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Martha in VA
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| Posted: Nov 26 2007 at 10:51am | IP Logged
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I really want to switch to more environmentally friendly (and safe for the kids) cleaning products. When I've checked the shelves at Whole Foods, I don't see anything that says it is an antibacterial disinfectant. Does such a product exist? I've looked at the Mrs. Meyers website but I don't think they are antibacterial either....or are they?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
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SusanJ
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| Posted: Nov 26 2007 at 11:21am | IP Logged
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I would highly recommend the book Organic Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck.
There is a lot of concern over the overuse of antibacterials for normal household cleaning and handwashing. A lot of the new "super bugs" you hear about in hospitals are developing because everything these days is antibacterial. Some bacteria is good for you! This book really helped me redefine "clean" (in a positive way). She has non-toxic and inexpensive methods for cleaning pretty much anything you can imagine. She does include a formula for killing bacteria if you really need to. And it's a great home-reference.
Susan
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dollylima
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| Posted: Nov 26 2007 at 1:17pm | IP Logged
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Susan, thank you for answering with the case against antibacterial products and the suggested link. I think it was pretty much the late 80s when Madison Avenue began convincing everyone that our lives should be germ free...a complete and utter lie.
Martha, I use Simple Green at our house.
Simple Green
I buy the concentrate in a gallon container and cut it with water myself in different bottles to suit different purposes...a little stronger for the toilet bowl, weaker for the counter tops, etc. It is one product that really does everything and it is priced competitively with the non-friendly products.
I wish I could use the cool-looking, lemon-verbena-lavender-gingerbread-etc-smelling stuff they sell at the Whole Foods Market, but where we live it is a constant battle with dirt brought in from the outside. Id need to get a part-time job just to support my cleaning habit!
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DeAnn M
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| Posted: Nov 27 2007 at 2:47pm | IP Logged
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Hi There,
I have recently read the book, "Clean House, Clean Planet." She gives great "recipes" for cleaners that are very safe and very affordable. They also work very well. A lot of essential oils like tea tree and lavender work as antibacterials and antifungals. You basically use Dr. Bronner's castile soap mixed with water and essential oils. They work just as well, if not better than some all-purpose cleaners that I have used in the past. And, I know I can clean and disinfect the bathroom floor and toilets safely. The book is definitely worth getting. She gives recipes for everything from window cleaner to carpet cleaner to laundry detergent. However, if you want me to post some general recipes I would be happy to do that as well.
Happy Cleaning! (Is that an oxymoron?)
DeAnn
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ctrivette
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| Posted: Nov 27 2007 at 3:26pm | IP Logged
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I have the Organic Housekeeping book and really like it. I clean with some stuff that I order through a friend who sells it, but mostly because I need to have laundry soap with nothing in it, for the frontloader, and at a decent price! I also use a steamer to get things clean without too much effort or product. Steam will sanitize, but only if it is sreaming the surface for a set amount of time (that I can't remember). I have been reading that tea tree and thyme are both great natural disinfectants. But basicly I thinkg that a few germs are healthy and only worry about antibacterial stuff when I am cutting stuff like chicken or someone has been sick. In both of those cases, I wash with lots of reg soap and warm water, and only try to disinfect the things I can't wash in water!
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domchurch3
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| Posted: Nov 28 2007 at 10:55am | IP Logged
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Like the above poster mentioned, you really need not concern yourself with finding something antibacterial due to the concern with "superbugs". I have slowly made the switch to homemade or non-toxic housecleaners. This is what is in my caddy that I use to clean the whole house:
1)Bon Ami. This is a non-toxic cleaner that ranks higher than Comet and Softscrub in it's effectiveness. Check out their website at bonami.com. It's cheap and very effective at scouring.
2)A spray bottle of distilled vinegar and water. This is great for cleaning windows, mirrors and I use it daily to spray down the bathroom sinks. Also, it gets rid of calcium deposits. It smells like pickles shortly after spraying it, but the pickle smell goes away quickly. Vinegar is used as an odor-eater so it's smell quickly vanishes along with other noxious odors.
3)Baking soda. I use this to scrub the toilets. I sprinkle some around the rim of the bowl, then after a few minutes, I pour 1/2 cup distilled vinegar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, scrub and flush. Works great!
4)Homemade furniture polish. This is my favorite polish, beating out Pledge and Orange Glo. Mix one part distilled vinegar, 2-3 parts olive oil and add an optional 1-2 TBS orange oil. The great thing about this polish is that you need only use it a few times a year. I'll put about a TBS on a microcloth or diaper rag just for frangrance and dry dust every week.
Ecover or Seventh Generation dish soap. I use this for dishes but also for mopping our tile floors. I use 1tsp-2 tsp to a gallon of water, add 1/2 cup distilled vinegar to mop.
There's really no need to buy expensive cleaners. I can attest to the effectiveness of BonAmi, vinegar, baking soda, olive oil and Seventh Generation dish soap.
Happy Cleaning,
Elizabeth 
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domchurch3
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| Posted: Nov 28 2007 at 10:58am | IP Logged
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Oops, I forgot to mention that vinegar is a natural disinfectant and you can replace chlorine bleach with non-chlorine bleach. Seventh Generation and Ecover both sell non-chlorine bleach.
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dollylima
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| Posted: Nov 28 2007 at 6:34pm | IP Logged
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Oh, Dr Bronners! Yes, DeAnn, that stuff is the best! I love the tag line on the bottle about using only two "cosmetics"...Dr. Bronner's and enough sleep. :-)If nothing else, it's really fun reading the label while soaking in the bath tub.
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marihalojen
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We use/have tried lots of bio-safe cleaners since we live on the ocean. It really is alarming when scrubbing the decks to hose it off and see the results floating all about your home. But we use a lot of Simple Green as it does cut the grease in the engine room really well. You must mix it properly though, even the spray bottle is concentrated and it doesn't work at all in super concentrated form.
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: "Green" cleaning products??
