DR. BRONNER’S CASTILLE SOAPS
We use Dr. Bronner’s to wash dishes (hand wash only), counter tops, bathtubs, and toilets; and as a body wash for baby and adults. Dr. Bronner’s has a variety of scents: Peppermint, Tea Tree, Baby Mild, Almond, etc. Below are my recommended scents for each purpose.
- Dishes, countertops, bathtubs, and toilets: Peppermint and Tea Tree
- Body wash for baby and adults: Baby Mild and Almond. In the winter, I was using the Almond Dr. Bronner’s as a body wash and it was drying. In the spring, I switched to Baby Mild which seemed to be better but the weather was also less drying so hard to know how Baby Mild will be on my skin next winter. I tried Dr. Bronner’s as shampoo once and it left my hair looking awful so I haven’t tried it again.
- There are a number of other scents that we have not yet tried, such as Lavendar and Eucalyptus. More information can be found on the Dr. Bronner’s website.
Dr. Bronner’s is always highly rated as non-toxic and is quite effective for almost everything. (We were instructed by our decorator, however, not to use it on wood.) I love that it’s very safe and gentle, and very versatile. The label contains a lengthier list for which this soap can be used.
Dr. Bronner’s products can be purchased at Shop at The S File Store.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT
Seventh Generation
We’ve tried a few brands of non-toxic laundry detergents and prefer Seventh Generation. The liquid formula seems to clean better than the powder form. We buy ours at Whole Foods. You can also purchase below in a package of 6.
MIRRORS AND WINDOWS
We use wet newspapers to clean mirrors and windows. It works great — better than water and vinegar! Click on Wet Newspapers to read about our experiences with non-toxic cleaners of mirrors and windows!
FLOORS
We’ve been using a variety of solutions to clean our wooden floors.
White Vinegar
We add 1/8 vinegar to a solution of water and a drop of Dr. Bronner’s to clean our floors. We also use a solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle to wipe table tops and other surface areas.
Envirorite for our hard wooden floors (we were told by a decorator not to use Murphy’s Oil).
AUTOMATIC DISHWASHING DETERGENT
We use a mixture of the below.
Mrs. Meyer’s. We love this. We buy ours at Whole Foods. It can also be purchased Shop at The S File Store in a package of 6.
Wave Jet. From the EcoWise website: “Wave Jet is the first all natural spot and residue eliminator for auto dishwashing machines. For sparkling Dishes, Glasses & Silverware. Works just like the conventional auto dish washing spot removers, but without the petro chemicals. Comes in a convenient 8-ounce size bottle. Just fill your rinse agent dispenser in your dish washing machine. Refill once per month or as needed. 100% biodegradable.”
This is very effective. We buy ours at Whole Foods. It can also be purchased Shop at The S File Store.
GREASE AND SOAP SCUM CLEANERS
To clean heavy grease around the oven, baking soda and water works great!
Hydrogen Peroxide can be an effective replacement of bleach.
MORE INFORMATION
To learn more about hazards in cleaning products and to see third-party reviews of “green” cleaning products, please browse through the selected YouTube video content below. You can also click here for a very helpful video: Green Cleaning.
Check out a great third-party resource — HealthyChild.org — for more information on cleaning and other products.
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