Berkeley Parents Network: Cleaning Supplies

Berkeley Parents Network

Cleaning Supplies

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > What/Where to Buy > Cleaning Supplies

Good green cleaning products
Cleaning products for preschools
Less toxic cleaning products
Environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies
More Advice about Household Management

Good green cleaning products

June 2007

I share a janitorial job of which we prefer to stay as biodegradable and green as possible. Currently we use Natures Miracle for stains and Simple Green for floors & counters, and Trader Joe's cedarwood-sage multipurpose cleaner for surfaces and windows. Every now and then I am tempted to use a non-green product for extra tough jobs (floors, mostly) but my partner refuses, which is good because it is forcing me to find the ultimate cleaning product that is easy on the earth and the those using them. I do not mind an MLM product, I am open as long as it works. Any recommendations? Thank you.

I really like Holy Cow Multi-Purpose Cleaner. I've found a lot of green cleaners just don't work very well, but I've been happy with this product. The only place I've seen it is Piedmont Grocery, but they have a web site which may have more information. Fiona

Cleaning products for preschools

Jan 2006

Our preschool is interested in alternatives to the standard cleaning products such as 409 and Windex. Are there any preschools which have switched to using less-toxic cleaners and found particular products that are appropriate for use in a preschool setting? anon.

This may seem incredibly low-tech, but it's also non-toxic (good for you!!) and inexpensive: Straight vinegar. Yes, that's right. It kills germs and can also be used on windows. I use it full strength in a spray bottle - I'm not sure if you'd dilute with water for windows, but at any rate, things will get clean and the yucky germs will die.

FYI - spray your sponges with vinegar after use. It prevents the mold buildup and that horrible fungus smell that sponges tend to get. I sometimes also spray dishcloths in the winter because they can't dry out quick enough between usage and otherwise take on that bad smell. ~Annika's old nanny

try listerine in a spray bottle. Waterdown if you want it will help clean off tables and toys. No need to rinse off mom

Less toxic cleaning products

May 2005

A colleague of mine is working with a group of domestic workers in San Francisco who are interested in encouraging their employer to use less toxic cleaning supplies. She found the Berkeley parents website and was interested to see people's recommendations about less toxic products, and was hoping our community could help her get a little more information. She is looking for some personal testimonies from families who have switched to using less toxic cleaning supplies, including how you like the new materials, how they may have improved the health of you and your children, and any economic effects that the switch might have had. She is also interested in any comments about how families went about selecting a brand of ''nontoxic'' cleaner to use, since there aren't any standard definitions of what ''nontoxic'' or ''green'' and manufacturers change their formulations constantly. June

I have a great book to recommend: ''Clean House, Clean Planet - Clean Your House for Pennies a Day, the Safe, Nontoxic Way'' by Karen Logan This woman sells her own eco-friendly cleaning products and in her book, tells you how to make them at home. I have a dog- eared copy and have made everything from an all-purpose cleaner to furniture polish. AND MOST OF THEM HAVE WORKED! Joy

Environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies

Feb 1999

Good for you for becoming aware of simplifying your cleaning supplies! The Ecology Center on San Pablo at Parker Street has supplies and lots of literature. Also, any of the larger health food stores would have supplies. Vinegar and baking soda do a lot by themselves. Barbara

My housecleaner effectively does our whole house using only vinegar and baking soda, along with a toilet bowl cleaner from a health food store. Stefanie

Cleaning supplies: I have a book called Clean & Green by Annie Bertold-Bond which tells you how to make your own environmentally sound cleaning supplies. ZRJ

Quick N Brite is a product that can be mixed in different strengths for different applications. It's good for counters, glass, floors, taking out stains on clothing, getting crayon off walls, etc etc. We are gradually replacing most of our cleaning products with this one. It's even available in a formulation for regular laundry, though I haven't tried it yet. Here's the address of the company that makes it, so you can order it directly from them: http://quicknbrite.com/

Hope this is helpful! Dawn

I use two maybe three products. About 75% of what I need done gets Simple Green ( I keep two different concentrations premixed in spray bottles - 1 very light which gets used as Windex would, and another mid range for floors, appliances, etc.) I also keep some Comet or Ajax, for porcelain sinks/tub. And some Murphy's oil soap mixed with water in a spray bottle for spills on the hardwood floor, wood furniture, etc. Two out of the three are non toxic, and the Comet/Ajax gets relatively little use, and gets stored in a high cabinet. Diana

Someone recently asked for advice about child- and environment-safe household products. If you have time, you may want to join a "Green Team"in your neighborhood or workplace, guided by a coach from the Bay Area GreenTeam Project. It's a great way to find out latest in cleaning products, recycling, energy use, and so forth. All the things we say we'll look into some day, but never quite find the time.

For more info: Green Team Project, gtp@sirius.com, (415) 546-1231, 546-1232 fax. Lori

There is a cloth from Sweden called Trasan Miracle Microfiber Cleaning Cloth (or the like). It is made from a special fiber that cleans incredibly WITHOUT any cleaning products. All you add is hot water. I use it to clean most everything from my kitchen, including a greasy, grimy stove, to the bathroom and everything in between. I started using it while I was pregnant to eliminate the noxious fumes associated with most cleaning products and am hooked. I think you can order it off their web site: http://www.trasan.com/index.html. I bought mine from some random person whom I no longer know how to get in touch with. I loved it so much I bought another one the next day for my mother. They cost about $13 but last forever. I've had mine about a year and have washed it many, many times and it still works great. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me or check out their web site. Allison

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