Looking for a way to make my home sparkling like new but still protect our watersheds, I found my way to Clorox's new line of "green" cleaning products, Green Works. WalMart offers these in several different varieties, but my frugal self quickly realized that the best way to go for my pocketbook was to purchase the Dilutable Cleaner ($2.50). With an affordable ($.98) spray bottle, this option is much cheaper than the pre-mixed varieties that they offer on the shelves. Additionally, not only can I use it in my handy dandy spray bottle for all of my surface cleaning needs, but I can mix up some cleaner in a bucket and clean my tile floors all at once! This saves me from having to buy both a surface cleaner and a floor cleaner - wowza.
Green Works in Action: I was amazed at the foaming power this green stuff had. I initially filled up my spray bottle up to the first marked line (yeah, my bottle has convenient measuring lines - super cool) and headed to the faucet. Lesson learned. The bottle needs to be slowly filled in order to contain the massive quantities of bubbles that form when water hits this cleaning fluid. Eventually, I found just the right water pressure and filling technique to make my spray bottle (and me) happy. Then I started cleaning away - it was great! It easily broke down cooked on food from my stove and made my countertops glisten again. I went a little spray happy and was putting Green Works everywhere: my tile backsplash, my glass shelves in my fridge...I even used it to clean off the handles on my cabinets.
Next, I broke out the trusty ol' pail and sponge and mixed up some Green Works for my tile floors. I have always been an Armstrong Floor Cleaner kind of girl, so this was new for me. Pleased with myself that I was doing something good for the environment with my cleaning, I filled the bucket with water (yes, again watching the bubbles in amazement). This time, however, the bubbles did pose a tad bit of a problem for me. Once on my sponge and the floor, there seemed to be no way to wipe them up! I could rinse my sponge in the bucket, but it was so sudsy that all I accomplished was smearing more bubbles on the already soapy floor. I was pleased at its ability to move muck and grime, but just wished that it didn't have such a sudsy presence. I eventually wound up getting creative with a water bottle and towel in order to cut the suds and dry the floor, due to concerns about my cat getting too curious about the whole situation.
Overall grade: B+
Great for surface cleaning, but once an Armstrong girl, always an Armstrong girl. A tad bit too sudsy for my tastes (and floor).
Used to my trusty dishwasher detergent gel pacs but frustrated with the amount of food remnants left on my supposedly "clean" dishes post-wash, I decided to peruse the shelves for a new washing buddy. Enter Palmolive eco+ Lavender Splash ($2.50, 32 oz).
This gel formula dishwasher detergent is not only tight with Mother Earth (it's phosphate free so it's great for our water), but smells lovely too. I'm a fan of all things lavender and was surprised to see this scent in a dishwasher detergent. Usually, they tend to be lemon or orange; these citrus-based scents have a tendency to etch glass, so I stay away. I couldn't pass up the bargain WalMart had on this great deal for both a green clean and what I hoped would be shinier, food-free dishes.
Palmolive eco+ In Action: I was so used to my gel pacs that it was foreign having to fill both the pre-wash and regular wash cycle cups with detergent. Eco+ easily filled the proper places in my dishwasher without any concern of over-filling. This made me happy, because I knew that with each wash I was using the right amount and not wasting my purchase. The detergent is just right - not too runny that it spills everywhere and not too thick that it's hard to get out of the bottle. Scent-wise, I could hardly tell that there was even an additive that made it smell like lavender. I took this as a good sign, because it meant that it wasn't filled with a ton of unnatural products to make it smell like something it shouldn't. Also, it made me more comfortable about using a scented detergent, and I felt like it wasn't going to have a negative effect on my dishes.
I've used eco+ three times now, and have yet to find any fault with it. My dishes are continuously coming out of the wash looking stunningly clean, sparkling, and free of nasty food debris that I used to always curse. I couldn't be more pleased to be washing dishes with this on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, I have several gel pacs still left in my cupboard and kind of dread having to use them up. Move over, gel pacs - eco+ is here to stay.
Overall Grade: A+
I may not live in the Pacific Northwest where phosphate free detergent is law, but at least I'll be ready if Missouri decides to make such a green move. I'd vote for eco+ any day.
However...you be the judge - there are a lot of differing viewpoints on phosphate free detergents out there right now. Check out this AP video that has Washington residents smuggling in their favorite detergents in the name of clean dishes:
