cleaning products

[aarealskei]

I have tried various cleaning products and have found some to be better than others. I like the idea of using things that are safe for the environment and that are non-toxic for animals and humans. I have tried many Ecover products and a few others. What I would like to know is what many of you use for the following things:

1) clothes detergent (for reg. loads and for delicates) and fabric softener
2) dish soap
3) dishwasher soap
4) cleaner for bathrooms (tub, toilet, sink)
5) cleaner for floors

I have tried so many different things and I would like to see if one particular brand or product is prefered by most of you. Thanks for helping me out.

[aarealskei]

Please, everyone, respond. I know cleaning is not on the top of everyone's list, especially mine, but I really would like to hear from other people. I have a cabinet full of cleaning products, but not all of them work well. I am tired of spending money on things that end up in the trash can, so please...if you have something that works well for different cleaning jobs, I'd like to know. I don't even care if it's just plain old vinegar or something like that. I used to use all the bad stuff, like Lysol and Clorox, but thanks to chemical sensitivities, I don't any longer. Now that I also know that these products aren't "animal" friendly, I avoid them even more. Anyway, I'm still new at all of this and I don't have enough money to keep "experimenting" on different products. I really could use all the help/advice that I can get.

Thanks.

[Christy]

I use the Oxyclean and Orange clean products:

-oxyclean dish washer powder
-oxyclean cleaner to mop the kitchen floor, clean spots from carpet, clothes detergent and fabric softener
-OrangeClean liquid clothes detergent.

I read somewhere that these products were not tested on animals, but I could be wrong. I also use the Ecover gentle laundry detergent for hand washables. I admit that I still use some bad stuff because the stuff I've found does not clean toilets and that kind of thing as well.

[Oatmeal]

Also see this thread!

http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=11879

:)

[aarealskei]

Thanks for your suggestion, Christy and thanks Oatmeal for directing me to the other thread. I am going to read all the replies and glean what I can from them.

[SallyK]

I'm pretty faithful to Seventh Generation products. I have someone who cleans my house for me, and she has told me over and over that the Seventh Generation stuff works just as well, if not better than conventional cleaners.
I clean in between her visits and am very satisfied with the results. I especially love the toilet bowl cleaner and the All purpose Degreaser.
For windows and glass and mirrors I just use vinegar & water.
Ecover tablets for the dishwasher ROCK! I use just a half a tablet in the covered dispenser and leave the other dispenser empty. A half tablet is enough to get my scuzzy dishes very clean. Cleaner than the conventional stuff ever got 'em, and I don't have to breathe the nasty fumes and no animals had to be hurt!

[Erin_S2S]

I use a lot of the Oxyclean and Orange clean products as well. They are easy to find and more in my budget range.

[epski]

Seventh Gen
Ecover
Planet (detergent, when I can't find Seventh Gen)

[ninypants1]

I use Life Tree for dishes and laundry. They also make this great "home soap" that you can use for anything and everything...even as shampoo (tho I've never tried it for that :p). But it really is fantastic.

I use Seventh Generation for all my other cleaners...glass, grease, etc...

[aarealskei]

I use Life Tree for dishes and laundry. They also make this great "home soap" that you can use for anything and everything...even as shampoo (tho I've never tried it for that :p). But it really is fantastic.

I use Seventh Generation for all my other cleaners...glass, grease, etc...

Does the Life Tree work well on laundry? I tried Melaleuca for my laundry, but stopped after it quit whitening up my loads or removing the odor. Then, I discovered that they aren't "animal" friendly. I have been using my old Gaine, but I'd like to switch to something more environment/animal friendly. Just wondered about the Life Tree stuff.

I'm still looking at the info you directed me to, Oatmeal. Making my own products sounds pretty neat.

[ninypants1]

I think the Life Tree detergent works pretty well. But I think I always use way too much cuz it comes in a squirt-type bottle (like dish soap comes in) so I never really measure how much I put in. But my clothes were never stinky!! And I've also used it to clean my dog's stinky blanket and it smelled much better...but not exactly "clean". So I think you might need something stronger for tough jobs. Also, it brightens my clothes up just as well as "regular" detergent.

[Moonflower]

I have tried various cleaning products and have found some to be better than others. I like the idea of using things that are safe for the environment and that are non-toxic for animals and humans. I have tried many Ecover products and a few others. What I would like to know is what many of you use for the following things:

1) clothes detergent (for reg. loads and for delicates) and fabric softener
2) dish soap
3) dishwasher soap
4) cleaner for bathrooms (tub, toilet, sink)
5) cleaner for floors

I have tried so many different things and I would like to see if one particular brand or product is prefered by most of you. Thanks for helping me out.

1)Earth Friendly Prodcuts ECOS Laundry Soap - it has soy fabric softener built in. I SWEAR by this prodcuct, it smells and works so great. I have been using it for about 2 years now and will never switch. I used to use Tide and my clothes smelled like sour cream. I couldn't get it out - I tried cleaning the washer (someone told me the washer could go "sour"), using downey fabric softener AND drier sheets - which are so gross, my clothes felt sticky, I used different detergents, nothing worked. I finally thought that maybe it was ME, maybe I just smelled like that! Then I found ECOS, and after 2 washes my clothes were smelling great and so was I!

2)Earth Friendly Products Almond Dish Soap - this soap smells so great, it makes me want to hand wash dishes.

3)Cascade - I havn't tried natural auto dishsoap

4)Earth Friendly Products makes a Cream Cleanser made with Lemon Oil. This is great for stainless stuff (sinks and pots and pans), tub, sink, etc. I do use tilex for mildue occassionally (I guess if I cleaned more often, I wouldn't need to, huh?) They also make a Toilet Cleaner made with Cedar Oil, not only does it smell great, I don't worry about what it will do to my dog, who enjoys drinking from the toilet.

5)For the floor I use some Almond Dish Soap for my kitchen linoleum, Cream Cleanser for the bathroom grouted tile, and Murphy's Flax Oil Soap for hardwood.

I also use Earth Friendly Products Orange Clean for stovetop, countertops. And I use oxy clean for somethings. I also like Simple Green in my carpet cleaner, and to wash my balcony floors.

You have to try Earth Friendly Products, they are by far the best! They are non-toxic, biodegradeable, all-natural, animal free and not tested on animals.

Check out www.ecos.com

[Flower]

Here's what I use-

Clothes detergent- Sun & Earth
Dish Soap- Sun & Earth
Dishwasher soap- Seventh Generation
Bathroom cleaner- I just mix vinegar & water for this & put it in a spray bottle
Cleaner for floors- same as the bathroom cleaner, or some of the dish soap

[Gracie]

I posted this link in the "frugal vegan" thread also, but here it is again: care2.com (http://www.care2.com/channels/lifestyle/healthy)

There's lots of info about natural cleaning products you can buy, as well as things you can make yourself.

For a couple of years, I cleaned with vinegar, baking soda, Dr Bronner's Sal Suds, and Oxyclean. I used Dr B's & Oxyclean for laundry, Dr B's for dishes, vinegar & baking soda for the toilet, and a scrub made from Dr B's & Oxyclean for everything else.

[aarealskei]

After reading all the posts on here and the suggestions, I think I might invest in a book on making your own cleaning solutions. I am looking at either "Clean house, clean planet" or "Clean and Green". Some of the Sun and Earth products and the ECOS products look good to me, too. I just need to figure out which would work best on my laundry - i.e. whitest, best smelling, etc.

Thanks for all the input. A friend of mine has terrible allergies to cleaners and is also looking for ways to clean her home safely. I will pass all this info on to her, too.

[Blue Plastic Straw]

1) clothes detergent (for reg. loads and for delicates) and fabric softener
I use Seventh Generation. If you have a Trader Joe's nearby get it there, since it's much cheaper. For delicates, I use Dr. Bronner's that I get in bulk at Whole Foods. Pretty pricey, but I don't do more than one or two loads a week with it. I don't use fabric softener, just toss a cup of lavendar or orange scented vinegar in with the rinse cycle. It doesn't do anything for static, but it helps remove soap residue and makes things a bit softer.

2) dish soap
I don't really like Seventh Generation dish soap. I've started using Planet, and I'm really happy with it. It works better and is less expensive than most other natural brands. It's unscented, so you can mix in a few drops of essential oil to make it any scent you want.

3) dishwasher soap
I haven't found one that I'm totally happy with. The best so far has been Trader Joe's Next To Godliness (which I believe is Seventh Generation packaged on their private lable), coupled with Ecover's Rinse Aid.

4) cleaner for bathrooms (tub, toilet, sink)
5) cleaner for floors

Baking soda, vinegar, essential oils, and "Clean House, Clean Planet". That book is invaluable.

[Poesía]

My mom turned me on to products from The Cleam Team. The Red Juice cleaner is amazing. They're non-toxic and none of the products are testing on animals, nor so their suppliers test on animals. (They do have an ostrich-down feather duster which they clearly state as being their only product that contains animal ingredients.)

Not only do they have good products but they actually TEACH you how to clean your house/apartment faster and more effectively. My mom just gave me the instructional video tape to watch and it's really good. I'm inspired. I need to get the house cleaning down to one hour! That would be awesome!


http://www.thecleanteam.com


I can vouch for the Red Juice but not anything else except what I've tried at my Mom's house. We use other stuff at home from Sun and Earth and Seventh Generation and Earth Friendly.