Favorite "green" cleaners?

[spencersmommy]

Still trying out the green stuff to find what I like best. What have you find that you love?

My stuff:
-Did not like Burt Bees shampoo (made my hair look and feel unwashed)
-Like the Kiss My Face shampoo, but still looking.
-My sister likes the Giovanni brand.
-Body wash: like the Jason brand. Burt's Bees is too watery.

Kids stuff:
-LOVE CA Baby stuff!
-Like the Earth's Best baby wipes. Also like the Whole Foods 365 brand baby wipes.

Home:
-Use a vinegar concoction (from Gorgeously Green). Like it a lot. I have the clorox Greenworks brand, too, use sometimes.
-Like Bon Ami cleaner.
-Looking for a good green shower/toilet cleaner.
-Bought a microfiber cloth for dusting. Works well!
-Mop with hot water and vinegar and a splash of Dr. Bronners.
-Ecover dishwasher...like it, but dishes aren't always clean.
-Ecos laundry detergent. Didn't like it a first, but it's growing on me (plus, bought the huge bottle at Costco, so have to use it up!)
-Method hand soap
-Cleanwell Hand soap...didn't care for it, the smell was strong and lingered. DH asked me to replace it.
-Dishsoap, use a store brand green soap, like it.

Anyway, would love to hear what you use and like AND what didn't work for you!

[mommy111]

Haven't ever done green cleaning, so I can't be of any help, but I'm bookmarking your thread for reference for all the great tips :)

[bubbaray]

Simple Green

[Ceepa]

Funny you mentioned Burt's Bee shampoo. We just tried the shampoo/body wash on the kids and their hair was like straw. Not just stripped of the chemical build-up from the old shampoo but really dry and stringy. Blech.

I liked the Giovanni for us.

[niccig]

Giovanni Shampoo and Conditioner and Body wash for us. CA Baby for DS.
Still looking for face wash for me

Ecover dishwasher works for us, just as good as Cascade - but heard this depends on your water.
Using Ecover hand dishwashing liquid. Like that too.
About to try Earth Friendly Furniture Polish
For the toilet - try straight vinegar. I had brown ring/streaks from rim. Barkeepers Friend helped to lighten, but straight vinegar every day for several days and toilet is pristine white again and it's an OLD toilet. Now I do a maintenance spray once a week and once a month put vinegar in the tank.
Once a month, vinegar in dishwasher in washing machine to clean those out too.
About to try some recipes form Clean Planet - the floor recipe, all-purpose spray and scrub for bathroom.
Use Bona for wood floors.

[Melaine]

I like 7th Gen. multi purpose cleaner

[bubbaray]

I also really like Ecover products -- all purpose cleaner, dish detergent, etc..

[cheaperthanmost]

Try the brand "Method" I buy the dish soap, spray cleaner, the hand soap, and the pop up wipes. I buy the type called "Go Naked" It has now perfume and no dyes in it. Love the pump hand soap the most, it just cleans your hands without making them smell like perfume.

[C99]

Didn't like Mrs. Meyers all-purpose cleaners. They work well, but the scents are too strong for me. I'm trying to use up the rest of my second bottle (keep one upstairs and one downstairs), but replaced the first bottle with Method all-purpose cleaner in pink grapefruit. I use it for everything except glass, including spraying in the toilet and scrubbing.

I use bar soap for handwashing. Less packaging than liquid soap and a bar lasts forever!

[Puddy73]

Hits:

Ecover dishwasher soap (works better for us than Cascade!!!)
Jason Extra Gentle shampoo for kids
Blue House soaps
Kiss My Face soaps
California Baby products for DC
all-purpose cleaning solutions from Clean House, Clean Planet
Method laundry detergent (although I'm not really sure how "green" this is)
Simply Green for tough cleaning jobs

Misses:
Charlie's Soap
Burt's Bees baby wash
Giovani shampoo & conditioner

[egoldber]

Hits:

Jason Gentle shampoo and conditioner for the kids
Dr. Bronner's bar soap for the kids
Trader Joe Cleanliness is Next to Godliness all purpose cleaner (LOVE it!!)
vinegar and water for glass cleaner
solution of Dr. Bronner and water in my foaming hand soap dispenser (next time I will get an unscented one though)

Misses:
CA Baby for the kids (Sarah hated the smell)


Waiting until I use up what I have on hand to try.....

Giovanni shampoo
Ecover dishwasher detergent

When I use up my current bottle of Dawn I am going to try Dr. Bronner for handwashing dishes

[Asianmommy]

Burt's Bee's shampoo and sunscreen smelled awful--DH and the kids complained!

We do like:
-CA baby bubble bath, shampoo, conditioner, and sunscreen.
-Seventh Generation dishwasher detergent, dishsoap, and laundry detergent.
-Method wood, granite, glass, and multipurpose cleaners. (Stainless steel cleaner is not so great.)
-365 facial tissue

[cheaperthanmost]

Burt's Bee's shampoo and sunscreen smelled awful--DH and the kids complained!

We do like:
-CA baby bubble bath, shampoo, conditioner, and sunscreen.
-Seventh Generation dishwasher detergent, dishsoap, and laundry detergent.
-Method wood, granite, glass, and multipurpose cleaners. (Stainless steel cleaner is not so great.)
-365 facial tissue
I love the seventh generation dishwasher detergent as well. Works as good as anything I have used, including cascade.

[caribbeanmama]

We have tried a lot of "green" products around here and these are my favorites.

Burt's Bees Shampoo and Body Wash - absolutely awesome stuff! I use it on the kids ALL the time. I use it as a face wash on myself and it works great too.
Jason Gentle Shampoo and Conditioner for kids
Kiss My Face bar soaps - our favorites are the Honey and Pure Olive Oil
Alba Un-petroleum - I love this as a diaper ointment and I wish they made a bigger size.

Around the house...

Trader Joe's Multi-purpose cleaner - LOVE it and use it everywhere. Love the smell too.
Ecover dishwasher tablets - the only "green" dishwasher soap that works for us.
For hand washing dishes: Have tried almost everything "green" out there with no luck in getting dishes really clean, specially plastic containers and such. Right now, I am having great luck with less "green" dishwashing liquids such as Method Go Naked, Green Works brand and Palmolive Pure and Clear brand.

"Green" products we did not like:

Dr. Bronner soaps - just too drying. I also hated these for handwashing dishes.
Toilet/bathroom products have also been misses for the most part, specially Earth Friendly Products. I have had slightly better luck with Ecover bathroom products, but still rely on Bon Ami and Bar Keeper's Friend to scrub my tub.