home cleaning products -enviromentally sound

[MoMack]

Any body got any good tips.

We use the orange scented spray, citrasolve - and we've used simplyclean and another, natures clean or something.

Anyways, bottom line is the simply and nature don't cut it and the orange stuff works for somethings but we need more....

somebody out there has a plan, I know it!

[Tricky]

vinegar and baking soda do wonders at our place.

[AWeeJig]

Lemon juice, or vinegar.

Diesel fuel is fairly environmentally sound. The smell is a little too much at first but once you get used to it you're laughing. Joking obviously. I used to work with a guy about a decade ago that cleaned all of his heavy equipment with a water/diesel combo. Needless to say we didn't get along very well and the job was very short lived.

I find lemon juice works just as good as vinegar and has a nicer scent.

[MoMack]

The lemon juice might be a good idea - wonder if it would work with the vinegar just to get rid of the smell.

I have a feeling that some of our complaints aren't due to the actual effectiveness of the natural cleaners, but due to the fact that we aren't left with that "clean" scent thats been driven into our skulls since birth...

[Birdy]

vinegar and water on surfaces, lemon oil on wood, and dry dusting all work well for me... instead of washing windows and mirrors with paper towel, use newspaper instead... streak free shine!!

[Birdy]

to the fact that we aren't left with that "clean" scent thats been driven into our skulls since birth...

this is a big issue for me too... i LOVE the smell of pine-sol.. sometimes i heat up some eucalyptus oil and it helps... or a mixture of tea tree and lemon oil and i get that 'okay, it's clean' feeling.

[Ol'Hickster]

Yea News paper is the best for doing windows and such

[Jaimoe]

I don't know the brand names we use, but I buy all our cleaning supplies (including laundry detergent and fabric softener) at our local organic grocery store, The Big Carrot, or at the organic store Grassroots: http://www.grassrootsstore.com/.

We also use beeswax candles too, which last far longer than normal candles and aren't made from chicken-fat.

[AWeeJig]

check this out

http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/natural-cleaning-products.htm

I need to get back in the habit of awareness myself. Been slacking a bit lately.

[AWeeJig]

I don't know the brand names we use, but I buy all our cleaning supplies (including laundry detergent and fabric softener) at our local organic grocery store, The Big Carrot, or at the organic store Grassroots: http://www.grassrootsstore.com/.

We also use beeswax candles too, which last far longer than normal candles and aren't made from chicken-fat.

Chicken Butter?

[Jaimoe]

All those tea-light candles are imported from China and are made from chicken-fat, at least that's what my Environmental Studies at U of T wife told me.

[headymamamyrna]

I didnt know that and i use them all the time.

Thanks for the tip.

I must try beeswax candles!

[Jaimoe]

Beeswax are expensive, but last waaaay longer and aren't toxic.

[Patchoulia]

Pouring a little vinegar down your sink clears up all kinds of gross odours.

[Birdy]

some tealights are made of soy and vegetable based waxes.

[Jaimoe]

Pouring a little vinegar down your sink clears up all kinds of gross odours.

Have you ever hosed-off Basher with vinegar?

[Patchoulia]

Pouring a little vinegar down your sink clears up all kinds of gross odours.

Have you ever hosed-off Basher with vinegar?

Utterly useless.

[SaggyBalls]

Kleen Glo. It should be called 'elbow grease'

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf81404207.tip.html

[Ms.Huxtable]

I have a feeling that some of our complaints aren't due to the actual effectiveness of the natural cleaners, but due to the fact that we aren't left with that "clean" scent thats been driven into our skulls since birth...

MoMoack, are you using this in a commercial setting? Are the complaints you speak of from customers?

If so I may have some advise for you. Our company just switched to an environmentally friendly line of products in 2007 called Eco Gent. Both our employees that use it and our customers like it. Not one complaint in almost 8 months of use.

[phunkyb]

http://www.melaleuca.com/

[MoMack]

I'll check out the links...

but no, not commercial - just our home. And the complaints are from the better half...

I've spent many years training my mind and body to not recognize whether a room is clean or dirty unless a) in a public washroom or paying less than $1/hour for the hotel...

[AD]

so i spray some windex / vinegar&water / whathaveyou on a mirror or window, scrub with a newspaper, and it is streak-free? really?

doesn't the newsprint come off with the wet stuff? or do i skip the solution and use it dry?

[Fista]

Life brand now carries a series of earth friendly cleaners called Bio-Life (no-name version of the Method group of products).

I picked up the bathroom one and it works awesome and smells heavenly!

[phorbesie]

AD just use the newspaper on the wet window as though you would a paper towel or rag. it does work!

[PalacePrincess]

i 3rd the newspaper on windows/mirrors. your hands get all black, but it's a billion times better than paper towels. no streaks & none of that paper towel fuzz to deal with either.