Non-toxic cleaning products

[CJ2008]

I've used bleach cleansers all my life...the stronger, the better...

But the other day, the smell was so strong I had to step out of the bathroom and go outside for a while - and I had the ceiling fan working. This particular product, Scrub Free with Bleach, is really, really strong. Even when I clean the kitchen sink with it, which is a very open area, the smell is almost unbearable.

It cleans well, but this cannot be good for my lungs, for my body. And that's not even the only product I use - I also use Windex, mildew remover, etc. I think it's time to make a switch - but part of me really doubts that products that are non-toxic could actually clean well.

Any opinions? Do you use any that you like? Don't like?

 

[Imdanny]

I experienced something like this.

My feeling is that chemical products sanitize and for some things, sometimes, I'll use them.

But I limit that as much as possible.

I use scouring powder (let's put this one in the "bleach" category) for the toilet and kitchen sink, but only when they need it, in other words, only when it's to the point where I don't have a choice, they have to be brought back to "new"- both of these surfaces are porcelain.

I use pads that have souring powder in them (lately for the sink, actually, instead of actual powder) and for the tile above the tub (after it gets molded- this isn't something I do every few days or even every week). The advantage of these is that scouring powder doesn't get in the air.

Other than that, I use natural products only. I use natural dish washing liquid (I don't have a dishwasher) for dishes.

I use the same product mixed with water to wash my tile floors (all my floors are tile).

I use the same product mixed with water to wipe down the kitchen counters, I clean the bath tub with it (in between when the tiles get cleaned with souring pads, then I use them for the bathtub too).

I even use it mixed with water (until it has a lot of soap bubbles) on the toilet every few days. I dump it on top of the back of the toilet, then on the lid, then I lift the lid, and I pour it on the underside of the lid, the top of the seat, the underside of the seat, and the rim).

All of this goes to the tile floor (except what I can get to go in the toilet directly).

I use clean rags to wipe everything off in order, tops surfaces first, unsanitary parts last.

Then I mop the bathroom floor with towels actually instead of a mop (I guess a mop would work too).

The active ingredient in Windex is ammonia. It's very dangerous to breathe (and btw, very dangerous if it ever mixes with bleach).

Windex can be completely done away with and vinegar and water used in its place (you can find empty spray bottles for this purpose).

Vinegar and water will clean glass, and anything else Windex cleans, with no fumes.

I get my dish washing liquid at the health food store. Right now I have "Ultra Dishmate" brand, "Natural Grapefruit." It (and similar brands) can be found with orange added (that works great), pear, all kinds of nice ingredients.

I use "free and clear" laundry detergent in the clothes washer. "Free and clear" is a designation used by major brands. It works better and it's less expensive than all out organic products for washing clothes. Arm and Hammer brand smelled like regular laundry deterrent to me so I don't buy it.

I strongly recommend getting rid of as much chemicals as possible. I've found a balance that works for me of using chemicals sparingly and using natural products most of the time. And they work. I wouldn't use them if they didn't.

 

[CJ2008]

Thank you so much for the detailed answer, and giving me your techniques!

Is the natural dishwashing soap readily available in like Target, Walmart, etc.?

What brand of scouring pads do you use? And don't they scratch the tile? I have the barkeepers friend one and I do use it to remove slight scratches in the kitchen sink - never tried it for clearing the shower floors.

I use Clorox with bleach for the inside of the toilet bowl once a week - that one wasn't bothering me too much. But it's good to know there are alternatives that work.

I ran out of one of my Windex bottles today - what a coincidence! So I will rinse out well and then try your vinegar suggestion.

I've used the free and clear type of laundry detergent before but for some reason I switched back to Purex - but now that I'm this kick it's different because I'm purchasing free and clear with a purpose in mind.

I do most of my cleaning with paper towels - and use them for the kitchen and bathroom floors, too...I like the idea of using once and throwing out for those areas.

 

[stone-cold11]

Windex is good indicator of chlorine in the air because of the amonia and can be use to neutralize it, just don't mix it with conc. bleach.

 

[CJ2008]

Stone, sorry, I'm not sure I understand what you mean...

 

[Loves Vintage]

I like this Seventh Generation dish soap http://www.drugstore.com/qxp145455_...ural_dish_liquid_lavender_floral_and_mint.htm. They do sell it at Target. The lavender mint scent is wonderful and delicate, not heavy like a lot of the traditional dish soaps. It works well too.

At Target, I also get this Palmolive eco cleanser for the dishwasher. http://www.colgate.com/app/Palmolive/US/EN/HomePage.cwsp#DishwashingDetergent I find that it works as well as regular dw detergent. Some don't -- Trader Joe's brand, I have found is not that good.

On occasion they sell Mrs. Meyer's products at Target. http://www.mrsmeyers.com/ These products are marketed very well. I find that I WANT them, regardless of how much they cost. They are a little pricier, but they recently had the lavender laundry detergent on sale, and I LOVE it. I also got a 4 pack of cleaners from drugstore.com. The spray cleansers are nice and effective. The dish soap (for washing dishes in sink) seems very watered down.

These are all gentle type cleaning products. I have never found anything as good as Scrubbing Bubbles for removing soap scum. I will usually spray then leave the room for a while with the window open. I've been using Korean cleansing cloths on my tub, which I happened to have as an exfoliating product for myself. I now keep one just for cleaning. http://cgi.ebay.com/KOREAN-ITALY-TO...pt=Bath_Towels_Washcloths&hash=item33582ac636 These are really remarkably good at removing soap scum!! Who knew?

 

[HopeDream]

My new favorite for soapscum is lemonade powder - Yup, like for drinking. I pour some in a little mound in my tub add a tiny amount of water to make a gritty exfoliating paste, and then scrub the tub using the paste and a nylon pot scrubber. The citric acid used in the mix for tartness dissolves soapscum quickly and effectively. It rinses down the drain easily and leaves a nice lemony scent.

For general cleaning (counters, sticky messes, washing things etc.) I used hot water and hand-dishwashing liquid, I use windex in my bathroom and on miorrors and windows (Our bodies naturaly deal with nitrogenous wastes in urine (similar to ammonia), so I don't think windex wil harm me as long as I'm not ingesting large quantities - I definately wash my hands after using it).

For cleaning electronics, especialy greasy things, or adhesive residue I use rubbing alcohol, and for especialy nasty stains I use hydrogen peroxide - same action (free oxygen) as bleach, but without the nastieness of chlorine.

If you have to disinfect something, rubbing alcohol (70% or more) is the best product to use.

I also use baking soda or vinegar to clean sometimes, but I don't find them to be very effective.

I think the main thing for a healthy house is to keep things tidy, and clean, but not freak out about germs. Most bacteria won't harm you, so there is no need to sanitize everything in sight unless you're in an opperating room. Microbes need food and humidity to flourish - keep the surfaces of your home clean and dry, and bacteria won't be able to multiply in sufficient numbers to make you ill.

 

[Haven]

This site has some great formulas:
http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

We use all non-toxic cleaners because we have pets. They work very well, and they're easy to make.

I buy some Mrs. Meyer's products, as well. I really like them. There's also another one that I like from Target, but I can't recall the name. The packaging is very pretty, if that helps.

 

[stone-cold11]

Stone, sorry, I'm not sure I understand what you mean...

Windex is Ammonia, Bleach is Chlorine. Middle school experiment, put the 2 gases near each other they will react to form a harmless salt, Ammonia Chloride.

This is also one of the first rigged up defense against chemical warfare in WW1 when the Germans first started using chlorine gas, before gas mask was a widespread issue, soldiers keep a bottle of their own urine and when the attack came, soak the urine on a piece of clothing and cover their face.

 

[Octavia]

I took a little class once on making cleaners out of things around the house, most of it was based on some combination of baking soda and vinegar. The samples we made in class worked okay, but I never really got into making my own after that. There are some great websites out there, though, if you google it. Apparently chemical cleaners are a contributing factor in childhood asthma and other illnesses, and aren't great for adults to have around, either.

I generally use Mrs Meyers with the lemon verbena scent, and I LOVE it. I have both the countertop spray and the surface scrub, and they are fabulous. The scrub works just like Comet in the tub but smells infinitely better. Unfortunately, we have a mildew problem in the bathroom that won't go away until the landlord renovates, which he isn't eager to do...so I do sometimes have to use one of those Lysol with bleach products. I hate it when that happens because the bathroom smells nasty for days (okay, maybe I exaggerate, but it does make me feel kind of sick).

I'm still in the process of using up all the other chemical cleaners I've accumulated, but most of them won't be replaced. I'll stick with Mrs Myers, 7th Generation, etc from now on.

 

[zoebartlett]

HopeDream, you reminded me of something! A friend of mine was telling me once that to clean the rust-like stuff the inside of the dishwasher, she uses Tang powder. I was surprised to hear that but I tried it. Guess what? It worked!

ETA: I used to think that the stronger a cleaner smelled, the better it must work. I've only recently begun to use Clorox Green Works, and I really like. I still use the heavy duty stuff to clean the toilets and showers, but for basic counters/surfaces, I've switched to the natural cleaners.

 

[Amandine]

I've been cleaning our toilets with baking soda vinegar since we moved early this summer. 1/4 c baking soda in toilet, followed by 1 c of vinegar (been buying in bulk at Sam's, planning to do more cleaning with this combination when my other products run out). I let it bubble a bit, then go back and scrub with my toilet brush. Seems to be working really well, and I don't have to worry about residue left if one of my two dogs happens to drink toilet water.

 

[catwalk82]

I use Seventh Generation products. They are great.

 

[CJ2008]

Thanks for all your suggestions, guys...

I didn't realize anyone had come back to the the thread, there didn't seem to be much interest.

Based on what you said, and my own research, I went out and bought:

vinegar
castille soap
borax
bon ami scouring powder
seventh generation dishwashing liquid
hydrogen peroxide

So far, I am really liking the vinegar/water combination to clean all of the mirrors in the house - I think it does a better job than the Windex does. I added a little bit of castille soap to the solution because I read that if it doesn't work well, it's probably because there's some residue on the mirrors and a little soap will take it out.

Wasn't too impressed with the vinegar/borax/castille soap/water combo for cleaning the kitchen counters - I found that the borax powder doesn't completely dissolve and the counter feels a little gritty.

I liked the bon ami scouring powder to clean the shower floor but it scratched up the shiny stainless steel surface of the drain cover (I should have known/realized it was going to do this)

I am not giving up yet on finding solutions I like for all my surfaces - I will keep experimenting - and I am now definitely intrigued by Mrs. Meyers - I had seen it before but walked right by because they're more expensive than the products I use now.

But I'm thinking that if we must clean, it must be as well be pleasurable....

 

[Imdanny]

Thank you so much for the detailed answer, and giving me your techniques!

Is the natural dishwashing soap readily available in like Target, Walmart, etc.?

What brand of scouring pads do you use? And don't they scratch the tile? I have the barkeepers friend one and I do use it to remove slight scratches in the kitchen sink - never tried it for clearing the shower floors.

I use Clorox with bleach for the inside of the toilet bowl once a week - that one wasn't bothering me too much. But it's good to know there are alternatives that work.

I ran out of one of my Windex bottles today - what a coincidence! So I will rinse out well and then try your vinegar suggestion.

I've used the free and clear type of laundry detergent before but for some reason I switched back to Purex - but now that I'm this kick it's different because I'm purchasing free and clear with a purpose in mind.

I do most of my cleaning with paper towels - and use them for the kitchen and bathroom floors, too...I like the idea of using once and throwing out for those areas.

Sorry I didn't see this before!

You're welcome!

No, I can't find natural dishwashing soap at Wal-Mart (they just opened up a Target here- haven't been yet). I get that at the health food store, but any healthfood store would have it- WholeFood or anywhere like that.

I use whichever scouring pads I can get cheapest at Wal-Mart (I try to save money when I can- absolutely!).

Tile, well, the tile I have is above the tub, and it's nothing special. I haven't scratched it but you might want to try a small area before doing the whole thing, and then look at it at an angle to see if it scratched at all.

I live in the tropics (Hawaii) so mold builds up if you let it, which of course you can't let it. Scouring pads is the most effective way I've found to clean it in the least amount of time (I don't mind spending the time, but the less time I have to breathe it the better). I spray the walls off as soon I've wiped them down with the scouring pad. Sometimes I even wear a t shirt wrapped around my face because I really hate chemicals!

Good for you for making this effort! I think you'll like the results.