There are dozens of new earth-friendly cleaning products coming onto the market every day; from the popular Method® line of products to newer items like Dropps® and ECOS®, there are many of these environmentally friendly cleaning products to choose from. You can also make your own earth-friendly cleaners if you your budget doesn’t allow for pricy pre-made options. Here are some of the best store-bought products, plus a few homemade recipes that are tried and true.
The Best Store-Bought Cleaners:
- Seventh Generation. This brand of earth-friendly cleaners has a large variety of healthy, “green” products to choose from, including: Household care items (all-purpose and glass cleaners); Laundry care (detergents, fabric softeners and laundry additives); Baby care products (baby wash and shampoos, diapers, wipes and laundry detergents); and even Personal care items like organic cotton tampons and chlorine-free feminine pads.
- Method®. This most popular of the green cleaning products has literally hundreds of green, earth-friendly cleaning items. Some of their best-selling items are: Method® All-Purpose Cleaner is a sweet-smelling spray that is ideal for countertops, sinks, stoves and bathtubs; All-Purpose Cleaning and Disinfecting Wipes also have a lovely scent (like Orange Zest and Lemon Verbena) and can be used in the bathroom, kitchen, laundry-room and more; Method® Fabric Softener, enough for 50 loads and leaves clothes soft and smelling great; Smarty Dish® Dishwasher Tabs are priced affordably and leave clothes cleaned without using harmful bleach or phosphates.
- Simple Green Naturals™. These cleaners are touted to be 100% naturally-derived, using ingredients such as corn, coconut, chicory, palm, natural minerals, salt and sugar, and water. Their products include dishwashing liquid, liquid hand-soap, multi-surface spray, bathroom cleaner, glass and surface spray, dilutable concentrated cleaner, floor care, and carpet cleaner.
- Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day. Made of biodegradable and phosphate-free ingredients, these cleaners pair fresh scents with strong cleaning properties that won’t harm the environment. Their products also have a large variety and include such cleaners like liquid dish soap, countertop sprays, all-purpose cleaners, automatic dish packs, surface scrubs and wipes, bathroom cleaners, glass cleaners, and toilet bowl cleaners.
- Ecover®. This 30-year old company has many green cleaning products for your home, including dishwashing items (liquids, dishwasher packs and more), laundry detergents and softeners, bathroom and kitchen cleaners, and even personal care items like hand soap.
Natural Items for Making Your Own Cleaners:
- Baking soda. Next to vinegar, baking soda is one of the most useful and versatile products for safe and earth-friendly cleaning. Pair it with water to make a paste for cleaning and brightening faucets; soak pots and pans with stuck or burnt-on food to easily remove the stains; clean your silverware with a paste of three parts baking soda to one part water.
- Vinegar. Keep a spray bottle filled with half vinegar and half water to use all around your house. For spills on carpets, spray with this mixture, let stand 2 minutes and then blot with a towel. Use for cleaning windows, de-greasing your countertops and stoves, in bathrooms and for softening your laundry if you have no laundry softener on hand.
For more cleaning articles from Lucas Jenkins check out this page on hardwood floor cleaning products on http://affordablehomeremodelingideas.com.
