Whenever I hear the words “go green” I automatically think “major pain in the butt”.
I don’t think of conservation and environmentally friendly as being convenient. I hear the experts and activists say “simple changes” and “small sacrifices” and I know they mean STOP USING DEODORANT AND CARRY YOUR WATER FROM A WELL. ALSO, YOUR TIME-SAVING APPLIANCES ARE BAD!
Maybe I’m overreacting.
Suffice it to say, when I got an email from Mom Central about reviewing green cleaning products, my first thought had nothing to do with good publicity.
I’d say it was more along the lines of Bring It On.
(Is it weird that I get all competitive and aggressive towards cleaning products?)
Do you want to know what Karma is? Karma is saying in your very smug voice “send me your green cleaning products and I will see if they can stand up to my industrial strength super cleaners! Ha!” – and then they send you green dish soap.
I hate doing dishes more than anything in life. Hate. Loathe. Not a fan.
ANYway, I got a bottle of Green Works dish soap from the people at Clorox. Green. Works. Get it? Ha! Moving on.
I’m not super picky about my dish soap. The one thing I require is that it actually cleans stuff. I’ve never given much thought to whether or not it was good or bad for the Earth. Because I suck.
Anyway. In order to test out environmentally friendly dish soap, you have to get yourself dishes. Preferably dirty ones.
Then you need the dish soap to be tested.
I didn’t take pictures of me washing the pan, because that would be weird. But I can tell you that my initial reaction was “this is never going to work”. It didn’t suds up like normal soap. Apparently phosphates and nitrates not only kill lakes, they also makes bubbles and suds!
And do you know what bubbles and suds do? They make you think you’re cleaning, that’s what.
I could not get over the idea that no bubbles meant no chemical scrubbing meant no way these things were getting clean. Even though the pan looked clean when I rinsed it, I was absolutely certain that no bubbles meant secret grease and grime.
I went so far as to wipe down the inside of the pan with a white paper towel when I was done.
OK, OK. So it looked clean. And it felt clean. But still… everyone knows that environmentally friendly cleaners just don’t work as well as the stuff that kills fish! Come on! Common sense here, people!
One final test…
And I’ll be damned – it was clean.
*HEADS EVERYWHERE EXPLODE*
OK, maybe this isn’t a radical discovery for you. I mean, we’re just talking about a product review, right? Someone sends you some free stuff and you have to use it and say how IT IS THE MOST AWESOMEST THING EVER AND OMG YOUR DISH SOAP CHANGED MAH LIFE! Right?
Maybe.
Except that this is the first green cleaning product I’ve ever used, simply because I wasn’t willing to give up effectiveness in exchange for environmentally friendly. If I have to choose between a happy ozone layer and my in-laws not thinking I am a nasty slob, I will choose the acceptance of my husband’s parents and also possibly random strangers who drop by my house every single time.
It never occurred to me that I wouldn’t have to choose until I used this product. Now I’m looking for other green products I can use, from laundry detergent (I’m testing out something called soap nuts right now. hahahahahahahah!) to dishwashing detergent (because I hate washing dishes by hand).
In other words, IT IS THE MOST AWESOMEST THING EVER AND OMG YOUR DISH SOAP CHANGED MAH LIFE!
What about you? Do you use any green products that work just as well as their not-so-green counterparts? What would you suggest I try?
But I like the chemical smell that tells my nose things are clean!
I :heartbeat: your photo essays.
Will you come wash my dishes? I cooked a LOT tonight….and I am currently ignoring the sink whenever I walk through the kitchen.
Mah dishes, they mock me… :help:
hehe, i have done the wipe it out AND sniff it thing with my dishes coz mom was all about green. i never believed anything could be clean without all those damn bubbles.
you crack me up.
great post.
me love some britt photo essays!
I’ve used Kaboom! to clean my shower. It’s supposed to be green, if you believe Billie Mays. It kinda looks like vommitt to be honest. It works well enough, but it’s a lawsuit waiting to happen if you are like me and get in your shower to clean it. It turns your tub floor into a slip-n-slide.
I use some Melaleuca products that are supposed to be all chemical free. They’re pretty good actually.
My complaint is that the enviro products are often more expensive…
stumbled.
very cute!
@Alli {Mrs Fussypants}, very cute you will think it cute when u die!!!!!!!!!!!!
I smell my dishes ALL THE TIME. How else can you really tell?
Haha
I know what you mean about the bubbles and suds!!!
But I actually use a lot of green products around the house. The hippie in me, I guess. Plus, we have cats and my daughter who like to roll around on the floor. And, actually, it just makes me feel better to use some green stuff.
Seventh Generation stuff is really good.
Also, Target has a whole shitload of stuff to choose from. Most of the greeen products work really well. The one thing I can’t give up, though, is bleach. I bleach the shit out of my bathrooms, and that ain’t gonna stop.
I don’t like fish much, anyway.
I swear by Method products. You can get them at Target, but I like to order them from http://www.methodhome.com . They smell good and clean fabulously!
Shash
We use green products in our home and by we I mean my Mother.
We also garden and have a compost bin thing. Yeah we’re a bit hippiesh.
Most of my cleaning products are green. I use an Aussie brand called Earth Choice. They do work!
God how I love your photo posts. They make me laugh damn hard. So glad you no longer have to choose between random strangers and in-laws and saving the planet. Planet= 1, Random people=0.
I just thank God that there’s another Miss Britt photo essay for the world to cherish.
I bought a bottle of Green Works multisurface spray and when I was done with it, I cleaned it out and filled with an even mixture of vinegar and water. I use it to clean my counter tops and appliances. Does it smell? At first it does, but as it dries, the smell goes away and it’s just clean. It’s also great for cleaning windows. It will look streaky at first but as it dries, the streaks go away. I love using vinegar to clean with and it’s easy on the wallet.
I don’t seek out green products, but if they cost the same, why not? Right?
I tried the Palmolive Eco dishwasher detergent and it works great.
Woohoo, photo essay!
I don’t do most of the shopping for our house (I’m not sure how I worked that, but it’s awesome), so I’m pretty certain the man is not bringing home green products. I’ll have to use my feminine charms to convince him to try some.
We use white vinegar on pretty much every thing from windows to counters, dusting, floors. You name it. The Man uses it on glass but I don’t find it works as well as windex. (It takes more wiping. I am all about fast.) Also works well at cleaning my glasses.
That being said, I still use the old standards for cleaning my bathroom. Although I supposed I should look at other options.
I love the Green Works line and recommend all of it to friends. Except the glass cleaner. For the life of me, I CAN NOT get it stop streaking! Next on my list to try is the Method brand glass cleaner. If they have it.
Wow. Clorox hit the jackpot on this one. Take one skeptical and snarky blogger with a funny and engaging writing style and completely win her over with the product. I’m with you that Green didn’t seem very convenient, but based on your very scientific trial, I’m running right out to buy a bunch of green stuff. Why not, if they work and I can get them at the grocery store or at Target?
We use Seventh Generation and Method. Method smells really, really good.
I use almost all green products and I won’t bore you with all of them. Dishwasher soap is critical. The Ecover automatic tablets work better than the chemical stuff. I would never in a million years use them if they didn’t.
Also, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day laundry detergent and softener work great AND make your clothes smell delicious. I guess that’s critical for me too. Most green laundry detergents I’ve tried don’t leave much if any scent behind.
That’s a fab photo!
I have a pal who uses those washing machine balls – the ones that roll around in your washing bashing it up to make the dirt fall off, but that don’t make it smell nice OR get the stains out.
Me? I use greeny washing up liquid and recycle stuff. I also compost and grow veg usually (though not this summer as I was too busy). That’s about it though.
We use the Purell laundry detergent that is ‘natural’. It works quite well even on the smelly socks
i’m kind of a tree hugger and even used cloth diapers for my daughter. yes, ewwww. anyway, just wanted you to be aware of something called “greenwashing” where they tell you a product is green when it really isn’t. as if it wasn’t already inconvenient to switch over to “green” products, to be truly mindful, we have to research which products really *are* green. but, hey congrats, and welcome to the wonderful world of good global karma.
Hilarious – I started using green cleaning products when I was pregnant – those nasty chemicals are apparently bad for fetuses as well as fish…and you know what? they work just as well and smell better. yay!
I’m in the middle of using a bottle of GreenWorks multi-surface spray. It seems to be fine for the countertops, but not so much for the stovetop (I’m a messy chef). The jury is still out on that product.
Dishsoap is another story. My hands are a reflection of my thyroid issues. Lately they crack (not a pretty picture). I am LOVING the Dawn Plus Hand Care. And the label says “biodegradable anionic surfactants and enzymes. Contains No Phosphate”.
Oooh, just remembered that I have also have used Simple Green products and the reason I liked them is because cleaning products tend to whip my asthma into a frenzy. Simple Green did not.
We use Simple Green for all cleaning at work. The company likes it because we get it in concentrated packets and refill our cleaning bottles ourselves. Reduces the amount the trash we generate.
As I cleaned out my basement, I emptied turpentine and old bug spray into my sink. I got a very nice chemical smell that told me that the basement sink was clean. The copper on the pipes turned GREEN! I felt so good about that, that I signed a contract for ChemLawn so the lawn would be lush when the babies and puppies play outside. My lawn will be GREEN! :rock:
thank you for the tutorial, i was actually considering buying that soap the next time i needed new dish soap, we already use the green works cleaning spray…it works wonderfully, though i have found the green colored one leaves a bit of a stickiness when used on wood (and only wood we’ve found so far) though the clear and the orange don’t…good luck on finding green solutions…oh, another easy switch…canvas bags…trust me, they can be used for EVERYTHING!!!!
I have recently fallen in love with the Clorox Green Works bathroom cleaner. It kicked my shower’s proverbial ass.
Great photo essay, I’m with you… bubbles=clean, right? no. Well hell, my whole world has just become meaningless. Damn.
Nope no Green products here, I go w/ what I know… I know I suck.
There are a few things I use that really seem to work.
Reusable dryer sheets: http://www.audreysallnaturalshoppe.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=288
It does the job AND my clothes come out smelling like clothes.
Seventh Generation Liquid Laundry Detergent: again, does the job, and it comes in unscented and lavender. I love the lavender, and it still keeps my laundry smelling like, well, laundry.
I also use (when I remember) the reusable grocery bags.
I’m gonna try that Green Works dish soap! I use the dish washing liquid, and I like it.
I use all the clorox green works stuff and they are amazing.I just started with their dish soap because I was disappointed with the other “green” product I used.I am very pleased with it.
Great post, Britt. I am impressed.
J.
I’ve started making the switch. I have to tell you though that the dishwashing soap I got did not work at all. Thanks for this post- between that and the comments, I have some great ideas on products to try out.
Heh, that was great.
No bubbles, though. That’s weird!
I use Method products for most of my cleaning needs, such as hard wood floors, furniture, dishes, toilets. No complaints from over analyzing mother in law, ok by her.
The only GreenWorks product I’ve tried is the toilet cleaner, and I really like it. We pretty much use Method, which is my absolute favorite product line evah, and the eucalyptus mint flavour/scent is the bestest.
Nothing friendly about my products they are all mean and don’t play nice with the earth.
Mother uses that 7th generation stuff and I swear her towels smell like old feet because of it.
I’ve now been inspired to try the Method brand from the great Target. I’ll have to price check everything, because I am the queen of cheap, but I like thinking that I’m environmentally friendly.
I use the Wintree detergent from Costco for laundry, but I rely pretty much on vinegar, baking soda, and peroxide for everything else. I tend to be allergic to smells from other products, so simpler is always better for me!
Whoa, it works, huh? i guess the cynic in me just figured it was a new bottle for an old product to get people on the bandwagon. That no bubbles thing would flip me out too. Perhaps I’ll try it and blame it all on you when people see me sniffing my cups.
If you do find other good stuff, maybe you can start a list and share with us!
Honestly, try Charlie’s Soap. One tablespoon of the detergent will clean an entire load of laundry, so you get 80 washes per bag. It doesn’t leave any sort of residue so you don’t have to use drier sheets. And the liquid soap is good for anything: I’ve diluted it and used it to wash the dishes and clean the stove, used it full strength to clean the bathtub and the toilet and to pre-treat stains on my laundry and to degrease the gears on my mountain bike.
You inspired me. I bought green clothes washing stuff yesterday to try.
Seventh Generation babe.
Mom uses it on everything. It’s so so mild she even washes her fruits and veggies in it. And, it does suds. If anyone knows anything about being green, you know it’s my mom!
My problem? Chemicals are cheaper.
Greenworks makes toilet cleaner — excellent. And Simple Green is great because you mix it with water so a bottle lasts 4evah.
And using the dishwasher is more environmentally friendly that washing dishes by hand. See? You were green all along!
So creative! I loved the photos and your witty skepticism.
Have you ever heard of NatureRich? They have a soap that can be used for just about anything that is made of all natural products so it is green! It’s safer to use around kids and it’s multi-purposeful because you can use it on the dishes and in the laundry and as a spot cleaner and a hand soap…the list goes on and on.
Great photos!
Seriously, what did you cook in that pan? Even on my worse days, I’ve never had a washing up moment like that!
:dunno:
I stumbled you, this is hilarious….I followed your *advice* for a thumbs up
Another green product I love is Holy Cow…it’s pink and has a dancing cow on the label. AND it smells good and works, where can it go wrong!
Did we get the same product? Mine makes bubbles, still. I didn’t like that it didn’t feel like it would clean. But it did. I haven’t had any problems. I still like my Dawn, though. I will be buying both, because it cleans as well as Dawn and my dd is not allergic to it, like she is to Dawn. But Dawn works to strip my cloth diapers, so it stays.
I am trying Soap Nuts, too! Next load of cloth diapers gets ‘em!
Remind me not to buy their bubble bath
A great site that sells green products is http://www.carribeanmist.com
they sell high-quality environmentally friendly products that are natural, safe, effective AND affordable!