Greener, Cleaner, Cleaning Products

A few months ago I really started noticing how every time I cleaned my house my nose would run like crazy. I loved using Mr. Clean Febreze, it left my house so nice smelling but the nose running was terrible!

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At some point my cleaning, probably while scrubbing a toilet, I decided that my problem was most likely the chemical smell coming off the cleaner. Not just this cleaner, really all my cleaners I have the problem with. It was then I decided to research alternative, more green (as the hip kids say) cleaning products for cleaning my house. 


First it started with the windows. My mother in law gave me some of these Norwex Window Cloths.

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They work great on the windows, don't leave streaks, and when they get dirty I just throw them in the wash!

Next, I came across this homemade dust cleaner on Pinterest from The Make Your Own Zone

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I mixed up her recipe (which is basically lemon extract, olive oil, vinegar, and water) and started using it for all my dusting.  You know what, I LOVED IT! I decided to try more "homemade" or "green cleaning products".

I was in search of a spray I could use on my son's high chair that wasn't full of chemicals--- I mean after all he eat there! I just happened to be at Walmart on day as saw Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner. The product is anti-bacterial and smells great! It's all I clean the high chair and counters with now. 

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Last year, after we had are septic tank pumped, the septic guy informed me that one of the worst things you can do for your septic system is to use bleach. I decided that for all of my cleaning products I would try to go bleach free. After my great success with the cleaner cleaners above, I searched on Amazon for great reviews on a more natural cleaner and I came across this product: Biokleen All Purpose Cleaner Super Concentrated 

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One of the reviews on Amazon said, "I use this stuff on everything. Bathrooms (sinks, counters, tub, and toilet) hard floors, walls which have been "decorated" by the kids with crayon and marker, carpets, shoes, scrubbing our window screens.....being on a septic, it's kind of tough to find stuff that's technically completely safe to rinse down the drain, so this stuff rocks." 

They had me at septic tank! I LOVE this cleaner and have used it to clean so many things! I use it on the sinks, floors, toilets, carpet....everything! It even says I can use it for laundry but have yet to try it! 

I am still on the hunt for more green, cleaner, cleaning products and would love to hear ideas for what you might have tried and worked. I still am pretty bad about using dryer sheets, Spray N'Wash, and Oxiclean for the laundry, but hoping to run across some good substitutes soon. Until then, I will keep trying new products until I find great ones that work, don't make my nose run, are OK for the septic, and overall put less chemicals in our house.

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