt does a load of laundry. Mix just ONE ounce with 16 ounces of water for the best darn glass cleaner you'll ever use! No more shipping water. No more big plastic jugs. From the carbon footprint perspective alone, the impact is almost incomprehensible if you really think about it. We can replace chemical processing plants with forests! And can you imagine the reduction of fossil fuels wasted in just the transport of all those bulky commercial products? Astounding...

 

Now THAT is really GREEN on MANY LEVELS!

 

NaturOli has won many awards, but I think the Green Dot Awards jury put it best and said it all: "NaturOli green detergents' and cleansers' use of saponin, which is derived naturally from soap nuts, is possibly the most significant green innovation in history for everyday household cleaning needs."

 

What can I add to that?

 

Okay, just one more thing: It's made in the USA!

 

As for "green" cleaning products, I think I've tried EVERYTHING! Without question, there is only ONE TRUE "best":  EXTREME 18X from NaturOli.

There's many reason why, but here's my top three:
1 - It works for virtually everything (from washing laundry to cleaning windows, counter tops, your car...you name it). I've replaced 80+% of the cleaning products in my home with one tiny bottle! A little goes a LONG way! The only stuff it doesn't replace are strong solvents, degreasers and bleaches. So, I still keep some of those around for when needed. (Don't think there will ever be a "green" product that will replace "Goof Off".)
2 - This is genuinely "green"! It's a soap berry (soap nut) botanical super-concentrate - NOT another "psuedo" green, mass-marketed product that usually comes out of Method, Ecos, 7th Gen, etc. (I'm not knocking such companies. They just are what they are. Some products are better than others, but more attention seems to be given to their marketing than their actual products. IMO it's mostly just more "green-washing" if you know what I mean.
3 - Absolute lowest carbon footprint of any cleaner on the market! One squirt does a load of laundry. Mix just ONE ounce with 16 ounces of water for the best darn glass cleaner you'll ever use! No more shipping water. No more big plastic jugs. From the carbon footprint perspective alone, the impact is almost incomprehensible if you really think about it. We can replace chemical processing plants with forests! And can you imagine the reduction of fossil fuels wasted in just the transport of all those bulky commercial products? Astounding...

Now THAT is really GREEN on MANY LEVELS!

NaturOli has won many awards, but I think the Green Dot Awards jury put it best and said it all: "NaturOli green detergents' and cleansers' use of saponin, which is derived naturally from soap nuts, is possibly the most significant green innovation in history for everyday household cleaning needs."

What can I add to that?

Okay, just one more thing: It's made in the USA!

I really like it!!!

If there is anyone in the UK after some eco friendly cleaning products then have a look at http://www.fragile-earth.co.uk/environmentally-friendly-cleaning/environmental-cleaning-products/all-purpose-cleaner.html, been using it for a couple of weeks now and it has so far been a excellent cleaner.

 

 

I heard about a new bio degradable eco friendly cleaning product from a company called Evergreen Cleaning Solutions. They claim that their formulation kills the HIV 1 virus on contact. Check out information on the product at http://www.gogungo.com/evergreen-cleaning-sanitising-solutions-ltd/

 

yes,

 

It would be great to have a list of cheap green cleaning products online and in the supermarkets as its a real practical step for most people.

 

We still use wet black and white newspapers to clean the windows (use a bucket to dip in water) and then wipe it of with a dry newspaper and nothing gets them cleaner, plus its a great workout.

 

Try this without the window cleaner and test it http://youtu.be/23kwFqhUn2Q

You can find safe, effective cleaning products right in your kitchen cabinet such as white vinegar and lemon juice.  Other examples are Borax and Baking Soda, which can be used for a variety of cleaning purposes.

 

There is a list of professional cleaning products that are also environmentally preferable on this cleaning site:

 

http://www.greenaircleaningsystems.com/greencleaning/products.html

 

This specific line is called Safe 2 Clean.  Additionally there are many techniques you can use to clean that are green, that don't require harsh chemicals.  Try using the Magic Erase, a Pumice Stone or even a razor blade.

Check out Better Life's natural cleaning products.  We carry them here at verdantly.  We use them in our own home and have been very happy with them.

I will have to try some of these things out I was going to try out some of the things my grams use like the baking soda, lemon juice, and white vinegar and I still might do this I hate using harsh chemicals to clean with because they give me really bad headaches on top of not being good for our environment.

I use BioKleen - great products! Everything I have tried I love.

 

I also like Method, Seven Generations and Mrs. Meyers.

Nice! I have the same issues with brands you've mentioned as ones I like but glad to look at this one.

I agree with the other members who have suggested goodguide.com. EWG also has some good information and tips and provides a list of ingredients to avoid. They're also working on a database of cleaning products that they rank. At this point they've only got their "Hall of Shame" products that you'll most definitely want to avoid.

 

Personally, I use microfiber to do most of my cleaning and only occasionally use an actual cleaning solution (usually vinegar and/or baking soda). With a good quality microfiber cloth/mop like e-cloth, you don't need any cleaners. It will pick up bacteria and really cleans better than any other type of cloth or sponge. I use them all over the house. I occasionally have to add some baking soda to the tub to get rid of soap scum but that's it. 

If you are looking for home products there are Bamboo cutting boards.  Bamboo is a grass so is easily a renewable 'wood' source.  For children there are rice husk dishes and cutlery that are plastic-like but are toxin free and environmentally friendly.  There are also cork products that come from a renewable source like Bamboo that doesn't require trees to be harvested. 

 

There are tons of great eco friendly home products out there that are just as affordable as there non-eco friendly counterparts.
 

Since i was a little girl,  I learned with my mother how to use essential oils. In my house, everything was made natural with essential oils. My mother always taught us how to make some splashes from essential oils, to use on the beds while folding them or when changing the sheets. Years ago we decided to open a cleaning company. And we created Aromatherapy House Cleaning, that today is called "Elite Skyline", and we used all the recipes that my mother used back then. I would like to share with you, one of our best products, which my crew calls "The Magic Paste". 

Elite Skyline Aromatherapy Soft Scrub:

 

1 cup of baking soda

1 cup of borax

1/2 cup of castile soap

10 drops of lavender essential oil

10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil, 

5 drops of Tea Tree. 

Mix all together until you get a somewhat of a frosting like paste. Store into a dark jar to protect the essential oils. 

 

Uses: 

Shower, Sink, Bath Tub, Kitchen, Hard water spots. 

 

You Will Love It! and cost to you pennys

 

www.EliteSkyline.com

Well, maybe you need to clean by your hand. If your garden is very very big, i think you will spend much time cleaning.
 

I use,loc products they are amazing they clean better then wat i use to use,and are better for me. So very happy ive turned everything in my house organic and its cheaper too!

I use,loc products they are amazing they clean better then wat i use to use,and are better for me. So very happy ive turned everything in my house organic and its cheaper too!

Borax, vinager, is about all you need from pest control to laundry, to squeeky cleen mirrors

I noticed that I was using a lot of products to cleaned rust rings formed from shaving cream cans.

As they always say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...

Check out Rust-O-Less at www.rust-o-less.com

No more using harmful cleaning products as ROL elimates rust rings and thus the need clean them.