My toxic home... help me get this stuff out of here!

[CryPixie83]

I just took stock of the chemical cleaners I have in my apartment -yikes! Here's what I found:

Tilex
lysol toilet bowl cleaner
comet (two canisters!)
fantastik (multi-purpose)
generic bathroom cleaner (hospital strength?!)
"xtra orange" (all purpose)
windex
pledge furniture polish

I need to know what to replace this crap with! Why on Earth do I have all this nasty stuff in my home???

[peekyboo]

I like many of the Seventh Generation products (the toilet bowl cleaner is fabulous IMO). Also, get a big thing of baking soda. It can replace the Comet, deodorize carpets, and can take grunge off of bathtubs when mixed with some lemon juice. Plus, there are many vinegar recipes too.

[Spock]

You might want to check out Green Home. http://greenhome.com/ They have lots of great natural cleaners. I've found a lot of products on there that work really well. You could also get a copy of Clean and Green and Better Basics for the Home to get some recipes for natural cleaners.

Happy cleaning!

[CryPixie83]

where do yu get the big boxes of BS? my grocery doesnt have them...

[AngelBee]

Originally Posted by CryPixie83

where do yu get the big boxes of BS? my grocery doesnt have them...

That's what I am wondering too.... :

Can you buy it in bulk? If you can, where?

[kavamamakava]

Tilex- Oxiclean (or you can make it yourself with washing soda and hydrogen peroxide)
lysol toilet bowl cleaner - Seventh Generation makes a nice one
comet (two canisters!) - Bon Ami (which is oxygen bleach in powder form)
fantastik (multi-purpose) - Dr. Bronner's Sal-Suds or Simple Green
generic bathroom cleaner (hospital strength?!) - see above.
"xtra orange" (all purpose) - I don't think that is too toxic. heh
windex - vinegar (dilute it somewhat)
pledge furniture polish - I use Murphy's Oil soap but it's probably not much better than Pledge. I've seen natural alternatives but I can't remember the brand.

[peekyboo]

Originally Posted by CryPixie83

where do yu get the big boxes of BS? my grocery doesnt have them...

I found a 4 lb box at my grocery store in the baking aisle yesterday, it was on a lower shelf.

[AngelBee]

Originally Posted by peekyboo

I found a 4 lb box at my grocery store in the baking aisle yesterday, it was on a lower shelf.

I am going to have to look again.....I can never find the big boxes.

[butterflyma]

I did this a couple of years ago (getting rid of the poison) and here's what I bought:

* baking soda- personally, I prefer having little boxes in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room.
*vinegar- I buy it by the gallon
*several spray bottles from the dollar store (I mark mine so I know which mix is which)
*peroxide
*scrubby brushes- I've found it takes a bit more elbow grease to wash things away, rather than eat them away w/chemicals
*Essential oils- for when I want my cleaning to smell good
*Murphy's Oil- helps w/major grime, but I prefer not to use too much of it.
*every once in a while I'll splurge and buy some natural type cleaner- I love the smell of Mrs Meyer's Clean Day stuff. But, I always go back to my bsv mix.


I love that I can clean anything in my house and not have to worry about it affecting my son. Also, when I used bleach and tilex on my tub, I would not want to take a bath afterward, because I was afraid of residue. Now, I think, even if there's a little bit of baking soda left on the tub- it's good for my skin