Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to make one change in your cleaning routine to be more kind to the Earth.
Level of Commitment: Making Strides
I’ve been “green” for a few years in most of my cleaning with my triple threat cleaners, but I had a few areas that I still needed to tackle when I started writing Kitchen Stewardship. Last year you all watched the torturous path I trod to find an earth-friendly dishwasher detergent (aren’t you glad I spared you the trouble?!), and I’ve been pleased to find a few natural options that work for the laundry. (Soap Nuts and Charlie’s Soap Powder both rank high on the recommendation list.)
Now it’s your turn. What is left in your cleaning cabinet that needs “greening up”? Dishwasher detergent? Laundry? Maybe carpets? If all your cleaners are eco-friendly (hoorah for you!), maybe you can look at using less water or fewer paper towels.
Here’s a list of basic cleaners and some green options:
My basic three all-purpose green cleaners; a must-read if you do nothing else!
| dish soap | any brand natural dish soap, NOT antibacterial (Mrs. Meyer’s is one option) |
| countertop cleaner/all-purpose spray | vinegar and hydrogen peroxide, sometimes Seventh Generation for for quick jobs. Soak in straight vinegar for hard water stains, but not on grout. |
| dishwasher detergent | Biokleen automatic dish powder |
| Jet Dry/rinse agent | straight white vinegar in the dispenser |
| oven cleaner | baking soda, salt – see How to Clean Your Oven for details |
| glass cleaner | vinegar and water or a damp then dry microfiber cloth |
| all-purpose surface disinfectant | 50/50 hydrogen peroxide and water, straight vinegar |
| toilet bowl cleaner | straight vinegar, baking soda/lemon juice paste for tough stains |
| daily shower spray | straight vinegar |
| bathtub cleaner | straight vinegar and baking soda to scrub |
| laundry pre-treat | Biokleen Bac-Out diluted to 1/3 strength in a spray bottle; any basic oxygen bleach for soaking tough stains |
| laundry detergent | Soap Nuts |
| bleach | Don’t do it! Use oxygen bleach for stains on clothing and peroxide and vinegar for sanitizing. Tea tree oil diluted also sanitizes. |
| body soap | ? I just use a bar soap for now… |
| hand soap | NO antibacterial soap; regular handsoap is a good option and diluting a concentrated natural soap like Dr. Bronner’s castille soap or Shaklee H2 is even better. I use a foaming pump. |
| toothpaste | a frontier I haven’t yet crossed – some people go flouride-free, but I have flouride in my water anyway (a future personal Monday Mission = get the water filtered properly, but it’s a complicated issue) |
| face soap | I use the minty face wash sold at Natural Momma, but have you heard about the oil cleansing method? I use straight coconut oil as an eye makeup remover, and it’s the most effective product I’ve ever tried for that purpose. |
| shampoo | baking soda and apple cider vinegar (“no ‘poo” resources) NaturOli also sells a shampoo bar and liquid shampoo. |
| baby wipes | I make my own from Viva paper towel cut into thirds, 1 1/2 c. boiled water and a squirt of either Shaklee H2 or castille soap plus a splash of white vinegar. An even greener option would be to use flannel/cloth and wash. |
Another update to this list including LOTS more personal care products and soaps: Green and Natural Body Products
UPDATE: The cleaning update with every natural cleaning product I can think of.
Remember, just choose one major thing you need to “green up” for this week and start exploring your options. If you want to go baby steps style, you can wait until whatever you’re using is gone, but keep looking and make a decision about what you’re going to use in the meantime.
What am I missing? If you have other options, please share in the comments. It’s great to watch KS readers helping each other out!
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If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.
Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money. If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.
Disclosure: The links to Amazon are affiliate links, and I am also an affiliate of NaturOli.
Green cleaners work for me!
You are impressive! I need to get that Biokleen DW detergent, do you know if it’s sold in any mainstream store? (to save shipping)
I am ‘sold’ on handmade soap now, I just posted about it if you wanted to see.
http://www.healthhomehappy.com/2010/01/simple-pleasures-handmade-soap.html
.-= Cara @ Health Home and Happiness´s last blog ..Essential Oils for Beginners (What we use and why) =-.
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Jen Reply:
January 18th, 2010 at 6:09 pm
They have it at all our natural foods stores in town – Whole Foods, Sunflower Market, Vitamin Cottage – It’s $8-9 for a container.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..treasures =-.
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karen Reply:
January 18th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Our local Kroger store (Fry’s) carries BioKleen products–in the ‘health food’ section. I always wondered if that means the other food isn’t healthy?
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Katie Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 3:29 am
LOL!
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thanks for posting this! I have purchased some paper towel alternatives, use Mrs. Meyers countertop cleaner, have experimented with Dr. Bronner’s, and bought a cleaning kit from reusablebags.com. Unfortunately I forgot to include DH in the discussions, as he came home last night with some Pine Sol for our planned cleaning extravaganza (we like to do a huge house clean every once in awhile). so I’m trying to balance using up what we have vs. introducing new things when they run out. We;re almost out of automatic dishwasher detergent so that’s next on my list.
.-= The Local Cook´s last blog ..Rutabaga and Greens Fritatta (Dark Days Challenge) =-.
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Katie Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 4:01 am
Local Cook,
Be sure to check out my DW detergent failures! I’d recommend Biokleen myself, but you can read all about them: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/06/02/early-results-natural-dishwasher-detergent-experiments/ and here: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/09/18/dishwasher-detergent-experiments-back-again/
Good luck! (Those husbands…)
Katie
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The Local Cook Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Thanks for the tip! I bought some BioKleen on my lunch hour. Hope it works!
.-= The Local Cook´s last blog ..Dilly Bean Potato Soup =-.
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You read my mind about using oil cleansing treatment for the face. I was going to look up info about that today but I woke to find it right here for me. Thanks!
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Thank you for the chart!
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I used Dr. Bronner’s and baking soda to clean my bathrooms recently! And I just use plain water on my babies with cloth wipes. Their skin is sensitive and I wouldn’t want to use wipes even if I did think they were a good idea (the amount of disposable stuff for babies is INSANE! Diapers, wipes, bibs, washcloths, bottles, plates, cups, spoons…. What is wrong with people!).
Dr. Bronner’s is really good for everything! Tooth brushing (haven’t tried it but have heard it’s perfectly safe), hair-washing, really anything you want. Works great on my counters.
.-= Kate´s last blog ..Natural Dishwasher Detergent =-.
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Kate,
Do you know about Melaleuca and the benefits of Melaleuca oil?
I use all of the natural products produced by the company Melaleuca, and Melaleuca oil is amazing for everything (cleaning booster, colds, disinfectant, etc.).
Anyway–if you want to know more, I’d love to share. Our family has benefited so much from make the switch to these products.
Oh, and their toothpaste and body (bath bar) soap ROCK!
.-= Mary @ The Writer’s Block´s last blog ..Around the Block: News, Happenings, and Cool Websites =-.
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What a helpful list! I make almost all of my own “green” household products: soap, deodorant (except for dh’s), toothpaste, laundry soap, cleaning sprays.
I’m working on making liquid soap right now, and it is taking forever. I’ll post about it if it ever dissolves properly.
I am hoping to use that or a variation for hand soap, dish liquid, and shampoo.
I almost have a toothpaste recipe down, but the kids aren’t thrilled yet. We use it anyway.
Great post! I’m looking forward to reading about everyone else’s resources too.
.-= Andrea´s last blog ..Experiments in Soap Making =-.
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I know it’s not a cleanser, but I make and sell a lotion that’s all -natural, “green” and even edible (so even Dr. Mercola would be proud). I have loads of testimonies on my website about its effectiveness (I started making it when my skin hurt so bad from all the cracking and bleeding associated with cooking and diaper changing). I’m planning to post a “how to” for making it sometime but if you want to check it out, the ingredients and all it does for people are located on my website: http://www.hardlotion.com
Andrea, would love to hear about your toothpaste successes!
So happy to find your site!
Renee in N. CA
(and a fellow CCL gal)
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Katie Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 3:48 am
Renee,
Great stuff! 
Katie
So happy you found KS too! I totally need your lotion bar right now – my hands are so dry and cracked it hurts to get them wet.
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Katie, I am only 2 weeks into eathier more natural foods and getting the chemicals out. What about the brand 7th generation?
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Katie Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 3:47 am
Marianne,
Katie
Stephanie at Keeper of the Home says their dishsoap is her favorite, and I think they have the Earth’s interests at heart. I just haven’t tried their dishwasher detergent for myself, and I just don’t need any “products” in other parts of my home because of my simple three cleaners. Hope that helps!
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Emily @ Live Renewed Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 9:39 am
I have tried the DW detergent and was disappointed because it didn’t get my dishes really clean – worked fine on my actual dishes but not on anything glass or metal. I felt like I had to re-wash a lot of stuff, which definitely is not earth friendly.
Just my experience though. It might work well for others.
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Great list! The only thing I could think of to add is floor cleaner. I use a mix of vinegar and water with a few drops of eucalyptus oil on all of the floors in my house and it works great.
.-= Andi´s last blog ..Green Smoothies, Healthy Cookies, and Dishes in the Bath =-.
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Great post and thanks for the links and suggestions! (grabs a pen and paper)
This is one of the top things on my list to do this year although some of it will have to wait until the budget catches up. I use the Method brand from Target for a lot of my cleaners and soaps right now and Melaleuca laundry soap, but I am hoping to switch everything over to a much more natural/what grandma used/homemade type of lifestyle in the very near future. Baby steps!!
.-= Traci´s last blog ..Multitude Monday =-.
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Thanks for the handy chart! I took baby steps this weekend and used a microfiber cloth to dust and do mirrors with instead of spray and paper towels. I felt so proud! Baby steps!
.-= Morgan Conner´s last blog ..God’s Word =-.
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Katie Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 3:29 am
Morgan,
Katie
Well done! I bet it worked great, too, right?
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Morgan Conner Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
It worked great and was so much easier than what I used to do. Those cloths pick up and clean up everything!
.-= Morgan Conner´s last blog ..God’s Word =-.
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What about my car’s windshield washing fluid? Do you have any ideas about green, natural substitutes that won’t freeze?
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Katie Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 3:28 am
Laura,
Katie
That’s a good one! Never thought of looking for an alternative, actually. Rubbing alcohol won’t freeze, right? But I wouldn’t mess with homemade stuff in the car unless a BUNCH of other people had done it successfully. Now you got me wondering…
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Naomi Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
I was just thinking this the other day. All those nasty fumes come right into the car. Haven’t looked it up at all yet, would love to hear if someone has!
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Thank you for this chart – such a wonderful resource!
.-= Jendeis´s last blog ..My MIL thinks this is the East Building =-.
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Have you tried Tom’s of Maine toothpaste? Trader Joe’s has a toothpaste too. I use both.
I make most of my own green cleaners – including my laundry detergent. I just got a steam floor cleaner to clean my kitchen floors. It has attachments that I can use it to clean mirrors, the shower, toilet, etc. I don’t think it will replace cleaning with vinegar because it’s a pain to lug up stairs but it’s nice option to have.
.-= Condo Blues´s last blog ..Could Blitzkrieg Be Bissell’s Most Valuable Pet? =-.
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I’m doing a “Change Challenge” every month of this year on my blog and this month we are tackling homemade and green cleaning – it goes perfectly with this!
http://liverenewed.blogspot.com/2010/01/january-change-challenge-homemade-and.html
I had to give myself a little pat on the back because at the beginning when you said if all your cleaners are eco-friendly (yes) then maybe you can use less water or fewer paper towels. We haven’t bought paper towels in over 6 months, but using less water is a good thing to be more conscious about – any tips?
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Katie Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 3:24 am
Emily,
Well, there’s always, “If it’s yellow, let it mellow…” for starters. !!
How little can you use to rinse/wash dishes? How full can you pack that dishwasher? (Mine = tetris = super full!) http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/03/09/monday-mission-use-your-dishwasher-wisely/
Short showers is a huge saver, but I’m such a WIMP about that in the winter. I’m so warm and cozy in the warm water!
Great questions, and I love your Change Challenge! I’m impressed that you’re doing the HM DW detergent. Again, I’m a wimp there. I found tea tree oil castille soap that would be cool with your cleaner. I love the smell of it on my baby wipes.
Katie
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Emily @ Live Renewed Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 9:08 am
LOL! I actually already “let it mellow” and am teaching my potty training daughter the same.
I’ve had some disasters with “green” and HM DW detergent too, but am happy with what I am using now, but I know it won’t work for everyone depending on water and probably on the DW itself.
I hadn’t thought about the TTO castile soap, that a great idea. For my cleaner and for my baby wipes, I’ll have to look into it.
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This is AWESOME! I really need to get going on this. In fact a friend of mine sent me a gift this holiday season to make your own cleaning products – using just olive oil, baking soda, vinegar and essential oils. So I am really excited. I do fluoride free toothpaste. If you get a Berkey filter it filters out fluoride – in case you are interested.
.-= Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen´s last blog ..Goat Fromage Blanc with Garbanzo Crackers =-.
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Great post! We do pretty well, I use Mrs. Meyers non-toxic AP cleaner for pretty much everything (counters, floors, bathrooms) and white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide if I need to disinfect. I love baking soda mixed with dishsoap for a whitening/softscrub style cleanser and have been buying Costco’s Kirkland all-natural dishsoap. It’s pretty much just like Seventh Generation but at about a third the cost. I just keep refilling our bottle (because you have to buy a ton of it!).
We use All Free and Clear for laundry detergent, it is phosphate, perfume and dye free, for our sensitive skin but I’ve been considering making homemade. Just worried that the Borax might be too harsh . . . we do use BacOut for diapers.
The only thing I still need to change is our dishwasher cleaner. Shortly after one of your next to last dishwasher disasters I bought a big batch of Electrasol Tabs at Costco and am still working through them.
Looking forward to reading more!
Best,
Sarah
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Too Much Information =-.
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I would love to hear from someone who is using the “no poo” method. I am wondering how it will work on my daughters’ hair, and if it would be difficult to teach them how to do it.
Can anyone help?
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Katie Reply:
January 25th, 2010 at 4:45 am
Tara,
Katie
I do!
Q1: Tough to say. Folks get mixed results, but kids’ hair, depending on their age, is pretty easy to keep clean grease-wise.
Q2: Super easy. Just mix yr baking soda with water in an old shampoo bottle and the can splash it on. The vinegar spray might not even be necessary unless they have long or curly hair. There are lots of good resources for it – Simple Mom and Keeper of the Home have good posts.
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Tara Rison Reply:
January 25th, 2010 at 11:16 am
Thanks! I will check out the other posts.
.-= Tara Rison´s last blog ..What We Are Eating: Week Four =-.
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I’m interested in doing away with our supermarket laundry soap. We have a front-loading washer, so my options for soap are limited since we can’t use the standard laundry soap with this washer. Thankfully I don’t have to use quite as much soap per load, but green options are limited. I’d like to find a good alternative.
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Laura Reply:
January 25th, 2010 at 11:58 am
I have a front loading machine as well and I have been successfully using home made laundry detergent for over a year now. Just a standard recipe off of the web.
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LOVE THESE IDEAS! I linked to this in my Friday Favorites… come on over and get an “I was featured” button if you like. ~Lanie
.-= Lanie´s last blog ..Join me in Follow Me Fridays at Trendy Treehouse… =-.
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I have enjoyed hand soaps and shampoo bars from Ida and Howard at Chagrin Valley Saop and Craft http://chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/
Ida also notes what the ingredients in the soaps are good for, i.e., exzema, renewed elasticity. They also have dog shampoos, shaving soap, lotin bars, accessories, and gifts.
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Instead of baby wipes, we use washcloths. I have a thermos carafe drink dispenser to keep warm water in, and then use that to wet the washcloth for wiping baby bumms. I got the cheapest, thinnest cloths, and throw them in with the diapers for wash. No soap or cleanser, and so no diaper rash!
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My resolution is to start using ‘green’ detergent. I have been making my own fabric softener for a while (from vinegar and baking soda), but still use regular commercial laundry detergent. I just bought some Seventh Generation Natural Dish liquid at Target last week!
.-= Holly´s last blog ..Jan 26, Enter to win Free Charlies Laundry Soap and All-Purpose Cleaner! =-.
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I read about mixing castile soap with vinegar and water, but I ended up with oil, so instead I add soup nut liquid to my vinegar/water for a steller all purpose/ glass cleaner.
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Here is a link to a site that has a ton of ways to clean the entire house and then some with vinegar! Green, clean,and frugal!!
http://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html#1
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Give the toothpaste issue a try! At least you’ll be taking in less flouride. JASON Powersmile is non-flouride, & is the cleanest toothpaste we’ve ever tried! We ran out a couple of months ago, & had an old tube of Tom’s of Maine (spearmint) to use up, & it was too sweet & just nowhere near as clean feeling. I get the Weleda stuff for my little people. In both cases, they can be bought from Azure Standard or from Vitacost quite reasonably (although, for awhile, I was getting a bunch of the Powersmile from a local salvage grocery–we always stock up on deals like that!).
For wipes: I have tiny kids now, but I’m 37, rather than the age of most mothers of toddlers. And I did a LOT of babysitting in middle school and high school. So I remember when disposable diapers weren’t anywhere NEAR as nice as they are now (I use cloth at home, ‘sposies if we’re out all day), & people did not automatically use baby wipes at home (& the nicest ones were about as good as the dollar store ones nowadays–ick!). People just washed baby bottoms with a washcloth, & threw the washcloth in the laundry (after rinsing). You can make cloth “wipes” easily–I made mine out of scraps left from diaper-making. But it’s really only frugal if you have scraps to use. Otherwise, Wal-Mart & Target both sell bundles of like 18 washcloths for under $4, so we’re talking less than 25 cents a cloth. I can’t imagine needing more than 2 packs like that, and you just wet them with warm water at the sink.
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Guest Posting at Cheeseslave.com on GAPS « Health, Home, & Happiness // Jul 10, 2010 at 9:47 am
[...] for soap and hair/body/tooth care. Kitchen Stewardship has a great discussion going on about natural cleaners as well (and I’ve got a guest post going up there Friday [...]
SO I know I’m about a year late to this post, but actually I HAVE been using your ideas since last summer. I just got to the baby wipes this month
Questions about the baby wipes(making your own): You didn’t mention how many thirds you start with using the 1 1/2 cup solution. I did 100 last night night and liked how wet they came out but wanted to check how you did it.
Also, the vinegar smell. Ugh, can’t stand it. Maybe I put too much in? If you can smell it, does that mean I need to ease up? Or, the more the merrier? I read somewhere you use tea tree oil as well in your wipes recipe. Is it for the smell or other properties?
That’s it! Other than accidentally buying Brawny paper towels before realizing you said Viva (lol, oops) this was a piece of cake!
I’m still trying to figure out how many (ideally) I should use for a poopy diaper. A few don’t cut it around here.
Thanks for your help, Katie!
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Katie Reply:
January 28th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
Sara,
Great questions, and good job checking down through the list!!!
I just use the entire roll of paper once cut into a third. I never peel them off (too lazy). If it seems like it’s getting too wet, just pull back on the the pouring.
Tea tree oil would take the place of vinegar, more or less, b/c it’s an antibacterial agent.
We always try to wipe the bottom first with the diaper once pulled open, which seriously cuts down on # of wipes.
Good luck!
Katie
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