Good Green Spring Clean, Stuff We Use

We get that switching your old school cleaning product for new more environmental friendly cleaners and soaps can be a headache. You don't know what will fit your needs and it's a tad bit more expensive, so you may not want to take a chance on a product you've never tried before. We are gonna break it down for you all. Here's our list of the green products we use, because they work great, and why we love them. We know the market is starting to get flooded with companies that are not so environmentally "clean" making green products. If you want to use those, that's cool too. Like I always say every little change makes a difference.

Roxanne's list

Laundry detergent:
Seventh Generation natural laundry detergent
This stuff not only works great, just as well as your regular detergents, but it boasts all this as well. It's non-toxic, biodegradable, hypoallergenic, contains no phosphate or petroleum based cleaners.

Fabric softener:
Method Fabric Softener
I like all the method products that I have tried so far and this one is no different. It's phosphate free, biodegradable and not animal tested. The Water Lilly and Aloe scent smells great.

Dishwashing liquid:
Ecover Dishwashing Liquid
I love this stuff and I love this company, I would recommend anything they sell. The dish soap has plant-based ingredients, leaves no chemical residue on your hand or dishes, is biodegradable and safe for marine life.

Dishwasher detergent:
Ecover Dishwasher Tablets
This just work great my dishes come out spotless and all the same great things as dishwashing liquid apply to the dishwasher tablets. Give them a try.

Cleaning Wipes:
JR Watkins All Purpose Wipes
Now I know that using wipes is controversial to the eco-crowd, but that being said...sometimes you need wipes for one reason or another. Most of the time I use my sponge with soapy water for cleaning surfaces. But like I said sometimes a wipe or two comes in really handy. So, these are plant based, phosphate free, non-toxic, biodegradable and is not tested on animals.

Or I like I have said in the past. Good old white vinegar and water works great for a lot of surface cleaning, it clean glass very well. Or a baking soda and water mixture is also good if you need a bit of abrasion.

Stacy's List

Here's the thing...I love stuff that smells great.  Good smell means clean to me, for whatever that's worth!  I'm especially hot for all the yummy scents in the super green Method line of cleaning products, like naturally scented "fuzzy peach," "fresh lychee" and "rice milk and mallow" to name just a few. Plus the packaging is sexy.  Having said that, here are the products I keep in my home religiously. 

Laundry detergent:
Method he Compatible Detergent
This detergent in "Sweet Water" rocks my world.  It's biodegradable, super-concentrated and perfect product for your "high efficiency" washer.

Dishwasher Rinse Aid:
I do love me some Ecover and they have a great rinse aid that gets your dishes all shiny and streak-free but in an all-natural way.  It's biodegradable and plant-based, as opposed to petroleum-based, and it's save for marine life should it get washed into the environment.

 Dryer Sheets:
NOOOOOO!  Not the dryer sheets!  On our last beach clean-up we picked up 9,472 dryer sheets that had been washed to the shore.  So I've been turned on to Dryer Balls!  Sounds like what it is: reusable, nubby rubber balls that soften your clothes without any other product at all.

Glass Cleaner:
Or as Method calls it "Best in Glass." HA! Get it?  Anyway...it's  ammonia-free and made from corn alcohol and a     biodegradable solvent, among other natch ingredients.  The big selling point is the minty fresh scent.  That's right - it smells like mint.  Makes me want to do the windows right now.

We hope this helps you in your quest for a greener home. We're off to scrub something!