I'm turning green but need help

[ernestholmes]

bought the reusable grocery bags last month and now my intuition is telling me it's time to stop buying my beloved Clorox disinfectant spray wit hbleach, my soft scrub with antu bacerial chemicals for the bath, etc.

I was in the cleaning aisle for an hour at Wholefoods the other night and I saw a lot of things that smelled nice but upon review of their leballing wa not convinced they would clean well enough to kill the germs I need killed around here.

What's the most germ-killing way to use these natural products.

CAn someone school me? INgerdients to look for? Orange oil just doesn't sound like it's going to do the job.

Thanks in advance

[JamSamMom]

I am interested too!

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[ladyinred]

In terms of killing off germs, thyme oil is one that works very well and is natural. If you're really interested in going green, there's a book called "Ecoholic, for people who are addicted to the planet" or something like that, that's really great and has a lot of useful information on different cleaning products, toiletries, clothing, and general living in a way that's more green. Many bacteria are destroyed just by scrubbing really. I took an interesting microbiology course and the prof told us that mostly what gets rid of germs when washing your hands is the actual action of rubbing them together rather than the kind of soap.
Also, changing the acidity in the environment can kill lots of germs. So using things like vinegar or lemon juice are very effective. And of course getting rid of what they're feeding off is a good idea, so just scrubbing down the counters or whatever you're concerned about is a pretty good idea.
I hope that's a good start Good luck!

[ReadingMama]

Full strength vinegar is actually a good everyday disinfectant. When I was doing my research I learned that tea tree oil works really well too. I bought an empty spray bottle and mixed 200 drops of tea tree oil with water. That became my disinfectant. I learned to like the scent and it doesn't bother my son's asthma like Lysol does.

[tessamami]

On soft scrub

Soft scrub is fine, actually. Just get the regular / original formula. For disinfecting, you can spritz vinegar, then rinse after 10 mins or so, vinegar kills a LOT.

Bon ami is also OK. Both were reviewed in my natural cleaning book.

I've used soft scrub from time to time. Mostly I just use baking soda spritzed on after some soap, I scrub then rinse with vinegar. The baking soda and vinegar bubble up, I let it sit for 10 minutes or so, then rinse. Do this ALL the time with my kitchen, bathroom sink and bathtub.

[earthmama369]

If you need a full-out bleach, Seventh Generation makes a hydrogen peroxide bleach. You'll find it in the laundry section of Whole Foods. It's just as strong as chlorine bleach, in my experience, but it breaks down to water when exposed to sunlight, making it very safe for cleaning pets' and childrens' outdoor toys (for example). I mostly use it for laundry and surfaces when we've had a stomach bug and for cleaning up really nasty pet messes.

For regular cleaning, though, white vinegar and boiling water has done a fine job. I might add an essential oil to boost the antibacterial nature of the vinegar and to make it smell better, but for a kitchen floor or a bathroom sink, vinegar and hot water is plenty. Maybe a little baking soda for scrubbing.

And if you ever need to clear a clogged drain, vinegar and baking soda together work wonders. Plug the drain with baking soda. Use a lot -- a cup or two. Then pour white vinegar onto it from a decent height (a few feet up) to really push it down. Plus, it makes a bubbling "volcano" that the kids think is hysterical. When it stops fountaining, pour some vinegar on. Repeat until the baking soda is gone. Then pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain and plunge it to finish opening it up.

[Mommy2anangel]

For cleaning purposes, I mix half vinegar, half water and a few drops of lemon/tea tree oil in a spray bottle. And I do add some baking soda sometimes for a tough job.

I use this to clean pretty much everything, except my glass top stove. For this I use my scrub that I use for dishes and my 7th generation dishwashing liquid.

For my floors, I used a small amount of vinegar and lemon oil mixed into about a quarter bucket of hot water (sometimes some baking soda again for a tough job), and then plain hot water to clean up after.

[abi&ben'smom]

I was a comet addict. Then I realized that baking soda has the same texture. I think I'll try some of that Seventh Generation for the bleach. I have a white sink that stains sometimes.

[lotus.blossom]

I have a little portable steam cleaner with a few different types of attachments. Nothing like hot steam to kill the germies! I haven't used it in FOREVER because I'm just not that worried about germs anymore. I haven't noticed a difference in health than when I used the toxic cleaners! (except less headaches and nose irritation!)

I use vinegar for glass and bathroom stuff and a solution of lavender dr. bronners and water for kitchen stuff.

[tessamami]

There are different strengths of hydrogen peroxide

but if you read the label, I believe 7th generation is just 1 ingredient: hydrogen peroxide. Buying hydrogen peroxide is MUCH cheaper

If you need a full-out bleach, Seventh Generation makes a hydrogen peroxide bleach.

[getting_there]

Originally Posted by tessamami

Bon ami is also OK. Both were reviewed in my natural cleaning book.

.

I am glad to hear this, I use Bon ami all the time.

[jyurina]

The cleaning industry would have you believe that the germs are waiting around every corner for you-and it is war!!
Vinegar is wonderful-kills many germs and the scent disspates fast and completely unlike bleach. Tea Tree oil is an anti-fungal, anti-bacteria and leaves a nice clean scent. For the shower/tub I have found that srpaying it down with a solution of 3/4 vinegar, 1/4 water and about 20 TTO drops and letting it sit for about 10 minutes dissolves the soap scum and the nasty hard water stains we get here in Phoenix-then I sprinkle on baking soda and use a sponge to scrub it all out-my kids love this BTW and always want to help because the combo foams up

[EnviroBecca]

I love hydrogen peroxide (drugstore strength) for cleaning/disinfecting, esp. sinks and my kitchen counter which is the old-fashioned kind with a metal strip along the edge. Peroxide is great at bubbling gunk out from crevices, like in faucet handles and around drains. Spray or pour it on, let stand until it stops foaming (10-20 minutes), and wipe it off. If you are really worried about germs, follow this by wiping with a cloth soaked in vinegar; the combination is supposed to kill just about everything!

Another important thing to consider is what you're wiping with. A lot of people use sponges, which grow stuff in their pores, esp. if stored such that they never dry completely. I prefer to use cloths and have a lot of them so I can toss them in the laundry after just one use.

[TzippityDoulah]

my favorite tricks are vinegar, (white and apple cider), hot water, dish soap (for counters and sink), tea tree oil (to add to vinegar water mix) and occasionally baking soda. we have this teeny tiny bottle of bleach for "emergencies" that's been with us for oh... 4 years? we never use it. now? I think it smells SO aweful and it burns my lungs!

also I use dish clothes... not sponges.

[deliciousjones]

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