Greenhouse: Cloth, not Chemicals
Hate cleaning. Like, a lot. Love the discussions that spring up here when I post about green cleaning products, so here’s another interesting thing I came across, via The Consumerist (which has been fertile ground for me this week, due props to them). Writer Barbara Flanagan, from ID magazine, did an interesting piece on microfiber cleaning textiles.
The cloths have been incredibly popular in Europe since their introduction about 15 years ago. They clean by scraping surfaces with their microscopic fibers. No chemicals are needed, just water. Better still, you don
OK, I don’t want to be all self serving but, I use and (totally upfront) sell a line called Norwex. http://www.norwex.ca/norwex/
Our microfiber (MF) has silver embedded within it so it is antibacterial in the sense that it removes bacteria but doesn’t kill it, which is the real problem with antibacterial soaps and such.
I’m in Canada where the gov’t has legislated that you can put MF on a label if the fiber has been split 6 times. Ours are split 100+ times.
I don’t use windex and paper towels, just a cloth and water. Great for when my two little boys like the windows and mirrors. Boys are weird.
My house doesn’t smell like fake pine forest.
I don’t have to go to the cleaning aisle that I can smell from 2 aisles away, even though everything is in sealed containers??
I don’t have to rinse out the tub after I clean it and before I clean my boys.
I don’t have to store mixes of vinegar and water, or really anything related to cleaning.
I wash them with my jeans/exercise clothes.
chemfreeclean@telus.net
I let my kids (3, 3, 2) pick out their own colors at Target. Believe it or not, even without water (though with the excitement of a toddler), they will get most grime off of the windows and leave them shiny and streak-free! We’re talking getting rid of boogers, slobber, and other mystery goo here. I put a little white vinegar on one, and managed to clean the bathroom just fine. When you wash them, try to remember to snag them from the washer and hang them up to dry – dryer sheets soften them up a little. I’m a convert.
I got some at Linens N Things, and I’ve seen them at Target. Not hard to find. And if anyone misses the scent, try putting a couple drops of lemon oil in a spray bottle with the water and use it that way. Fresh scent, without the toxins!
You can buy these at Bed Bath & Beyond and Linens n Things now in their household cleaning section. Not too expensive….I keep looking at them but haven’t actually broken down and bought them yet. Maybe I’ll give it a try.
My husband bought a huge pack of these at Costco (in the automotive section) and we use them to dust. I wouldn’t use them to clean grimier places, like the bathroom or kitchen, but they’re great for everything else. Just add water!