This blog is obviously about eating real food, but as I’ve mentioned before I also get a lot of questions about “clean” beauty and household products as well. It seems like once you get “back to the basics” in one area of your house you just want to move right on to the next! And one thing I did away with several months after cutting out processed food was my supply of super smelly, chemically laden cleaning products. I used to think the smell of those chemicals signified “clean,” but now I know better.
There are quite a few “natural” cleaning sprays out there, but I am often unsure which ones are REALLY natural and not just labeled as such on the front of the container. I am unable to decipher those ingredient labels like I am with food products. And that’s exactly why I love Norwex cleaning cloths…because no sprays or cleaning products are necessary! They certainly take the guesswork out of deciding which products to select, try, and spend money on since you can reuse the same cloth over and over again. Not that you want to solely rely on these cloths for scrubbing your toilets, but I’ve found that they are perfect (dry or wet) for cleaning counters, windows, and just about any other surface.
Now I am admittedly a little bit of a “germaphobe,” so when I first heard about these cloths I wondered how they could possibly get my surfaces clean – and most importantly – germ-free without using some sort of bright blue spray. But what I’ve learned is that the fibers in these “Antibac Enviro” cloths (which are 1/100th the diameter of a human hair) are highly absorbent and proven to remove 99.9% of germs and bacteria. They also have silver in them, which is apparently a natural antibacterial agent, so when germs enter the cloth the silver starts to kill them. That means the cloths literally clean themselves so this is why you can use them for 5 or so days before throwing them in the wash (with an all “natural” laundry detergent of course). Also, I have to tell you that these little microfiber cloths are so incredibly soft that my 4-year-old was eyeing one for a new blanky! LOL
I must thank one of my readers, Rachel Baxter who is a Norwex rep, for introducing me to these cloths. She so kindly shipped me a box of them a few months ago, and I am so glad she did. Check out her website if you are interested in trying one out yourself! Also, Rachel highly recommends the “starter pack,” which includes an enviro cloth, a window cloth and a dusting mitt…we of course have all three ourselves. :)
For more info about these cloths and how exactly their fibers work check out the first question & answer at the top of Rachel’s FAQ page on her website. If you have experience using Norwex or any other “natural” cleaning products I would love to hear about it in the comments below. All those cleaning solutions still confuse me!
Real Food Tips: Using Freezie Pop Molds
Carrie Claypool
March 21, 2012 at 8:58 amI use Basic H by Shaklee. It is what my great grandmother used in the 50’s. It only cost pennies to use because it comes concentrated and you add the water. And what is most important is that it is nontoxic, natural, and safe for the family and environment. I can mail you a sample if you would like!
JenniferE
March 21, 2012 at 10:37 amI also use Basic H. It’s even come to the rescue for coffee & grape juice spills! :) Love that I can even let my little one clean with it and not worry about toxins or $ if he uses a little too much.
Jennifer
March 21, 2012 at 12:50 pmI like basic H also, we even use it at work. I also love the Theives disinfectant from YoungLiving… I love the smell and you can’t argue with things that have been being used for what like 5,000 years :)
kerri
March 28, 2012 at 11:35 pmwhere do you buy it at? approx how much too?
Adria
March 21, 2012 at 9:03 amThanks for the pointer! I too am concerned about cleaning products that are used around our home. I have tried making my own cleaning products but find that they aren’t as effective. I’d love to give these Norwex cloths a try. I wonder if they can be found in Canada?
jennifer
March 21, 2012 at 10:43 amI have been using Norwex cloths for a few years now. Love them! They are available in Canada :)
Lisa
March 22, 2012 at 4:00 pmI’m a Norwex rep too and yes you can buy these in Canada! Our home office is in Canada. It has saved me so much since switching to these products.
Cari
March 21, 2012 at 9:09 amI clean almost everything with vinegar and/or baking soda.
Geneva
March 21, 2012 at 9:23 amThose two are really all you need to clean just about anything.
Melissa
March 29, 2012 at 3:43 pmyes!
Brittany
March 21, 2012 at 10:02 pmVodka (really cheap vodka, like Vlady’s) and water works as a great deodorizer as well instead of Febreeze or something similar. Learned that one from a costume designer in college – it was what she used on things that couldn’t be put in the washer.
Flakes
March 21, 2012 at 9:11 amFrom what I have read about silver nanoparticles in cloth is that they eventually wash out from the fabric. Just keep in mind that in doing so, you are adding silver to the ecosystem and it’s not completely begnin. Just like the silver kills the bacteria on the countertop, it is also killing good bacteria in the ecosytem and getting into our food stream.
Corrie Tienhaara
March 21, 2012 at 1:17 pmI am a Norwex consultant so I’ve had quite a bit of training on this. The silver in our cloth doesn’t wash out. There are companies that topically apply their silver and that does wash out. Ours have been tested after 500 washes and the silver hasn’t budged. The way the silver is intergrated into the fiber in our Envirocloth is patented so we are the only company that has silver that doesn’t come out. All that to say, do be careful where you buy from but if it’s a Norwex cloth you can rest easy.
Stella
March 21, 2012 at 5:41 pmYesssss ……
Mindy M.
March 22, 2012 at 2:17 pmI too am a Norwex rep. The silver we use in our cloths is micro – NOT nano.
LGatlin
March 21, 2012 at 9:11 amI also just recently learned about Norwex and I was able to get some directly from a factory (sort of…I live overseas) which was fantastic because shipping things here from the states is outrageous! We have been using the pink scrubby cloth in our bathrooms with no other chemicals (just water) for the showers and sinks and even the tile floor for several months with great success. If some stain or dirt is more stubborn a spray bottle filled with white vinegar usually works too. I really don’t like the idea of all those cleaning product fumes near my kids. Unfortunately, I have a struggle with laundry detergent and food labels as they are all in a foreign language (chinese characters) and that really makes eating whole food a challenge – not to mention there is no way to know if anything here is truly organic or not. Oh well…we do the best we can here!
Sadie
March 21, 2012 at 9:33 amHi, I just wanted to comment on the laundry detergent…I’ve been making my own for about a year with just a bar of ivory soap grated up and mixed with 1 c. borax, 1 c. washing soda (I usually throw in a 1/2 cup of baking soda to help eliminate odors). Works great, and that’s coming from a wife who has a hubby who sweats a lot, and 3 messy kids!
Lindsey
March 21, 2012 at 10:45 amSadie-
What type of washing machine do you have? I have a front loader and I’m wondering if you can use this type of detergent in it?
Heather
March 21, 2012 at 12:19 pmWe just bought a front loader and that was my main question. I asked a friend who has a front loader and she said it was fine. I also read up on it on the internet. From what I read as long as it’s not suds then it’s fine for your front loader. I have been using the homemade laundry soap it in for about 3 months and so far so good. I have been using homemade laundry soap for about 2 years and I love it. So much cheaper and not as much chemicals. I did try with homemade soap and it’s a bit harder to mix up consistenty rather than the commerical soap.
Sadie
March 21, 2012 at 1:21 pmI have a front loader…I’ve heard that low-sudsing soap works great…which most home-made recipes are.
Laurie
March 21, 2012 at 1:56 pmI like Charlie’s laundry soap. I prefer the liquid though because the powder seemed to fade my clothes somewhat.
Anna
March 21, 2012 at 6:24 pmHere’s my recipe for front loader laundry detergent
1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda
Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.
Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).
Jennifer M.
March 21, 2012 at 9:13 amI’m with Cari – vinegar and baking soda around my house, too. And I recently replaced scented candles and those plug-ins for a little baking soda in a canning jar with a few drops of essential oil. Just shake periodically to freshen and absorb any odors (like cooking smells). It really works!
Laurie
March 21, 2012 at 1:52 pmOoh! I can’t wait to try that! Thanks for the tip.
[email protected]
March 21, 2012 at 9:14 amI really love using Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning products. They don’t use any harsh chemicals in their products, relying on a lot of plant-based ingredients. Plus they smell amazing!
Wendy
March 21, 2012 at 9:30 amI LOVE Norwex so much that I became a consultant! It is all I have used for the past 4 years. I saw a comment about the silver washing out of the fibers. I’m not sure about that. I am still using the same clothes I started with 4 years ago. And they are holding up great and still work as good as they did when they were new. I know that conventional laundry soaps and those with bleach additives will break down the fibers in the cloth, and maybe through that process the silver could be let go. I have had no problem however. I have used the Norwex laundry soap to wash them, but most of the time I just use white vinegar and throw them in the wash on the sanitize cycle. Best microfiber clothes available!
Kim
March 21, 2012 at 9:32 amSo glad to see a post about Norwex products! I have been cleaning my whole house solely with the Norwex cloths for about 2 years now. I have not been sick since then and my cleaning routines have pretty much been cut down to just minutes rather than the hours it used to take.
LeeAnna Ross
March 21, 2012 at 9:34 amI just bought some castile liquid soap with the peppermint scent. Loved cleaning the tub and floors with it and smelling the thereputic scent. For laundry soap we use 3 cups borox & Baking Soda wash and grate one bar of Fels Naptha. I also have learned to add extra baking soda wash for hard soiled clothes. This blog site: http://mybluedaisy.blogspot.com/ is who I give credit for laundry soap.. she just posted the same topic recently.
Sadie
March 21, 2012 at 9:36 amI agree with the vinegar and baking soda to clean almost everything. You can look around online to find recipes for homemade versions of pretty much any commercial cleaner (I LOVE the homemade softscrub that just mixes water, baking soda, and dawn).
Sadie
March 21, 2012 at 9:38 amAs a side-note…the reason that I started using less store-bought cleaners in favor of making my own was 3 1/2 years ago, my 1-year-old daughtr was diagnosed with cancer…I want as few fumes around my family as possible!
100 Days of Real Food
March 21, 2012 at 10:05 amI am so sorry to hear that Sadie! I hope she is doing better.
Sadie
March 21, 2012 at 3:17 pmAfter almost a year of chemo and radition, she is now healthy, cancer-free, and an amazing, healthy 4 1/2 year old!
100 Days of Real Food
March 21, 2012 at 3:57 pmSo glad to hear that!!
Nicola
March 21, 2012 at 9:46 amI have also been using an EnviroSteamer for my floors rather than a mop or other product. You just use water and the steam it produces kills all of the germs and then the pad goes in the wash. It’s wonderful with little ones running around for 2 reasons: there are no harsh chemicals to worry about, and I don’t have to block off the floor because it dries almost instantly! I’m glad to hear about these cloths because they sound like a great way to clean everything else!
Heather
March 21, 2012 at 2:22 pmI loved using a steamer too but I now have heat sensitive flooring so I can’t use it :[ So it’s doesn’t work for all floors.
Nicola
March 29, 2012 at 8:17 amwe installed laminate wood floors in part of our house, and it recommends not using it on those, but sweeping it quickly across to get the germs has never seemed to harm it.
Anna
March 21, 2012 at 6:25 pmI LOVE my steamer
Jennifer
March 21, 2012 at 9:47 amI haven’t used chemicals in my home for years…peroxide or vinegar do the trick! I mix peroxide and water in a spray bottle so it’s easier to use and have never had an issue with carpet or clothing being bleached by the peroxide. A splash of vinegar in the washer can replace fabric softners and removes odors really well (with no vinegar smell afterwards!)
Salt or baking soda are great when a little bit of abrasiveness is needed (and salt is anti-bacterial!). I love the idea of baking soda with a few drops of essential oils – can’t wait to try it!!
One option for natural lawn care is corn gluten – it’s pre-emergent weed control and fertilizer. It’s not the same as using chemicals but it does help and won’t poison children or pets.
MamaBear
March 21, 2012 at 11:01 amWe use peroxide too! 1 cup distilled water with 1/2 hydrogen peroxide does a great job cleani.g our kitchen. I made cloth wipes so we no longer need to buy paper towel. Old flannel sheet and an old beach towel were all i needed to make them and we are now saving money on paper products as well as helping the environment. The terrycloth side is great for scrubbing and the flannel helps with absorption.
We also have norwex cloths – i like them especially for washing my face. No soap necessary!
bianca
March 21, 2012 at 10:11 amI love using natural products to clean with. For almost everything I use vinegar and water: mirrors, windows, sinks, counters, toilets etc…. I recently saw that you can add a cut up lemon to the mixture to give it a citrus scent. I think I might try that soon. Sometimes I find that I need something stronger for the kitchen counters I use a vinegar and water mixture with a squirt of dish detergent. For cleaning spots and stains out of my carpet I recently found a recipe using: 1 cup vinegar, 2 tblsp laundry detergent (I use the Trader Jo’s brand) and fill the rest of the clean empty spray bottle with warm water. I saved my old stain remover bottle that was expensive to buy each week and also toxic and I cleaned it out and filled it with my new stain remover. More economical and not as toxic. It really works very well (as well as the one from the store). I have two toddlers and I am constantly cleaning their spots and stains. I need a carpet cleaning machine, but it’s not in the budget, so for now this is working great! This mixture also works great to clean the bathtub and I use it to clean our linoleum in the kitchen and bathrooms. For the toilet basin I use my vinegar and water and some baking soda to deodorize. I have been using up the last of my store bought chemical sprays here and there, since I read it’s better to use them up then dump them out. I use the blue spray every once in awhile for the windows, and my hypo allergenic furniture spray sometimes too, and I recently used up the rest of a multi-purpose yellow spray cleaning up in our utility room. We are slowly phasing out the more toxic fume sprays (2 more to go) :).
Anne
March 21, 2012 at 10:18 amHave to agree with the other folks mentioning vinegar and baking soda. A little essential oil in there with the vinegar and I’ve got a cleaner that smells better than anything I could buy. I do appreciate that more commercial products are striving for the “natural” approach, though.
Andrea
March 21, 2012 at 10:24 amAs stated above…Vinegar! Vinegar! Vinegar! http://www.diynatural.com/white-vinegar-cleaning-laundry-more/ As also stated, when you need scrubby action (like for your oven or bathtub), just add some baking soda to make a paste. And you can add orange peels to it to make an orange-scented vinegar: http://pinterest.com/pin/225180050088549718/
Bluesette
March 21, 2012 at 10:24 amI just bought the Shark Portable Steam Cleaner. It works really well for most of my cleaning needs and only uses water. I have a few of the Norwex products also and love them. :)
MamaBear
March 21, 2012 at 11:05 amOh how i LOVE my steamer! Best thing ever! I’m not great about being on a cleaning schedule so it is really nice to know that if i havent gotten to cleaning the edges of my floor in a while that the Shark w.ill blast away grime with hardly any effort
Kristin
March 21, 2012 at 10:26 amI have been using natural cleaning products for years. I started with baking soda and vinegar back in college but found it left baking soda residue behind. I still use vinegar and water for mirrors and windows (made my own spray bottle) and floors. For counter tops I use Whole foods brand almond scented castile soap and water (made another spray bottle). I love that there is a very minimal scent, plus making my own is dirt cheap! For toilets I use 7th generation TBC. I also have their disinfecting bathroom spray (foamy) for the toilet seat and my girls’ potty seats and their little potties. I have 7th generation multipurpose disinfecting spray (not foamy) for household cleanup, raw egg, raw meat drippings on the counter, etc. I clean up the spill, then spray a little disinfecting spray on the spot and let it sit for 10 minutes. The disinfecting sprays contain thymol, so the spray does smell quite herby. But, I’ve found most natural disinfecting products contain thymol. Still better then the toxic smell of conventional products. I also use 7th generation laundry detergent, dish soap and powdered dish-washing detergent (all free and clear).
Kristin
March 21, 2012 at 10:27 amHalf vinegar and half water for cleaning most surfaces. My husbands ol’d t-shirts for rags. ;)
M
March 21, 2012 at 10:53 amSame here. A few drops of essential oil added sometimes, and that’s all.
Fran
March 21, 2012 at 10:40 amI know you mentioned Norwex for cleaning without chemicals, but I would like to point out that Norwex is just a brand name for their microfiber cloths. I have found very inexpensive microfiber cloths from the car cleaning cloths at Costco which are very inexpensive and excellent to the products I’ve ordered from Microfiber.com which are nearly identical in appearance to Norwex (could that be because both are manufactured in China? and probably at the same plant?) but are very reasonably priced and do an excellent job using just water! Vinegar combined with the cloths make an excellent combination, however!! I would never depend on Norwex containing silver to protect my family from viruses.
suzanne
March 21, 2012 at 10:42 amI’ve actually never heard of those cloths! I’ll check them out. I am leaning towards using the shaklee products as they do seem the most natural.
Kristin T
March 21, 2012 at 10:58 amI started using Norwex cloths on my granite a few months ago! I use vinegar for most of my cleaning and make my own granite cleaner with a recipe from the internet. I was still concerned with getting my counters super clean (also a germaphobe!) I went to a Norwex party and came home with the antibac cloth and the window/shining cloth. I really like them and love knowing that cloth is picking up what my homemade spray isn’t :) They also do wonders on windows!!
Julie
March 29, 2012 at 4:38 amWhat is your recipe for granite? I’ve been looking for one.
Jessica
March 21, 2012 at 11:04 ami have tried the basic H sample from Shaklee and was quite disappointed, seemed to me, like no better than cleaning with plain water. I like things to smell good so i usually buy premade environmentally-friendly cleansers for laundry kitchen and bath. That said, i like to keep it simple so i buy one concentrated “multi-purpose” cleaner and dilute is to appropriate proportions (in spray bottles) for stains, windows, toilet, etc. I really like microfiber cloths for dusting and glass, but like something that scrubs a little more in the bathrooms b/c we have really hard water that leaves deposits very quickly and stains that are hard to get off (enter Vinegar, which really works BETTER than the harsh chemicals). I dont know about the added silver for disinfecting…it would be kinda hard to know ..i usually just use dishoap on a rag to wipe surfaces or use my multi-purpose spray if i really think something needs disenfecting. And though it isn’t “green” 1-2 times/year i pull out the bleach to do a good scrubdown of surfaces that just seem to get germy, moldy, stained, or otherwise yucky.
Crista
March 21, 2012 at 11:36 amawesome awesome awesome!!!
I love the ideas and can’t wait to implement them in my home. I like the idea about the baking soda and essential oils since I tend to have breathing issues with regular candles. I love the Pure Citrus spray for eliminating odors and it is all natural/non aerosol.
Susan
March 21, 2012 at 11:52 amI recently made my own dishwasher soap and I hate it. Everything comes out with a film, that to be honest, doesn’t bother me visually, but the film just feels so gross. I have added vinegar to the rinse compartment, but nothing is helping! Has anyone else had this problem? Do I need to go back to Cascade?
Daisy
March 21, 2012 at 1:32 pmI make all of my own cleaners, and dishwasher detergent is just one that I can NOT do… Nothing seems to work well (despite all the blogs out there saying it does; and we don’t have hard or soft water, either). If you’re looking for a safer alternative to Cascade, try Ecover! We switched to that a few years ago and love it! My hubby was super skeptical at that point, but he even admitted that Ecover seemed to work better than Cascade! Many stores carry it, but now we get it at amazon b/c it’s cheaper using their subscribe and save to get a box (4 packages). Highly recommend!
http://www.amazon.com/Ecover-Automatic-Dishwashing-Tablets-17-6-Ounce/dp/B001J6O604/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332350909&sr=8-1
Erik
March 21, 2012 at 2:24 pmWe use a 50/50 Borax Baking Soda mix, but I find that it required liquid jet dry on top to really work. At least that only needs to be added once every few weeks and overall reduces waste and the amount of chemicals.
Tasha
March 21, 2012 at 4:11 pmYes, Susan! I use natural cleaning products for most everything. I’ve made several different recipes for dishwasher detergent, but they DO leave a nasty film. I really like Shaklee dishwasher detergent powder. It’s the only thing that even comes close to working like Cascade.
Susan
March 21, 2012 at 7:27 pmThanks everyone for the great tips. Now I just have to figure out how I will get rid of all my new homemade detergent without my husband asking what I’m doing! Like a fool, I doubled the recipe and boy was I proud of myself as I did. I thought I was Mrs. Ingalls or something! I thought I was saving so much money! My husband didn’t say anything thing when I spent all that money, but I’m sure he will when I go to dump it out!!
But I also planned on making my own laundry detergent and now I am really scared that will flop too. I promise I won’t double that recipe until I know for sure I like it!
Daisy
March 22, 2012 at 2:29 pmI still have a bit of the homemade dishwasher detergent, for emergencies. Sometimes we forget to order a new case of Ecover until we’re using the last few discs in the last box. When that happens, I will use the homemade version… (Better than buying something chemical-filled just to use for a couple runs of the dishwasher.) During the day, I’ll put dirty dishes in the sink with some baking soda and water – then I’ll run them in the dishwasher with the homemade stuff in the evening, and they come out ok. It’s just a couple times while we get our next order in, so it’s not a big deal!
I plan on getting a post up soon about the homemade laundry detergent we use now, but I based it on this recipe… http://theecofriendlyfamily.com/2009/08/laundry-detergent/ I couldn’t take the scent of Fels Naptha soap – the fragrance was too strong, and we’ve got some very sensitive skin to consider in our house. So, instead, I use Dr. Bronner’s castile bar soap in place of it. Works great! I actually only made maybe 1/4 of the original recipe the first time I made it to try it out, but I think I tripled it the last time, since I knew I liked it. :)
Jennifer
March 23, 2012 at 12:09 pmThat happened to me…if you have hard water it will be worse. Most recipes have a lemonade drink mix in them for the citric acid but you can sometimes find a stronger/more concentrated citric acid in the canning section of the grocery store. I had to soak my glasses and tupperware in the sink filled with hot water and at least a cup of vinegar to get the film off. I have heard that lemi-shine helps. Good luck!
Erik
March 21, 2012 at 12:46 pmFor handsoap we use a dilution of liquid Dr. Bronner’s (30/70 soap to water). For cleaning spray we fill a spray bottle with 4 cups of water and 1/4 cup of Dr. Bronner’s soap, plus 30 – 40 drops to Tea Tree Oil for its antiseptic properties (without going overboard on antibiotics).
We also make our own lotion, which is 100% natural and terrific because it is non-drying, so it actually heals skin rather than making you reliant on the moisturizer itself:
EatLocal365.com
Erik
March 21, 2012 at 12:47 pmOops, wrong link:
http://eatlocal365.com/2011/07/11/diy-lotion/
Daisy
March 21, 2012 at 1:25 pmI’ll have to look into these cloths – they sound great! Thanks for sharing!!
I actually make just about all of my cleaners at this point! It is so easy, and I love knowing what goes into all of them. If anyone is interested, here is a link to all of them. I’m making separate posts for each, here and there, but this one link has them all listed – ingredients, directions, and what each is meant to clean. http://ourgrowingfam.blogspot.com/p/green-cleaning.html
For dishes (hand-washing), hands, and body, we use diluted Dr. Bronner’s baby mild. It scores 0 on the cosmetic database and works great! (The kids also use it as shampoo.)
Cindy
March 21, 2012 at 2:16 pmI’ve been recently introduced to Norwex… all I have right now are the body cloths. They work great – without soap! My face is clean without tight. Love that! Haven’t got any for the home yet… I’ve been using vinegar and baking soda to clean with.
Alyssa
March 21, 2012 at 2:37 pmEverything I’ve ever tried with Shaklee has been awesome. Their Basic H2 is even better than the old Basic H, and their Basic G is what I use as a disinfectant. It works better than bleach but doesn’t have much of a smell. Their laundry detergents and stain removers are awesome, as well. Most of their items (besides the Basic G disinfectant) are non-toxic, biodegradable and pretty cheap.
tricia
March 21, 2012 at 3:03 pmI switched to Melaleuca cleaning products about a year ago. They are all natural and work wonderfully. My kids have been sick a lot less this past year too…not sure if there is a connection but I like to think there might be.:)
Sadie
March 21, 2012 at 3:22 pmI have previously used melaleuca products, but they are pricy, and you have to pay for shipping. You can save a ton of money making your own products with simple ingredients.
Melissa
March 22, 2012 at 12:53 pmWe signed up for Melaleuca in January and so far are not impressed. We thought we were getting these “All natural, plant based products”, but then the products arrive and there are just as many chemicals and ingredients as the stuff from the store. Not to mention you HAVE to buy so many points a month and pay for shipping. And the products are so much more expensive.
We will canceling out membership next month and switching to the homemade stuff.
Jessica
March 21, 2012 at 4:44 pmmy mom uses melaleuca…they are environmentally friendly but NOT all-natural…main offender is perfumes. The melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil is natural but all of their products contain synthetic perfumes as well. The products are good quality though (but somewhat expensive).
Michelle
March 21, 2012 at 3:05 pmMy husband is a fanatic about having a nice lawn! Someone mentioned corn gluten for the lawn??? What is this and where do you buy it? Anyone else have toxic-free weed controller/fertilizer for the lawn information? thanks :)
Sadie
March 21, 2012 at 3:21 pmHi Michelle,
For weed control you can try putting vinegar in a spray bottle and spraying the weeds thoroughly if they are in a sunny location. When the vinegar sits on the leaves in the sun, it will burn the leaves. You will need to re-apply more often than the chemical weed killer…but if you have kids and/or pets, the peace of mind is worth it!
Jennifer
March 23, 2012 at 12:13 pmI buy corn gluten at a local family-owned garden center. Warning – do not leave a bag in the garage over the winter or mice will gnaw a hole in the bag…this may or may not have happened to me last winter ;) It definitely isn’t the same as weed n feed but it won’t burn your lawn, even if you do multiple applications each year. Also, it won’t take care of established tap-root weeds (like dandelions). I’m going to try vinegar and salt to see if that works :)
Karen
March 25, 2012 at 4:19 pmYou might try Shaklee’s Basic H2. The reason it works for your lawn is that it “makes water wetter.”
Anna
March 21, 2012 at 6:28 pmSeventh Generation Products are awesome and reasonably priced. The dish soap works as well as Dawn!
Brooke
March 21, 2012 at 10:51 pmGlad you are looking at this, too. Reducing chemical load is always good, as inflammation is the leading cause of disease. We use mostly vinegar/baking soda/essential oil blends.
Another big help is just staying on top of things. We wipe the shower/tub down with a shammie, that reduces how often we need to clean it. You can similarly wipe out sinks, etc.
Have you checked out Soap Nuts for laundry? They work pretty well, I just put a handful in a mesh lingerie bag and do all the week’s laundry with that. I’ll add Washing Soda to the whites load, but for the rest the Soap Nuts are usually plenty. They don’t suds up a lot, but do deodorize well.
Laurie
March 22, 2012 at 8:41 amI too use Soap Nuts in the laundry. I use e-cloths for most cleaning. I’ve had mine for several years. Just add water for a chemical-free clean. I also use vinegar/water/baking soda as needed. Hubby gets samples of cleaning products at work. They might get used once or twice then they linger in the cupboard until I find someone who wants them, as I keep going back to the basics!
Rebecca Stafford
March 22, 2012 at 9:27 amI have a cleaning company and last year we went all-natural. We use vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and peroxide for just about everything. Though for really stubborn messes we’ve found that Biokleen is a great brand of commercial non-toxic cleaner. We’ll have to look into Norwex… thanks for delving into this issue Lisa!
Stacie Rickard
March 22, 2012 at 6:58 pmWe use peroxide, baking soda and vinegar in our house. Plus, I use vinegar in my dishwasher as our jet dry. I also use vinegar as our fabric softner in my washer. I just fill up my downy ball and throw it in. Happy Cleaning!
lilmrsmchenry
March 23, 2012 at 12:54 amJust thought that I would pitch in what I use. Mostly 1/2 vinegar 1/2 water for most surfaces. I do use natural sponges for my counter and table tops. I just throw it in my dishwasher’s silver wear holder each night to wash it out.
For laundry I use soap nuts which are amazing! They are actually the hull of a berry. You can’t get much more natural then that. I get mine through Amazon. A pound of them lasts for something like 150ish loads which totals about 15 cents a load or something like that. I originally bought them to use with my cloth diapers but loved them so much that I use them for all of my clothes.
For my kitchen and bathroom floors I am in love with my steam mop. I have not come across anything that it can not tackle.
I think the only chemical cleaner that we use anymore is an enzyme cleaner for around the toilets since not all of my boys have great aim yet.
carole
March 23, 2012 at 7:45 amI stopped using fabric softener a couple years ago and switched to dryer balls. They work great. In the summer I don’t have a problem with static but in the winter, the clothes come out electrified! I tried adding about 3/4 cup of vinegar to the final rinse and that has taken care of the static and it seems to make the clothes softer.
Anna K.
March 23, 2012 at 11:08 pmThis book was essential when I started “greening” up my cleaning. We’ve cut out almost all chemicals based on her recommendations:
Organic Housekeeping: In Which the Non-Toxic Avenger Shows You How to Improve Your Health and That of Your Family, While You Save Time, Money, and, Perhaps, Your Sanity by Ellen Sandbeck.
Karen
March 25, 2012 at 4:31 pmI have enjoyed all the comments and glad so many people are interested in reducing the chemicals in their homes and around the world.
I have been using Shaklee products for over 30 years and love them. They are really natural, that means no added scents etc, and cleans really great. They are economical too. A good example is the Basic H2. One bottle mixed with water equals 5,824 bottles of the leading window cleaner, or 48 gallons of powerful cleaner!
Debbie
March 26, 2012 at 4:11 pmI have a question, not exactly regarding natural cleaning, but cleaning in general. I am wondering if you would be willing to share some tips (do a whole post even) on keeping a busy kitchen (somewhat) clean. I know that in one of your posts you mentioned that efficiency is important to you, but it’s not one of my strong points. Keeping up with my kitchen cleaning is also not one of my strong points, and with my increased cooking/baking recently, it’s even more challenging. Of course, I do know that part of it is to just roll up my sleeves and do it, but if you have any tips to share from your experience, I would be very happy to hear them!
100 Days of Real Food
April 1, 2012 at 3:34 pmI will keep that topic suggestion in mind…thanks!
Mandy
March 28, 2012 at 10:41 pmI’m a Shaklee girl too!! I tried EVERYTHING, including making my own….however, there is still no way I’m letting my kid help me clean with peroxide. Basic H saves me a TON of money, the Scour off is amazing and their laundry detergent is to die for. Check out my blog for various posts on how I’ve used the products :-)
Melissa
March 28, 2012 at 11:11 pmI just have a question about inside the toilet bowl. I have found that all the natural(vinegar, baking soda, etc.) works for everything but what do I use inside the toilet bowl? We get orange/pink staining inside the toilet. Also, what do you use for the toilet itself. I am using Clorox Wipes but they are not environmentally friendly. I started using Bon Ami to clean my sinks and showers and that seems to work really well. I also have a steamer for my floors!
Tania J
March 29, 2012 at 8:38 amI’ve tried Shaklee and Melaleuca but I was disappointed that their product lines weren’t very natural–and actually had a pretty significant reaction to the Melaleuca products.
I’ve been using Norwex for almost two years and am so thrilled with their products!
Recently I was at a large hospital and they were using the Norwex mop to clean the hallway! Studies have shown it is one of the most effective methods to eliminating c-Dif. (a truly nasty kind of bacteria). I don’t sell it, but I definitely tell everyone about Norwex.
Stacey
March 29, 2012 at 10:21 amI have been using Norwex for four years and I simply can not imagine cleaning any other way. It is so simple and SO effective. It’s great if you can make your own cleaners but why waste your time and money, when you can clean your house with these cloths and just water? (Btw, google Borax, I have read negative things about this) These cloths have been tested in a hospital setting, so rest assured that they will remove undesirable things from your surfaces. They have been tested to be as effective as bleach and a cloth,without the negative health effects. Also, these cloths are super durable, and the antibacterial silver(micro- NOT nano) will never come out of cloth. Just my two cents.
lisa fyfe
April 2, 2012 at 9:08 pmwow, these sound great. after finding my son playing with a windex bottle, I decided no more toxic products in my house. I was definitely in need of some suggestions since like you said some of the organic natural products have ingredients that I can’t figure out. Thanks for this post.
Pamela Stevens
April 17, 2012 at 11:42 pm..not too mention good old-fashioned elbow grease. I have even cleaned ovens with the right tools, elbow grease and NO chemicals. It can be done.
Krista
May 9, 2012 at 10:41 amI use orange oil in our house. It is just the oil extracted from oranges. I was given this suggestion from our local co-op originally for an all natural insecticide because apparently most bugs don’t like the taste and/or smell. The lady who helped me also said she used it on everything to clean her house minus glass and mirrors. It is naturally antibacterial and comes in a concentrate form. One bottle lasted me nearly 3 years. I clean every surface in my house with it, including my furniture and wood floors, and my house smells wonderful!
Lindsey Swan
May 25, 2012 at 10:55 amSo I don’t sell these but I use them as well and love them. I just wanted to recommend some of there other stuff you should try if you haven’t already. They have a toilet want you can buy that has the solution already in it. Then you just buy the refills for the solution. Of course all natural stuff. It’s awesome!!
Also they have face clothes that are AMAZING!! I just got my first set and can’t believe I’ve waited so long. I had been using the Kirkland make up wipes (from Costco) to remove my makeup but these rags removed my water proof mascara with just water!! How cool is that.
The dusting mitt and the bathroom scrub mitt is awesome!!
The mop is amazing too because again you just use water. I am obsessed with these products and loving that I am getting to throw out all my horrible household chemicals!!
Anyway, I would buy everything from there if I had the money too. But the best part is I just buy a few things a month and once I’ve got it I’m done. There are only a few things that ever run out. The rest of it you throw in the wash and use over and over therefore saving money!! Love it!
Sorry for the long comment. I just had to share my love for this stuff. I love knowing I’m keeping my family safe. Plus I clean my kids bathroom while they are bathing and know I am not hurting them! :)
Ok I am done.
P.S. I love your blog. We are slowly changing our eating habits a little at a time. over the past year we have made marvelous strides. No pop (which is a miracle for my husband), steel cut oats with agave and a banana every morning for breakfast, no fast food, whole wheat everything, including my husband losing 30 lbs and being 6 ft 1 in and weighing 155 lbs. He is in so much better health now! Thanks for all your great tips and all you do!
100 Days of Real Food
June 10, 2012 at 9:54 pmThanks for sharing! :)
Mary
June 17, 2012 at 5:36 pmI use the Norwex envirocloths and have used Basic H and Vinegar and bakeing soda as alternatives to chemicals. What i have found is that anything but water leaves a residue on the surfce you are cleaning. i prefer the Norwex cloths as they will pick up everything including bacteria without leaving a residue since you use just water to clean. The residue is what attracts the environmental hitchhikers like dust and grease to attach to it and make the surface dirty, when you have no residue to attach to the surface stays cleaner longer, make sense? i love Norwex!
Marlenny
November 4, 2012 at 1:49 pmI’ve been using Bon Ami. Here’s their website http://www.bonami.com/ I use it in my restroom it works as well as Ajax or Comet, but its all natural. :-)
Pam Diliberto
January 11, 2013 at 2:06 pmI have found amazing products that are truly all-natural and have been proven to kill germs and clean surfaces. They come from an award-winning company that has been in business since 1985 (before “going green” was even popular). Please visit http://www.ahealthcafe.com/ourgreenfuture to learn more. It will be worth your time!
Kathy
February 4, 2013 at 11:40 amThank you for this tip. I have about 3 items from the comments and your post that I plan to try! If you have not found this blog- http://www.thankyoubody.com I think you will enjoy it. She actually has a cookbook of all natural recipes for cleaning and cosmetic products.
Sherry
March 30, 2013 at 12:41 pmI have been making my own natural laundry soap for several years now, I am just wanting some advice on getting some natural bleach for whitening?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy)
April 7, 2013 at 3:43 pmHi Sherry. Maybe this link will help: http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/12/natural-bleach-alternatives.html. Lemon juice has a bleaching effect, as well.~Amy
23isback
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Jessica Newfer
October 3, 2013 at 4:35 pmMy mom is a Norwex lady too. I haven’t been in close touch with her in order to learn more, but seeing your recommendation here made me think about buying Norwex products. I have recently become interested in living more naturally. I have moderate to severe hand excema, and it’s a constant, painful battle. Perhaps cutting out the chemicals will help it, and so much more. I will certainly look into this.
miniwick
May 6, 2018 at 4:47 amI want to reduce chemicals as much as I can while cleaning, this came as a saviour.