The Green Cleaning Challenge: Substituting Chemicals With Vegetables
I have discovered the holy grail of green cleaners! There are very few situations in which consuming unnecessary chemicals seems like a good idea so I decided to re-vamp my cleaning supplies. Slowly I am substituting my traditional products for vegetable-based products which are more safe and sustainable and I challenge you to try the same!
Of course it is always cost effective and environmentally friendly to make cleaning products at home but if you opt to buy them instead then this article is for you! So far I have found vegetable-based laundry detergent, anti-bacterial spray, dish soap and even biodegradable cleansing wipes! Let me elaborate on the brands I have stumbled upon:
My new favorite laundry detergent is made by a company called Ecover which specializes in biodegradable, vegetable-based cleaning products for all areas of the home. Each load requires just two small lid-fuls of detergent which will last you an estimated 20 loads. My clothes come out fresh and fragrant every time.
The second bunch of green cleaning tools comes from Clorox. I have invested in their new line of Green Works products, including toilet bowl cleaner and all-purpose cleaner, which work like magic. Now we’ll just have to wait for them to phase out the traditional chemical-based cleaners!
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Lastly, I must confess that I am a slave to disposable wipes. I clean often and I depend on the convenience of small sheets that are ready to be used at my disposal… literally. However, I have found Method, a brand which I discovered while wandering the aisles of Target. This brand, first mentioned on GO Media by Kelli, sells biodegradable wipes which smell lovely (mine are lavender scented) and work like a charm.
If you are not ready to embark on a full cleaning product makeover I encourage you to at least substitute one chemical-based product with a vegetable-based one and see if you don’t feel like you’re making a difference!
Here are some other brands to check out!
Image Credit: Fazen at Flickr under a Creative Commons license
I’ve tried some of the brands you have listed above and found that they still not as chemical free as they claim, including Green Words. I have been using Enviro-One Green Cleaner for quite some time. One Gallon of this stuff last close to a year for me and I dont have to keep dumping the bottles out which ends up in land fills since i reuse the containers. You can check it out at http://www.enviro-one.com