Eco Products

I had wanted to do this post for Earth Day - but just didn't get around to it ... so here it is better late than never (which seems to have become my motto in life. Sigh.)

Last year for Earth Day I pledged to myself to use only organic gardening methods - which has worked out quite nicely. I also pledged to slowly switch over to using only eco-friendly products. We're not all the way there (the laundry detergent is going to be my hold-out; I'm way too OCD about laundry.) We are using mostly eco-friendly products now, and after a conversation with Corinne about some I love and some I hate - I thought I'd share my opinions.

First up; the only thing I can truly say I hate. Palmolive eco dishwasher detergent. Part of the problem is that I didn't do my due diligence on this one. I took it at face value, without reading the ingredient list. (It was one of my first switches, and it was cheaper than the other eco friendly products.) After using it for a while, I noticed that the inside of my soap dispenser in the dishwasher had a white coating. I tried to clean it off, but it wouldn't budge - then I realized it was actually starting to corrode. Yikes. That was when I read the label and realized that this "eco friendly" product was full of bleach. Bleach. Yeah, it's really earth friendly to be sending that down the drain, not to mention the damage it did to my dishwasher. I had a few bottles in the storage room, so I returned them all to Target.

I don't really like the Method products. I tried several, they work OK, but not brilliantly, and although they have become much better about listing what's in their products, and are phosphate and paraben free, they cold be better - and I just think all that added color and fragrance isn't really necessary. Why would I want to be adding that to the ocean? So Method is not for me.


I do make an exception for this candle - which I really love & keep in the downstairs bathroom. Soy wax, and in a glass jar - which I figure can be recycled. I actually rarely light it, it's a small room so the fragrance just diffuses out.


I won a Watkins giveaway on Lindsey's blog, and was excited to try their products - this is what I ordered.

So next I tried the Watkins citrus dishwasher detergent. It worked well and has good ingredients, but was actually pretty stinky. It had "earth salts" in it - maybe that's what made it smell. Also, not available at Target, and really I am probably not really going to go to the effort of ordering online - plus the cost of shipping, etc. Not for me.
That's when I returned to my longstanding favorite brand. Seventh Generation. These guys didn't just jump on the bandwagon - they started it rolling. Have been around for ages, and are totally reliable. This works well, smells great (I love the grapefruit) is available at Target, and leaves no residue in my dishwasher or on the dishes. We have a winner! I just wish they would sell it in bigger bottles - which would be more convenient for me and would use less plastic. Or maybe they could sell those refill bag things ... I should write to them.

I really like their rinse aid too.

So, while I'm still talking about dishes - here's a review of the dish soap I've tried.

I do love the Watkins, it works really well, smells GREAT and is available at Target. But it is more expensive, than the Seventh Generation, which is also great (about a dollar more for the 24oz bottle.) So I usually buy some of each.

OK, a few more that I feel strongly about, then I'll stop.

The Watkins Citrus Tub & Tile cleaner. Our main bathroom (and only full bath) is the only room in our house we haven't renovated. We also live in a very humid place, so I'm battling mildew all the time. Plus, six people use it every day - it's going to get dirty, and fast. I had such high hopes for this product. I was disappointed. First up - it doesn't small at all like citrus. It smells like tea tree oil - which is a good natural antibacterial, but is a potent smell. It did clean - but it also took off the caulking around the sides of my tub - so it's not for us (back to the Seventh Generation.)

For areas other than the bathroom, I want a good all purpose cleaner. This one I LOVE.
It smells yummy (I like the lemon,) wipes off easily without leaving any residue and does a good job cleaning. I use it on the glass shelves in my fridge all the time, and many times a day on the counter tops. I haven't tried it on the windows, but do use it on the mirrors and it's great.

I like these too (I ordered the first pack online, but have bought subsequent one's at Target.) I like the lemon, and the green tea one equally. I'm trying to reduce our use of wipes in favor of re-usable cloths, but sometimes you just need a wipe - I know all the mother's out there can instantly think of at last a dozen situations where they would really need one), so I keep a pack of these in the car for emergency "there's no water or cloth around" situations.
OK, so there's my belated Earth Day review.

My pledge for this year? To stop using paper towels. I use a lot of terry cloths for cleaning, and have started to gather a bunch of micro-fiber one's. I have many for glass, stainless steel and dusting - but am still looking for a good multi-use one that comes in a pack of several. It seems they all come in multi-packs with other kinds that I do not want or need....

I've heard the "blue wonder" is great, had anyone tried it?

If you have a favorite micro-fiber cleaning cloth, let me know!