By Sarah Schmidt
My household cleaning habits are, shall we say, of an infrequent nature. So even though I’m all for eco-friendly cleaning products, I’ve always assumed that I needed the harsh stuff to tackle the kind of grime that can accumulate after weeks (okay, months) on end without routine scrubbing. But when I finally tried a few green cleaners, I was pleasantly surprised at how effective they were at doing my dirty work. Here’s what I found.
Whole Foods 365: All-Purpose Cleaner
$2.99, 32 oz. (
wholefoodsmarket.com)
This plant-based cleaner from Whole Foods’ house label has a light, citrus scent and no artificial dyes. It vanquished a sticky layer of scum that had accumulated on the seldom-cleaned area atop my fridge. At three bucks a bottle, it’s one of the best deals in the bunch.
Method: All Purpose Surface Cleaner
$4, 28 oz. (
methodhome.com)
With its technicolor hue, nontoxic, biodegradable formula, and Karim Rashid-designed bottle, Method’s cleaner should appeal to greenies and design geeks alike. The spray eliminated the ring around my tub; the cucumber scent was pleasant, though a little strong.
Shaklee Basic H2: Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate
$11.95, 16 oz. (
shaklee.com)
The cool graphics on the bottle drew me to this concentrate. One bottle is supposed to make 48 gallons of the lightly-scented cleaner, which means it’s a bargain, but I recommend doubling the concentrate, otherwise it’s a little weak.
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day: Countertop Spray
$4.99, 16 oz. (
mrsmeyers.com)
Mrs. Meyer’s biodegradable cleaner smells great—it’s really effective, too. A few squirts were enough to take care of the grease on my stovetop after a messy stir-frying incident. The fresh geranium scent also helped kill lingering cooking odors.
Seventh Generation: Free & Clear Natural All Purpose Cleaner
$5.39, 32 oz. (
seventhgeneration.com)
Those with sensitive noses will love the Free & Clear line, which eschews all fragrance and dyes. This all-purpose cleaner is a workhorse, too. Crusted spaghetti sauce inside the microwave? Gone. Unidentifiable sticky substance on the counter? Buh-bye.
Provided by Plenty - http://www.plentymag.com
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