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Today I did my semi-monthly house cleaning with the lysol wipes, floor cleaner, etc. and afterward I noticed my eyes were burning and my throat was burning like I inhaled something bad. Has anyone used the new green-type cleaners that aren't supposed to have the harmful chemicals? I am worried they won't have the same disinfectant power as these potent ones.
i tried but they dont clean well....i had a lot of streaks on my windows and glass tables
This makes me lol because it reminds me that my friend told me she's been using a 'green' housekeeping service that uses olive oil-based products to clean her house, and whenever the company is done the dogs go batshit crazy and lick every surface possible because it tasts like olive oil. Thus rendering the service completely useless. I laugh every time I picture it.
I don't think it's worth it to go craycray with the 'green' stuff, but maybe switching up your products, making sure its WELL ventilated, wearing a mask, whatever, will help.
@KristenGotMarried: That's hilarious! I can see my cats doing that...I could get some masks, I didn't think of that. I did wear gloves.
"Green" is a term that has been entirely coopted by anyone wishing to portray their product as such. it's also a little meaningless because just about everything has its own impact, so nothing is really "friendly" towards the environment or "green", perhaps just a little less damaging. That being said, there is legitimate concern about the chemicals to which we are exposed to on a daily basis and cleaning products are certainly one avenue of exposure. I personally have had great success with Seventh Generation products. However, many of the mainstream cleaning companies such as Clorox have also come out with less toxic products. Design for the Environment, a group within EPA, certifies "safer" cleaning products and has a directory of them available here: http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/formulat/formpart.htm
I'd also mention that mixing conventional cleaning products together is known to create noxious and even toxic fumes and should NEVER be done.
@vermontia: The Seventh Generation products were the ones I was thinking of but I couldn't remember what they were called. Thanks for the link! What do you mean mixing them? Like using two products in the same area or putting them in the same bottle?
@vermontia: Thanks for posting exactly what I was going to!
Besides Seventh Generation I also have used Mrs. Meyers products with success.
@MrsCoachBtoBee:Both. I know one person who was sickened by using two cleaning products in her toilet bowl!
@vermontia: Uh oh!!! I think I've only done that one time. I usually use lysol wipes on all countertops then something different in the kitchen sink so I don't think I mix there. That's scary to me!
Bleach + ammonia is the bad combo. Most window cleaners are ammonia-based.
Has anyone had luck with the Method brand? The hand soaps smell really good and the packaging is so modern looking.
@JoJo Bananas: LOVE Method. Don't use it very often as I usually opt for the clorox. But if Method is on sale, I love them. I use them for their glass wipes. Perfect. No streaks.
I use white vinegar for 90% of my cleaning. I take a spray bottle, fill it with vinegar, and add a drop or two of regular dish soap, and voila! I use it to wipe down counters, mirrors, toilets, sinks, you name it. And it is the only thing that would get the streaks out of stainless steel appliances. You do need to wipe surfaces such as glass or steel dry to get the streak free shine, but it works like a charm. If I need extra scrubbing power I sometimes sprinkle on some baking soda.I do use some all purpose cleanser to get soap scum off the shower stall from time to time though. Vinegar doesn't quite cut through that.
The smell of a lot of cleaners makes me feel a little bit ill, and the reality is that we probably don't need quite so much disinfecting power as we think! A bit of soap and water often does the trick. Vinegar and baking soda will also disinfect, and I figure that if I can eat these things, then I feel great using them on surfaces that I touch every day.
I haven't used the 'green' cleansers because I figured that they probably are made of things like vinegar/ baking soda/ citrus type cleansers anyway. Anyhow, white vinegar is cheap!
If you can get a hold of products made by, "Maid Natrually" they work amazing! I think you can order them online, but I'm not sure. It's a local company here. = )
Years ago, I actually had to go to the hospital from inhaling chemicals while cleaning the bathroom. In a way it was my own fault. I was cleaning the tiny bathroom and had shut the bathroom door to sweep and mop behind it, then got into the tub to clean it and heavilly sprayed this foam scum remover all over the walls and shower door. Next thing I know I'm passed out from the fumes. It fried my lungs and it hurt to breath for weeks. After that I switched to other ways of cleaning, and honestly, as far as cleanliness goes, I haven't noticed a difference, in fact I would say it feels cleaner. I buy white vinegar by the gallon and that it what I use to clean glass and counter tops and floors. For things that really need scrubbing, I make a paste out of equal amounts of peroxide and baking soda. That will clean most anything. There is also a product called Charlies Soap that I LOVE. I use it for laundry, but it is also a great carpet cleaner and stain remover. I got turned on to it, by this "green" diaper service, that I came across when I was at an Earth Day celebration. I asked them what they used to clean their diapers and they said Charlies Soap. The best thing is that you need very little. A TBSP is all you need for a full load of laundry. After a couple weeks of using it, I noticed my clothes felt softer, and looked and felt cleaner than they did before. I love the stuff. http://www.charliesoap.com/laundry_powder.html
@kayakblondie: Ditto this. The most inexpensive, healthy, and earth-friendly way to effectively clean your house is to use home solutions like vinegar, baking soda, and citrus.
Here's a good starting point, you can search the internet for a million more ideas like these: http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=7
Thank you all so much for the ideas! I think I will try the vinegar ideas next time. My nose/throat is still burning this morning and I was perfectly fine before I cleaned. :(
I have a mix of 7th Generation, Method, and Clorox Greenworks. (Depends on what the store I'm at carries when I need to buy new cleaner.) I also use vinegar, baking soda, and borox for cleaning.
I think they work well. I haven't had issues with streaky mirrors (I think my glass cleaner is Clorox Greenworks).
I make my own "green" products.... Baking soda is my BEST FRIEND! I use it for EVERYTHING including washing my face with it once a week... (its a natural micro dermabrasion) Vinegar works wonders as well, once it dries the smell goes away... :)
I find cleaning products bother my allergies and asthma. Besides what others have said about vinegar, baking soda, etc, don't forget about about ventilation! I open windows (even if it's winter I open them at least a crack), turn on the bathroom fan and set up fans to get all the air flowing.
I use a brand called "Green Works," and they have a bunch of different types of cleaning supplies. I personally love them, because they clean well, and don't smell horrible.
Otherwise, I'd just use vinegar, but a lot of people hate the smell/think it doesn't clean well.
Vinegar is the main product in my house we use. Doesn't leave streaks and kills germs. Baking soda is another big product. I just fill old windex bottle with vinegar.
Method has a spray cleaner for wood that I really like for dusting off wood tables and shelves, and it smells nice too :) we use their disinfectant wipes too
I use "Seventh Generation" and "Greenworks." The Seventh Generation multipurpose cleaner kills 99.9% of bacteria on hard surfaces, so I use it for all of our surfaces in the kitchen. It smells great and I haven't had a problem cleaning with it! Go to seventhgeneration.com for coupons.
There is a bathroom cleaner that I LOVE - the name is something like "Paw Safe Bathroom Cleaner" or "Paw Safe Bathroom Cleaner" and it is a clear blue liquid in a spray bottle so it looks very similar to regular Windex. But it is very low-odor and it does a GREAT job in the shower! Even better than Tilex which always makes me cough and gag from the fumes. I believe you can buy it at Target.
we've been using vinegar and baking soda along with other recipes for cleaning. Here's a great link for making your own stuff: http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/10/clean-up-your-act-all-natural-homemade-cleaners/
@KristenGotMarried: I just LOL'd. Batshit crazy licking freshly olive oiled surfaces!
@MissEdamame: I was going to suggest this as well. The Green Works spray works great on glass - no streaks. The Seventh Generation wipes are wonderful and their toilet cleaner smells great. Their dish soap is awesome, too. I also use their dish washer detergent, laundry detergent and softener.
I switched to all natural because the owner of the house before us used really harsh stuff and I wanted to not expose us to that anymore...I found a ton of it in the basement and some of it was really bad if you inhale it...plus I didn't want my dog to eat something off the floor and injest a chemical.
I also love Mrs. Meyers Clean Day liquid for floors. THe lavender scent is great. You can get it at Target and I've also seen it in the grocery store.
I'm glad to see all the options on here that I can try out. I never had good luck with natural cleaners, altho I've used vinegar to clean with before. My cat loves to run across the freshly pine-soled floors so I'll have to try the Mrs. Meyers!
Seventh Generation. Greenworks. SimpleGreen. Mrs Meyers. Baking Soda. Vinegar.
I use "Green Works" and find it works great. I was worried too at first with switching and it won't cut through the greese or dirt as well.. But it does! It smells nice too, no streaks. I tried normal water and vinegar and wasn't impressed with the results.
I bought a container of Seventh Generation wipes and found the smell so offensive that they're just sitting in my cabinet... a year later.
Method products smell nice but I don't know how effective they are at germ-killing. For bathroom cleaning we still use Clorox and other chemical cleaners.
Yes. I use Method products and love it.
I didn't like the smell of Seventh Generation at all, so I stopped using them.
then my sister told me about Melaleuca - and they are amazing! Completely natural, safe. Their tough-and-tender which is their basic all-purpose cleaner, can be diluted to use as produce wash! They are made mostly with tea tree oil and citrus which are natural cleaning agents.
I really, REALLY like their products, they smell SO good and they clean better than any chemical I've ever used.
You have to buy them online at melaleuca.com
My list of cleaning products consists of the following:
I use greenworks for a majority of my cleaning, it does very well on mirrors and windows, stainless steel, and for a quick counter/table clean up. For heavy duty counter/table cleanup I use a cloth and dishsoap. For the bathtubs and sinks I use a magic eraser with shampoo, it works awesome and smells good lol. The toilet I use lysol wipes and the single use toilet brushes for the bowl. The floor I use the swifter wet jet every so often but usually just vacuum and wash the floor mats in the washer. Magic erasers also work great for stainless steel and for bathroom and ktichen taps.
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