Dishwashing Liquid- Who's Got the Best Label?

National Geographic's Green Guide had a good article on dish soap this month. They ranked them according to how completely the company discloses ingredients, so that the consumer might discern how many are plant-based, how many are harmful additives, etc. At the top of their "honesty" list was Seventh Generation's Dish Liquid, which got three "G's". At 2 (for using generic terms like 'preservative' or 'surfactant', although these were certified low- eco impact by an independent agency) were Clorox Green Works (Natural Dishwashing Liquid), Ecover (Dishwashing Liquid), and Planet (Ultra Dishwashing Liquid Gel).

Receiving 1 'G' for generic ingredient names and a lack of independent testing were Biokleen dish liquid, Earth Friendly Products (Dishmate), Method (Ultra Concentrated), and Mrs Meyers (Clean Day Dish Soap). D'oh!

The label vaguery doesn't necessarily mean that the companies in question have something to hide, but I'd encourage them to spell things out as much as possible. Trade secrets are important, sure, but so is knowing what we're buying.

Incidently, SG has coupons on its website, and you can stock up in bulk on Amazon.com

Biokleen Bac-Out (and Mrs. Meyer's Rhubarb)

Phew, I finally got around to buying a bottle of Biokleen's "Bac-Out", a liquid that promises to remove the stank and stains from a variety of places. I bought it to spray into my toilet, my trashcan, and to pour down my garbage disposal.

(Re: the last: lime and lemon rinds do the trick nicely, but I don't eat many citrus fruits so we don't have them in the house often. Just put 'em down the disposal and grind away.)

The bottle I bought didn't come with a spray nozzle, but thanks to the collection of empties I keep around for making my own cleaning products, I had a spare. I immediately tackled the toilet. I clean my toilet with a combination of a homemade tea-tree concoction, eco-friendly bleach, Mrs. Meyer's wipes, and Bio-Pac toilet tabs. My toilet is a huge stink problem, and has been since we moved in. It's a low-flow model, and I don't think the bowl gets rinsed enough between flushes. Or the toilet seat needs replacing. Either way, ew.

So I cleaned the bowl and then sprayed he Bac-Out all around the inside. Then I hit the other toilet, and then my garbage disposal. This stuff smells -amazing-. It's tangy lime bliss (I adore Biokleen's products for their scents alone.) Anyway, I am finding as I type this that I can't remember if the toilets still smell. This must be a good sign, but I'm going to go investigate for you, blog reader. WOAH. Ok, they smell. Hmph. I'm going to keep trying with the Bac-Out though, so I'll update this if it starts working on my toilet reek. In the meantime, this stuff is good for laundry and carpet stains as well.

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I got a chance to smell the Mrs. Meyer's Spring Rhubarb cleaning kit in Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I think I'm sold. It's sweet and tangy, and the perfect kit for spring/summer, I'm thinking. Of course, I'm still using the gingerbread kit I bought during Christmas of 2006. At least you know it's a good value! Anyway, I think I'll have to snag one.

Mrs Meyer's Wipes in Baby Blossom

I think I am moving away from using disposable wipes, even in the bathroom, but I've really loved them in the past. Mrs Meyer's are my favorite, as they don't leave too much soapy residue behind (thus trapping more dirt, ultimately). I ordered their new Baby Blossom wipes, even though I don't have any babies hanging around in my apartment. The scent sounded great for spring cleaning: "spring wildflowers, butterfly violets & honeysuckle with a teeny bit of apple, lemon & mint".

Okay, so my nose can't really identify even half of those notes when I'm cleaning, but I do smell a sweet floral. Not bad. It doesn't beat the lavender or lemon-verbena scent for me, but it's pleasant. (Still waiting to try that Basil!) Mrs. M's site claims this line of products is especially safe for use around small children. Also nice for me, as I have sensitive skin. ;)

My bathroom, particularly around my toilet, is now actually clean thanks to these. My absence from this blog has been indicative of a workload that's kept me from cleaning as thoroughly as usual too.

I just got Bon Ami powder yesterday so I'll be testing that soon too.

Mrs Meyer's Spring Cleaning Kit

Woo woo! This year instead of their honeysuckle scented spring cleaning kit, Mrs Meyer's has released a Rhubarb scented line. Now, I actually don't think I know what Rhubarb smells like off the top of my head (sweet?), but I like Mrs. Meyer's products and the offerings in the four-pack look good:

All Purpose Cleaner, 8oz
Countertop Spray, 8oz
Window Spray, 8oz
Liquid Dish Soap 8oz

Seems like a little aromatherapy might just make those chores more bearable as the weather warms up. I hope to be able to open the windows and fill my home with fresh air and good smells pretty soon. I just got over being sick and it feels a little stuffy in here.

The only thing I think will wind up languishing in my home is the All Purpose Cleaner. I never seem to get around to using it, because it winds up being best for big cleanings (Dilute 1/4 cup in 1 gallon of water), and I clean in little spurts. I love Mrs. Meyer's surface wipes. Hm, they also have window wipes.

Ooh, I should add that they have products in Basil now! I'm definitely going to have to try that one. They also now have Baby Blossom but I'm not sold on that one yet... I'll have to sniff it in the store.

Mrs Meyer's Surface Wipes

I am still using up my gingerbread Mrs Meyer's products from last Christmas (I overstocked), but if you haven't tried them they're on 50% off clearance on Mrs Meyer's site!

Anyway, this is about the surface wipes, which sadly are no longer stocked by my Whole Foods. I guess they're trying to encourage people not to use disposable wipes, which is admirable. For me, they're a bathroom product. I know I could simply clean with water and microfiber cloths in the b-room but my current microfiber cloths seem to leave more lint and dirt behind than they pick up. That's a problem for another entry. They might be ready to be replaced. :)

Anyway, while I have often found Method's disposable wipes to be too soapy, Mrs Meyer's have just the right amount of cleaning-product-to-wipe ratio. They work equally well on my laminate bathroom countertops and the toilet seat. I've been known to wipe up messes on the floor with them as well. The wipes come in Lemon Verbena (I like this one), Geranium (so-so) and Lavender (when I am going through a lavender phase). Alas, the seasonal gingerbread and honeysuckle offerings haven't made it to disposable wipe form.

I know someone with a young kid who used to keep these in the glove compartment of her car. She used them to clean all sorts of car messes up, because they don't leave sticky residue behind.

I think of disposable wipes as the lazy-person's cleaning product, and I am definitely inclined to be lazy when I clean if I can.

These are made with essential oils, but I don't know if they're biodegradable like Method's claim to be. They aren't flushable like the Method bathroom wipes, but I really don't mind. Aprox. $4.99 for 24 in a resealable pack that really does keep them moist.

Caldrea Daily Shower Cleanser

Huh, I am looking on Caldrea's website right now, and I don't see any shower sprays listed. Perhaps they have been discontinued! That's a shame, the one I tried worked quite well. I nabbed the "Basil Blue Sage" scent from drugstore.com, and it did cut down on the amount of shower cleaning I had to do while using it. My major qualm about it was that the package was too small and we went through it super fast. I am already done the bottle and I feel like we just got started! I felt guilty trying to cover my full shower each time I used it. Considering the price, I'd have preferred the bottle last longer.

Caldrea is Mrs. Meyer's more upscale brand, and they tend to have pretty good, largely essential-oil based scents. I've never been disappointed by anything of theirs I've tried (but that's admittedly limited to hand soap and shower sprays.)

Hey, maybe they're re-doing the package and it'll be back! In the meantime, drugstore.com has the Citrus Mint scent left.

I want to try Caldrea's dishwashing powder (I love powders), hand balm, and laundry detergent. I'm also wondering if their linen spray would be nice before clothes go in the dryer (or to freshen up bed sheets mid-week.)


p.s. Now that I am between store-bought products, I am using a homemade daily shower spray: 50/50 mixture of white vinegar, water, and maybe 6 drops each of tea tree and lemon essential oils. I haven't been using it long enough to gauge its success yet.

Mrs Meyer's Gingerbread Holiday Clean-Up Kit

So I won't even pretend that I am capable of resisting the allure of gingerbread-scented cleaning products. When I saw this clean-up kit reviewed in one magazine or another I raced to Mrs Meyers' website to order one. Alas, they were sold out! When I saw them two weeks later in Whole Foods, I nabbed two of them (one for my mother-in-law's Christmas gift.)

So, the dish soap. My MIL uses your standard chemical products, and even she was impressed with the ability of this stuff to tackle grease (must be the soap bark extract.)

The funny thing about Mrs Meyers is that they sell their products to Williams Sonoma for the latter's own home line of cleaning goods... which are then marked up. Oh Williams Sonoma, how I'd like to like you.

Anyway, so my MIL likes this stuff, and so do I. The gingerbread scent is really pleasant, though I'd like it a bit more bitingly gingery. Who knows what they'll come up with this winter. Did you see the Honeysuckle "Spring Cleaning" kit in the spring? (I refrained, file under "still using the freaking Winter kit!" It's 25% off now if you missed it.)

I'm still using the gingerbread hand soap too. (I wish the winter kit had come with glass cleaner like the spring kit did.)

I love that eco cleaning companies have gotten so creative with the scents. Aromatherapy makes cleaning more tolerable.