As I’ve been attempting to “go green,” my biggest difficulty has been giving up my cleaning products. I have assembled an arsenal of chemicals for cleaning over the years that would rival the shoe collection of Imelda Marcos. All of those bottles lining my shelf are filled with toxic chemicals that are harmful to the environment, but I didn’t want to give them up.
“Why?” you ask. Several reasons:
- I already have the products, and I don’t want to waste them by just throwing them away.
- I’m gullible and believe the advertisers when they tell me “no scrubbing necessary.”
- I want a clean house, but I have an aversion to “elbow grease.”
The toxic chemicals I use for cleaning my house are hard on my hands. They haven’t fully recovered from the chemical burn I got by using contaminated hand lotion last November. You would think I would be hesitant to use those products. I am, but I want my house to be clean!
Some of you are bouncing up and down right now, because you want to tell me of the virtues of bacon soda [Editor's note: I just noticed this typo ... or was is my Freudian slip showing?], salt, and vinegar. I know that they are effective, but I am much too lazy to use them. The salt and vinegar also dry my hands too much. I want something that I can spray on and wipe off and scream, “Voila!”
Others of you are telling me, “Use gloves!” I can’t maneuver with them.
Last week at one of those environmentally friendly grocery stores, I saw a cleaning product called “Holy Cow!” It is biodegradable, and claims it can be used to attack marble, tile, ovens, sinks, laundry, carpet, and wood floors. It claims it can de-grease an oven, remove a pet stain, or zap a laundry stain. The price was right, so I thought, “Why not?” If it didn’t work, I could use it to decorate my cleaning shelf.
“Holy Cow!” This stuff is aptly named! I love it! When I think about it, I can only write with exclamation points!
No, the company isn’t paying me to write this, but they could give me a lifetime supply if they want. I’m using it all over the house now. It does NOT bother my hands, and it cleans up a storm. It even removed mildew stains I’ve been fighting for months. I think I can finally just get rid of all those other cleaning products — if I can find a location that will take them.
That’s what I have found that is “good” for today. I can clean and be good to Mother Earth.
Do you have some “good” to share? Leave me a comment OR join us in spreading an “optimism virus” on the internet. Only The Good . That link has instructions if you would like to join those of us who are posting.
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Have a great weekend!
Other posts you might enjoy:
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I’m a lot like you -I like having a nice clean and orderly house -but with the grandkids and their ability to create messy, very messy rooms and tabletops and such, there seems to be an even larger need for lots and lots of that old standard, elbow grease -and that doesn’t do a thing towards making me happy!
My “Only The Good” post is up this a.m. and I had a lot of things that were really “good” this past week!
Peace.
Jeni Hill Ertmers last blog post..See Ya!
Very cool! And they’re pretty to look at too!
I haven’t moved into the land of cleaning products yet with my “greenifying”, but that’s on the list!
Mine is up as well: http://tinyurl.com/d4spdx
Karinas last blog post..Accountability April – Week 3 – Happy Earth Day
P.S. How could you link to an article about the shoes of Imelda Marcos that has no photos? How can someone write an article about her shoes and not have photos? That’s just wrong and a teaser for shoe lovers as myself. Just.Wrong.
@Karina don’t be a whiney baby
Here…if you want to see shoes: http://www.shoes.com/
Sweet! I totally have the same problem with already having cleaning supplies that I want to use even though I would prefer to move towards a more natural solution for cleaning.
Derek Wongs last blog post..Chaffing, Cracks And Other Fun
Holy Cow! I am glad you found something that works!!!(-: I am another bad girl that uses Ajax, Bleach and Ammonia!
Happy Friday!!! Now I am off to cook some bacon and eggs for the DH(-:
cindees last blog post..Europena Rose
Oooh! I used Simple Green for years, but I’ve been branching out. I haven’t seen Holy Cow yet, but I’ll definitely be on the lookout. I have to say that I am PROUD MAMA because my two BOYS – yes, you read that right – BOYS – espouse green cleaning. My 17 year old swears by baking soda and lemon for cleaning the stainless steel sink. I heard him lecturing his older sister the other say about using toxic chemicals to clean the bathtub – how funny is THAT?
I’m up with my ONLY THE GOOD post at Everyday Tarot/ I cut and pasted the blogroll, too!
Late getting mine up, but it was long and important to a friend. Where possible pass it along.
Going Green Helpful Hint: Put biodegradable garbage (peelings/coffee grounds/egg shells etc) in a plastic container until you can dispose of it in a compost pile. That way you don’t have garbage on display in your kitchen and you have a “clean” way to carry it from point A to point B. This saves both water and energy costs because this isn’t going down the garbage disposal
Jamies last blog post..Yom Hashoah – 94th Artillery
I need some of that cleaner! I use the Seventh Generation stuff, but if I could have ONE that does it ALL… I’m there!
I’ve got books this week. Books that aren’t mine — or, should I say books that ARE mine, but were written by others?
Susan Helene Gottfrieds last blog post..Only the Good Friday: Book Sale Haul
Not all things you think are green or better green choices. Here is a great website that tells you if a product is green or if there is a better choice:
http://www.goodguide.com/
Jamies last blog post..Yom Hashoah – 94th Infantry
I rely on baking soda and vinegar and steam; love my steam cleaner for floors. Well, and on Leon’s muscles for scrubbing when needed, I suppose that is cheating, but it beats chemicals.
Found the right microfiber cloth and water (or vinegar) is a miracle cleaner on mirrors and glass.
Glad you find something you are happy with!
Marcias last blog post..Blogging is Good
It was a hard time coming…
Lovelovelove.
Peace, out.
Thornes last blog post..On Grieving and Grandsons and Good
Just a note to thank you for accepting me as a friend on facebook, say I wish I was a clean freak…I’m a bit of a slob, and to say I did post an Only the Good post just now…luv u!
http://nowherevilleusa.blogspot.com/search/label/Only%20the%20Good
Tonis last blog post..Only The Good!
A comment on your post:
Yes, I use elbow grease a lot because I haven’t shopped for good safe cleaning products. Green scrubbies used with elbow grease have been shown to be effective most of the time on everyday surface cleaning but lack the properties to kill germs. I’ll read the Holy Cow label thoroughly in the near future as I am a stay at home Grand father.
A comment on Jamie’s comment:
I am in the act of taking the garbage disposal off the sink drain and rigging it up outside on a water line from the garden hose system whereby putting ground up organic matter right into the composting bin, (along with some moisture), where it can create soil quickly as it is all ground up. Report on this project at a later date.
Spadomans last blog post..New House and an Old Pool
Sweet!! They’re green, they work and the bottles are cute! I’ve been trying different green cleaning products and just haven’t been all that happy with them. I’m going to look for these!
Jessica The Rock Chicks last blog post..Culture Club
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