Green cleaning products are better for the environment and safer for your children, but many moms still prefer traditional (and toxic) cleaning products for two major reasons: cost and convenience.
Unless you wanted to order cleaning products online or had a Whole Foods-type store in your area, it used be hard to find good natural cleaning products. And it used to be the case that green cleaning products cost more than the alternatives.
I’ll admit that I don’t have strong loyalties to my cleaning products. In the past, I’ve selected my cleaning products based on what’s on sale, the coupons I found in the newspaper and what is stocked at Costco. Since I rarely found coupons for green, eco-friendly, and natural cleaning products, buying them was a splurge.
When I was pregnant, I made an effort to clean using only green cleaning products—even when they were more expensive. And now that I have a baby, I’m concerned about exposing him to toxic fumes or poisonous products. I don’t want toxic chemicals in my home, but I also do not want to compromise on quality and effectiveness.
Since I’m thrifty, I researched homemade green cleaning products. When you make your own cleaning products, you can save a lot of money. But it takes more elbow grease to actually clean with them. I’m a busy woman, and I don’t have the time to scrub my tub or sink twice because my homemade cleaner didn’t get off all the dirt.
So I was happy to see that Clorox had come out with a line of green cleaning products that were available at my local supermarket at an affordable price. These products are natural, eco-friendly, non-allergenic and packaged in recyclable materials. I received a free sample of the Clorox Green Works Natural Dishwashing Liquid that was sent to bloggers. I was so pleased with the quality of the Dishwashing Liquid that I went to the store to purchase the Green Works Natural All Purpose Cleaner too.
At my local grocery store, all of the products were available for between $2.99 and $3.59. This is a bit more expensive than traditional cleaners purchased with a coupon, but I found the price to be cheaper than other natural, store-bought alternatives. Since these products work as well as traditional cleaning products, I felt the cost was worth it.
The Green Works cleaners have ingredients primarily sourced from plant and mineral based materials—with a petrochemical content of less than 1 percent. Clorox actually lists all of the ingredients on the label, which is something other companies have been reluctant to do. Clorox has teamed up with the Sierra Club to support their efforts to conserve water and protect the environment, and the Green Works products actually bear the Sierra Club logo as well.
The Dishwashing Liquid uses ingredients like coconuts and lemon oil. It smells great, and it actually works. I’ve used it to wash baby’s teethers, pacifiers, and bottles as well as to scrub greasy frying pans and pots.
The Green Works Natural All Purpose Cleaner also has a coconut-based cleaning agent as well as natural lemon oil. I’ve used it to clean my kitchen and bathroom counters and sinks as well as my baby bathtub. Like the Dishwashing Liquid, it had a pleasant, non-toxic smell and got the job done.
Kudos to Clorox for developing this eco-friendly product and for actually offering it at a reasonable price! I’ll be a regular buyer, and I’ll be keeping my eye out for coupons in the Sunday paper.
