My 10 favorite cleaning products in honor of Earth Day!
Happy Earth Day!!
Over the last few years, I've tried really hard to make more conscious purchasing decisions when it comes to household cleaning products. After having kids, I 've realized how important it is to minimize the toxins they are exposed to as well as maintaining a safe, clean home.
So, in honor of earth day, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite, non-toxic, environmentally friendly household cleaning supplies & tools. Here goes!
Since potty training our youngest son, (and those with boys will completely understand!) these Disinfecting Wipes from Seventh Generation
come in handy to wipe up the drips and dribbles on the toilet seat (and, on occasion, the walls!) Using all natural ingredients to disinfect, I know that their little bums wont be touching any harmful chemicals!
We have wood floors in the front of our house, and I love using Method Wood for Good Squirt & Mop Wood Floor Cleaner
for touch-ups. Just squirt & mop! And the almond oil scent is divine.
And to mop the wood floors with the Method Squirt & Mop, I use Method OMop Washable Microfiber Mop Pad For Hardwood Floors
. They just velcro onto the bottom of my omop, and when dirty, I just toss them in the washer. They clean beautifully with or without cleaner, and it's a lot less wasteful than the throw away mop pads. Unfortunately, I don't think that Method makes the omop anymore, but Bona 
makes one very similar.
To dust, polish stainless steel & granite, or to clean windows and mirrors I use a variety of lint free Microfiber Cleaning cloths like these ones from Genuine Joe. My favorite one has to be the glass cleaning cloth used together with #5.
image credit Ambro
I use my own recipe for glass cleaner, and once you try it, I'll guarantee you will never go back to buying glass cleaner again! Just take a squirt bottle, fill it with 2 cups of warm water, 1/2 a cup of white vinegar, and just a couple of drops of dish soap. The dish soap helps remove dirt and grime, and the vinegar leaves a perfect streak free shine! I just spray it on, then wipe it off with the lint free cloth designed for glass.
I have black granite on my kitchen Island, and if any of you have ever ceaned black granite before, you know that it shows every streak. So every couple of days, I use Simple Green Stone Polish
and wipe it with a Microfiber Cloth.
. It makes the granite sparkle & shine, streak free!
As an all purpose kitchen cleaner, I really like to use Method Antibacterial Kitchen Cleaning Spray
. It comes in a few different scents, and I find it cleans well and kills 99% of household germs effectively and safely. They also make a great Spearmint scented spray for the bathroom
too.
For cleaning the never ending piles of laundry that we seam to go through, I like the Ecos 2X Ultra Liquid Laundry Detergent in Magnolia & Lily. It cleans great and is designed for front loading machines as well. The 100 oz bottle is a great price and gets you up to 100 loads in the HE machines! It is also available Unscented
if you prefer.
And we can't forget about one of the dirtiest places in the home....the toilet. I love using Seventh Generation Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner
to clean and freshen the toilet with the Emerald Cypress & Fir scent. It smells so good it reminds me of the spa and almost makes me forget I'm scrubbing the toilet...almost.
Store bought drain cleaner is probably one of the most toxic household cleaners around, so I took it upon my self to investigate a cleaner, greener way to unclog and freshen drains. I found a few suggestions online, but this method seems to work the best for me. Pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by about 1 cup of vinegar. The solution will bubble up and out of the drain, so quickly place a plug, cloth, bow, etc. over the drain so the bubbles can work their magic. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, then pour boiling water down the drain. For tough clogs, you may have to repeat a few times, but this method works like a charm! Without harsh chemicals.
Now in no way am I suggesting I am a clean freak (most of the time my house is always in shambles, especially when I am blogging!) but I hope I have inspired you to make a few changes in your cleaning routine. We all need to make our homes, and our Earth a happier, safer place to live, both for our kids and generations to come.
Do you have any great green products or tips you would like to share? I'd love to hear them!
Happy Earth Day!
