Archive for the 'Cleaning products' Category

April 9, 2008 | Vinegar, Cleaning tips

With drain cleaner known to be one of the most toxic household products on the market, what to do with a clogged drain? (more…)

April 1, 2008 | Cleaning products, News

Recently a report was released by the Organic Consumer Association (OCA) saying that the presence of 1,4 dioxane, a potential carcinogen and definite toxin, was found in two Seventh Generation dishwashing liquids. Although the sampling in the report was rather random in that they compared dishwashing liquids and cleansers with personal care products, which would be like comparing apples to oranges, the fact is that the unwanted substance was still found in a product marketed to be natural and safe. In a world where “green washing” is all too common, we here at Broomhuggers wanted to try to shed some light on this report.

Seventh Generation has risen above the controversy in the best way they knew how - by telling the truth. (more…)

March 11, 2008 | Kids, Cleaning products

Q. Could you please tell me what I could use to sanitize my twins’ sippy cups when they drop them on the floor of the store (something portable so we can finish our trip) & to “try” and sanitize the shopping cart handles?

A. I’ve got 3 suggestions for you. The first is that according to Parenting magazine, parents don’t need to be so vigilant about what falls on the floor. Apparently there’s something to that 5-second rule. Of course, I’d throw that advice out the window in certain places - public restrooms (ew!), malls, etc… General dirt won’t hurt anyone, and it’s actually been found to increase endorphins. It’s the germs you can’t see that you need to be concerned with.

Now, to actually answer the question. One of my favorites is Clean Well. They have a line of hand sanitizers and soaps that are non-toxic, kill 99.9% of germs, are alcohol-free and biodegradable, smell nice, and leave your hands soft. You should be able to find a supply at your local Target.

Lastly, a travel-sized bottle of Listerine (or presumably any other mouthwash) will kill germs equally well. Of course, you lose the environmental friendliness, and many of them contain alcohol. But in a pinch, a bit of Listerine will kill any germs your child’s paci, bottle, or sippy may have gathered from the floor. It’s cost-effective and easy enough to use. You could even put some in a small spray bottle to keep in the diaper bag. (And now for the shocking reveal: I use mouthwash or toothpaste to clean my kids’ things when I’m upstairs and too lazy to go downstairs. I don’t want to use regular soap on anything that might find its way to their mouth, so if dish soap isn’t handy, I go for toothpaste or mouthwash.) I don’t know if toothpaste would be as effective as mouthwash, but Listerine was originally used (in the 19th century) as a multi-purpose disinfectant for surgical purposes. The active ingredients are 4 oils: thymol, menthol, eucalyptol and methyl salicylate. Do rinse well though, because a baby wouldn’t be so happy to get a paci back in his mouth if it tasted like Listerine, and frankly, Listerine isn’t meant to be ingested anyhow.

March 7, 2008 | Health, Cleaning products

Here it is, folks. A report done by CBC News in Vancouver Canada. It’s called Toxic Brew and it talks about headaches, asthma, and more. It’s a great expose on typical cleaning products. Part 1 is about 8 minutes, but it’s well worth the time spent for the information you’ll learn. If it’s interesting to you, go on and watch part 2.
Part 1

Part 2

February 29, 2008 | Reviews, Broom Hugged, Cleaning products

We wrote a post about GreenWorks when it was first released, and most of our readers commented that they love it. We did have one complaint about the All-purpose cleaner, but the reader didn’t tell us how she used it or why she was disappointed. The word on the street is that it’s an awesome product - people seem to love it.

So, as promised I bought a bottle of it. And isn’t it pretty? (more…)

February 25, 2008 | Bleach alternatives, Vinegar, Essential oils, Cleaning products

What do they mean? When you’re looking for a cleaner, what’s important? There are different things you want your cleaner to do. Most of us assume that clean means germ-free, but in reality not all cleaners hit the mark. The use of these words on product labels is regulated by the EPA, and here’s what they say the words mean, along with some natural alternatives to keep your lymph nodes and liver free and clear: (more…)

February 20, 2008 | Bathroom, Laundry, Floors, Kitchen, Vinegar, Cleaning tips, Being Green, Cleaning products

Thanks to Shannon for hosting Works for Me Wednesday. This week I’m going to share the most important tips I have on frugal green cleaning. Let’s face it - stocking up the cabinets with Seventh Generation, Method, and other ‘green’ cleaners can be expensive. But there are ways to do it without breaking the bank. Here goes.

First, raid your pantry. Here are some great cleaners you can make straight out of your pantry: (more…)

Health, Essential oils, Cleaning products

One of the things I love to do when I clean is to add essential oils to natural cleaning products. For example, in my mop bucket I’ll do about 1/2 cup of cider vinegar, fill half full with water, and add 3-4 drops of essential oils, depending on what suits my mood. There are lots to choose from at my local health food store, and I tend to go for things that have good aromatherapy benefits, smell nice in my home, and fulfill some other cleaning and maintenance purpose. Peppermint oil is a great choice lately, for me at least. (more…)

February 17, 2008 | Reviews, Company news, Broom Hugged, Cleaning products

There are so many great companies out there who make non-toxic, safe, environmentally-friendly cleaners. As a company, it’s always hard to weigh the pros and cons of each and make an informed decision about what to use. Until now we’ve been using Organic Excellence (whoops! There goes a trade secret), and we were quite happy with it. In fact, we’re still happy with it. It does a great job, it’s fully biodegradable, Green Seal approved, and it’s highly concentrated. All around, it’s a great product. But it lacks a ’sexy’ quality. And well, we are Broom Huggers, aren’t we? We want something affectionate. Something hot. And to meet that need, we found Shaklee!

(more…)

February 13, 2008 | Cleaning tips, Cleaning products

What do you do about those pesky blinds? Once the dust builds up on them, it’s not an easy task to wipe them clean. Or is it?

Put on a pair of rubber gloves, slip a sock on over the gloves, dip into your cleaning solution (a bucket of water with a bit of whatever you use to clean with), and wipe away. My favorites to clean with? Shaklee. Barefoot Essentials. Or simple vinegar diluted with a bit of water. Add some essential oils if you don’t like the vinegar smell.  Undiluted rubbing alcohol on the sock will do the trick too, but I prefer something that doesn’t smell so strong, and won’t hurt my kids if they stumble upon it.

If you’re cleaning wood blinds or plantation shutters use a mixture of lemon juice, your favorite essential oil, and a few drops of olive oil.

That’s what works for me. For more great tips, head over to Rocks in My Dryer.