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Non-Toxic Cleaning Series: Product Review & Giveaway

July 12th, 2012

The non-toxic cleaning series continues, I’ve been busy testing a few homemade recipes for items like rug cleaners and mildew busters. When I first started the series I had a few different companies contact me about testing their products. I told Better Life I would because their products sounded great. I know many of you don’t necessarily want to be making your own cleaning products and would rather purchase a good non-toxic alternative. So I figured I’d test them out for those of you who do.

They sent me a box with 6 different cleaners. Last weekend, when we set off the clean the house in a jiffy for some potential buyers, I put these products to the test. I was fully ready to not like them as much as my homemade cleaners. Generally I find myself disappointed in purchased products, especially with the price! I was pleasantly surprised, however and really liked these.

The what-EVER cleaner was great for cleaning cabinets and other areas with greasy/oily buildup. After using them to clean my kitchen cabinets they looked amazing. This product really does clean very well, so well in fact that I’m thinking I’ll always have a bottle on hand for those tougher jobs that my homemade multi-purpose cleaner doesn’t work as well on.

The stainless steel cleaner EINSHINE working wonderfully on my appliances. Those of you who asked about cleaning stainless steel will be happy about this product as it can be difficult to find a product that cleans it well. I’ll definitely be keeping a bottle of this on hand for shining up that beautiful stove of mine.

SIMPLY FLOORED was another hit here at Chiot’s Run. Since the entire house is hardwood flooring, we use a mop for everything. I loved that this product has just a touch of sage scent, just barely enough to detect. One of the reasons I do not like store-bought cleaners is I find the heavy scent to be very offensive to my very sensitive nose. That’s one thing I appreciated about all the Better Life Products, no overpowering scents that scream “I JUST CLEANED MY HOUSE”.

The one product I wasn’t super excited about was the glass cleaner I CAN SEE CLEARLY. I didn’t find that it cleaned my windows any better than using the window cleaner or vinegar. I also received a bottle of granite cleaner which I haven’t used since I don’t have stone in my house. The wood polish was used, but I haven’t yet decided if I like it more than simply using my homemade multi-purpose cleaner.

Lucky for you, Better Life will be giving one lucky reader a You Pick 6 box. You can choose which 6 products you’d like to try; simply comment below for your chance to win. Here at Chiot’s Run I’ll be keeping some of the what-EVER cleaner on hand from now on, and I might try their Knock-Out clothes spot treatment as well.

Which cleaning product are you least likely to make yourself at home?

NON-TOXIC CLEANING SERIES
Stocking Your Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit
Learning to Love Castile Soap
Make Your Own: Foaming Soap
Make Your Own: Infused Vinegar
Make Your Own: Multi-Purpose Cleaner
Make Your Own: Color Safe Oxygen Bleach
Non-Toxic Bathroom Cleaning
Friday Favorite: Charlie’s Soap
Friday Favorite: Twist Sponges
Homemade Whitening Scrub

We have a winner:

Disclaimer – Better life sent me products to try to free, but I did not get paid to write this review or to talk about their products.

89 Comments to “Non-Toxic Cleaning Series: Product Review & Giveaway”
  1. quintuplicatemom on July 12, 2012 at 4:38 pm

    I love cleaning with vinegar but my family thinks it stinks. So I’ve been looking for alternatives. This sounds like something to try!

    Reply to quintuplicatemom's comment

  2. Jennifer on July 12, 2012 at 4:51 pm

    These sound like awesome products. I would love to try some!

    Reply to Jennifer's comment

  3. Diana on July 12, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    These sound like good products. I wonder if they make a good pet stain remover for upholestry-an aging cat is not being kind to our couch. Anyhow thanks for taking the time to show them off!

    Reply to Diana's comment

  4. Tammey on July 12, 2012 at 5:05 pm

    Hey there Susy! I am so glad you got all of those wonderful products! I know you will not have a lot of time to make your own when you move to your awesome farmhouse! I find that I do not have time to make my own and I do not even have a farm!!! Someday I would love making my own but for now …I will buy them!

    Reply to Tammey's comment

  5. Sonya on July 12, 2012 at 5:14 pm

    “Lightly scented, worked great,” sounds like a winner to me!

    Reply to Sonya's comment

  6. Wendy on July 12, 2012 at 6:14 pm

    So far I’ve been hesitant to make any type of bar or liquid soap. I’m pretty game for trying to make most anything else. These products sound great!

    Reply to Wendy's comment

  7. Kandis on July 12, 2012 at 6:27 pm

    Our ancient porcelain doesn’t seem to want to get white without some Comet cleaner. I’ve tried lemon and soda but it just doesn’t quite do it.

    Reply to Kandis's comment

  8. Sherri on July 12, 2012 at 7:02 pm

    Products sound effective and I’d like to try them. I’m least likely to make a hand washing dish detergent.

    Reply to Sherri's comment

  9. Martha on July 12, 2012 at 7:05 pm

    I’m one of the “lucky” ones that doesn’t always find the products that are green enough. So I was happy when I saw a review for Better Life. Thanks for doing this for us all!

    Reply to Martha's comment

  10. Loree on July 12, 2012 at 7:31 pm

    I do not make laundry or dishwasher detergent! Otherwise I mostly use vinegar & baking soda :)

    Reply to Loree's comment

  11. Patricia M on July 12, 2012 at 7:35 pm

    Great post, especially since I used to make my own cleaning products, but lately have not been able to find the time to do so. I would love to try the stainless-steel cleaning product and the hardwood-floor cleanser because I wouldn’t make those on my own.

    Reply to Patricia M's comment

  12. daisy on July 12, 2012 at 7:36 pm

    I have been making my own cleansers for a while, but it’s nice to have an emergency stash on hand in case you run out. Dish it Out, Whatever and the microfiber cloths would be great to try! Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply to daisy's comment

  13. Karen on July 12, 2012 at 8:59 pm

    My version of “homemade” cleaners these days is mostly using a concentrated store product, diluting with water, and then adding some essential oils to increase the germ/fungus/bacteria fighting properties. Some “really homemade” products I have tried that have things like orange peel in them, I feel like I have to clean the cleaner! So, I am least likely to make a scrubbing powder.

    Reply to Karen's comment

  14. Jennifer on July 12, 2012 at 9:09 pm

    I’ve tried making an all-purpose floor cleaner and haven’t been thrilled with the result. I too have all-wood floors and would love to try a non-toxic floor and bathroom cleaner!

    Reply to Jennifer's comment

  15. KimH on July 12, 2012 at 9:53 pm

    The what EVER sounds awesome to me.. If you’re convinced, Im convinced. ;)

    Reply to KimH's comment

  16. domestic diva on July 12, 2012 at 10:21 pm

    The Knock out sounds great, as does what ever.

    Reply to domestic diva's comment

  17. Bill on July 12, 2012 at 10:23 pm

    The stainless steel cleaner looks neat. With two kids it does not take long to dirty up your fridge! We have a dog too with hardwood floors, so a non toxic cleaner would be a great choicethere as well where our dog spends post of her time on the floor. Now all they need is a non-toxic pet cleaner!

    Reply to Bill's comment

  18. Hailey on July 12, 2012 at 10:35 pm

    Yes, please!

    Reply to Hailey's comment

  19. Cindy A. on July 13, 2012 at 12:05 am

    I am least likely to make my own laundry detergent. Thank you so much for offering such a fun and generous giveaway!

    Reply to Cindy A.'s comment

  20. veggiekitty on July 13, 2012 at 12:37 am

    Oh, the lightly scented is important to me. My number one homemade “cleaner” at the moment is shampoo, and I love it! I’ve got waist-length hair and it works great.

    Reply to veggiekitty's comment

  21. Bethany on July 13, 2012 at 2:56 am

    I’m nesting. I could really use a set of toxin-free cleaner, I have Myers soap, but haven’t found it to work on everything equally well. I’ve never heard of this company so I’ll have to look around and see where I could find it locally

    Reply to Bethany's comment

  22. Anita on July 13, 2012 at 7:28 am

    I love scents, subtle though. Would love to give them a try. My least favorite cleanser is for cleaning the ovens.

    Reply to Anita's comment

  23. Moki on July 13, 2012 at 8:52 am

    I am least likely to make my own dish washing detergent.

    I would love to try out the products – particularly Simply Floored and what-EVER!

    Reply to Moki's comment

  24. V K on July 13, 2012 at 11:48 am

    If you are a member of LinkedIn, there is a group called Say No To Toxic Household Cleaning Products where you can stay up-to-date with news on harmful cleaning products and their effects on human health and the planet. Members who have joined the group can discuss topics using the discussion function and post questions about issues or concerns they have. To maintain the group’s integrity, selling or self-promoting is strictly prohibited.

    http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=3846736&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr

    Reply to V K's comment

  25. bonnie k on July 13, 2012 at 11:14 pm

    House cleaning is one of my least favorite chores. I need all the help I can get.

    Reply to bonnie k's comment

  26. Carrie on July 14, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    I’ve never heard of this company, but I like the punchy titles. :) I would love to try them!

    Reply to Carrie's comment

  27. Laura on July 14, 2012 at 4:17 pm

    I’ve always had trouble finding cleaning products that aren’t too harsh, don’t smell like an air-freshening bomb went off, and that actually work. I’d love to give these a try.

    Reply to Laura's comment

  28. harper on July 14, 2012 at 9:42 pm

    I think dish soap and dishwasher detergent are things I’m least likely to make myself. Most other things I’m willing to experiment with – and do!

    Reply to harper's comment

  29. Monica on July 15, 2012 at 8:48 am

    I just checked out their facebook page and I love that they sell their products in bulk! This is the first I’ve heard of them and would love to try their products especially their dishwasher detergent.

    Reply to Monica's comment

  30. kelly on July 15, 2012 at 5:52 pm

    Awesome!

    Reply to kelly's comment

  31. Mrs. H on July 15, 2012 at 10:07 pm

    I have been using Mrs. Meyer’s all-purpose cleaner so far. I am in the process of switching to natural cleaners. That cleaner and Bon Ami scrubbing powder are my first switches. Am switching as I run out of the chemical-laden stuff. I am also going to try making my own cleaners, and have already made a partial list of ingredients based on your cleaning series!

    Reply to Mrs. H's comment

  32. April on July 16, 2012 at 12:11 am

    liquid soap I think. I may try it one day but for now I will use a green product already made like castile soap.

    Reply to April's comment

  33. beth on July 17, 2012 at 12:30 pm

    I have never actually made my own cleaners, but would definitely like to in the future. I am always feeling iffy about the toxic ingredients in most cleaners and would love a better option. These cleaners look like just the ticket! The cleaners that seem the most intimidating to me to make would have to be dish and laundry detergents.

    Reply to beth's comment

  34. Tara Vaughan on July 17, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    I would love to try a good multi purpose floor cleaner. I am just like you and my sensitive nose hates the over powering smells of “clean”

    Reply to Tara Vaughan's comment

  35. Deb on July 17, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    I would like a pet odor remover. I have many indoor cats. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply to Deb's comment

  36. Angie B on July 18, 2012 at 12:17 pm

    I am least likely to make any of my cleaners! LOL I would love to try the whatever though!

    Reply to Angie B's comment

  37. Nancy K on July 19, 2012 at 7:41 am

    Sound like winners to me. I will have to try them!

    Reply to Nancy K's comment

  38. Greg on July 20, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    I hope I’m not too late for a chance to win!

    Reply to Greg's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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