Green Cleaning

This may read like an advertisement, but I believe if you find a good thing you share it.  For anyone interested in going green in your home, an easy first step is with your cleaning solutions.  For me, it was an easy leap.  I had a mother and grandmother who had always used vinegar and baking soda for basic household cleaning.  Green cleaning is increasing in popularity as people begin to question how detrimental various chemicals are to the environment and more importantly to their families’ health. In response more companies are racing to market with their green products.  Some work, others, not so well.  I came across a line to which I am almost exclusively devoted.  This isn’t your mother’s vinegar and water, or baking soda.  This is Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning and home products.  The products work wonderfully and they smell like expensive fragrance.

Each product comes in one of several fragrances:  basil (my favorite), geranium, lemon verbena, lavender, or baby fresh.  The line consists of dish soap, all- purpose cleaner, dishwasher detergent, counter cleaner, shower cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, laundry detergent and a line of baby care products.  My most commonly used are the dish soap and the all-purpose cleaner.  I love the all-purpose cleaner because I mix what I need.  I keep it in a spray bottle diluted with water for all of my general cleaning needs. I clean the bathrooms with it.  I take it around the house and wash walls, doors and trim with it.  It is tough enough to clean a nasty tub or bathroom floor, but gentle enough that to use on painted surfaces.  I have also used it to clean the inside of our car. It does the job of more caustic products but I can feel good about using these products knowing that there will not be any adverse effects on my family or the environment.  Along with that, being a very scent oriented person,  I love that when I clean a room it’s not only clean but fresh smelling.  These scents are strong enough to linger, but not so strong that you feel overwhelmed.   The worst thing about the scents is trying to decide which one to choose.

Mrs. Myer’s products are not as widely available as other brands.  Originally I was only finding them at Whole Foods in Ann Arbor.  They are now available in some Target stores, some Ace Hardware and various health food stores.  They can also be purchased directly from Mrs. Meyer’s online.