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white vinegar and baking soda

Can clean most things around the house.
I'm a convert to vinegar-based window cleaner, vs. ammonia based.
Murphy's oil soap is simple and biodegradable and I've used it for a lot of things.
For me its not so much the green-ess, but the fumes and the smells. I used to clean a lot with ammonia, but no more, and I don't let things get so filthy that something that harsh is necessary.
Finish and the normal cycle on my UltraWash works just fine.
 
westlandyfront,

I agree on the "scam" idea. I agree totally. Let's have a head about these things. If the "green" don't work, why buy it? Especially since it is more expensive! But here in Washington State, we are all about GREEN. It is pitifull. People will throw there money away becauses it "feels good". It doesn't do any good when you have to use more water, utilities, and etc. etc. to do the same job as you did with the standard products.
 
Hi Whiteking. In this current economic situation, people need to re-think throwing their money away just to feel good.
Investigate, research, and get the facts first. I think too many people are willing to be lead and deceived by all the media hipe.
Cap and Trade is coming and it will certainly mean higher utility bills as the utility companies will be charged for carbon emissions as they produce electricity. Of course, the utility companies will pass those charges along to the consumer.

Ross
 
Here is what I think of "Green"

The lawn service that would apply poisons to my lawn was called " ChemLawn." They renamed themselves "TruGreen."
What a hot crock of shit that was. The state-mandated list of warnings read like a thick text-book, in both cases.

I got rid of that service and Guido from Italy who speaka-no -iiiiinglish-a did a better job for less money and applies far fewer chemicals and what he does use is COUGH* "greener!"

Can you say "hot marketing buzz-word at the moment?"

The greenest thing on the planet it shut you legs and push out one fewer baby! And/or teach the ones that already fell out to be less demaning of the earth!
 
Re: Post #429753

And don't forget, when your done cleaning your toilet and floors with good old fashioned Lysol, it also makes a wonderful douche also. Helps fight those unpleasant "female odors" that make men shy away from you. Just ask any woman who was a newlywed in the 1920's & 1930's.
 
I tried the Seventh Generation laundry detergent and was not impressed. Cleaning was so-so, and the laundry had a strange "dirty water" smell when it came out. I promptly went back to Sears detergent.
 
And here is another good one...

I noticed a lot of time if we stop at Walmart while standing in line SOMEBODY nearby has "feminine odor". It burns my eyes and my nose to say the least. I keep telling Karen that I'm going to grab a bottle of Summer's Eve and hand it to the next offender with a "Here, USE IT!" admonishment! She just laughs.
Last time it happened I asked her in a loud voice "Honey, DO YOU SMELL SOMETHING?" She almost slapped the crap out of me!

But I would imagine using Lysol for this purpose would probably burn like hell!

whirlcool++4-21-2010-03-15-9.jpg
 
Lysol For "Feminine" Odour

Yes, folks tis true! Over the years have posted several links to various adverts similar to the above. Phenol (carbolic) is a very toxic substance, so cannot imagine how many women developed all sorts of problems and perhaps died from using Lysol "down there".

Oxygen Bleach:

While sodium perborate requires temperatures >120F and even 140F or more to get going, sodium percarbonate works quite well in water temps of 120F to even 100F, contact time may have to be exteneded, but it will whiten, remove stains, and sanitise.

As have also stated before, many oxygen bleaches are "activated" (NOBS or TAED), which will make their sweet spots between 100F and 120F. Bleach activators were invented to get around the problem fewer laundries and housewives were boil washing, and or the items being laundered couldn't withstand high wash temperatures such as colours or delicate items, but required stain removal, whitening, brightening and sanitation that oxygen bleach provides.

The term "colour safe bleach" came about because at the normal wash temperatures for colours (warm water about 110F down to 100F", the bleaching action of sodium perborate is less active, thus less likely to damage colours. Even when activated or sodium percarbonate bleaches one is advised not to exceed "warm" water because with every increase of ten degrees in water temp, the bleaching action goes up dramatically.

Being as all this may, most over the counter "oxygen bleaches" are blended with fillers such as sodium carbonate (washing soda). Now some washing soda is good for all oxygen bleaches as the alkalinity increases the effectivness of the product. However most detergents contain more than enough washing soda and or borax to get the job done. I always purchase pure sodium percarbonate from Ecover, and dose accordingly. Oxi-Clean is about 50% or more washing soda, which is why those little tubs feel so heavy.

Biz was the original activated oxgyen bleach sold in the USA, though at first it was marketed as a "pre-soak". Many of the patents and developments from Biz, P&G put into "Tide with Bleach".

Green Cleaners:

They do have their place, such as vinegar and various other things, but find most of the offerings on the shelves aren't that great. Exceptions are things by Caldrea, Mrs. Meyers and perhaps a few others.

Most of the laundry detergents called "green" are either full of washing soda, Zeolites, powdered soap or SLS (powders), the the liquids are either mainly liquid soaps or SLS, with perhaps some enzymes thrown in. All that soap probably accounts for why washers end up foul and full of mould.

But hey, Fel's Naptha is a "natural soap", I mean petrol is found naturally in nature right? But I for one wouldn't want to be exposed to the stuff on a daily basis for cleaning.
 
I have tried various "green" cleaning products. To date, for the most part, I've been satisfied.

No, they probably aren't as powerful as conventional cleaners. I certainly have noticed this with dish detergent (for hand washing dishes). Green dish detergent isn't as good with cutting grease. However, the best green cleaners work well enough for my needs--although I don't usually have torture cleaning assignments for my cleaners.

The least satisfactory products I've used--either lousy performance or overpriced--come from companies that historically made "regular" cleaners.

But there are some things I have liked. Green dish detergent is my first choice, simply because it's easier on my hands than regular dish detergent. Plus the scent options are better--unscented is easy to come by, and the scented formulas don't have a scent that is neither harsh, over powering, nor clearly fake.

With laundry detergent, I like the fact that I can easily get green detergent in powder form--I prefer powder detergent. No green detergent to date has bothered my skin, unlike some conventional products. And it can be bought unscented. (The absolute worst laundry detergent ever used was some Tide liquid. X2, I think. It was entirely because of the scent--the stench was so overpowering that the clothes were unwearable.)

The real question, it seems to me, isn't whether green detergents are good enough. The real question is: what are my needs, and what is the best product to meet those needs? The answer to that question varies person to person. It has even varied at different periods in my life.
 
Going Green has gone overboard for many idiots....bottled water?...I coud refill all the bottles with water from my garden hose and no one would know the difference.....

Going green should not cost me more, what am I saving, money or the whole planet?...I agree we should all do our part and it can add up, but stick to simple basics, that almost everyone can do or use with ease.....

bleach, borax, ammonia, vinegar, etc......all basic great cleaners....I lke to save money by buying ZEP cleaning prducts from Lowes and Home Depot....most cost about $6.00 to $10.00 a gallon, most are concentrates, 1 ounce of window cleaner to a 32 ounce empty windex bottle mix with water, cost wise thats 128 bottles of windex for around $9.00, for example....

Common sense is how you go green....makes more sense to use a wringer washer and hang clothes out on a line....that's my idea of HE...but just the same, all gray water from my house feeds the flower beds and waters the lawn on one side of the house...guess which side is more plush and greener?...night and day difference...who needs ChemLawn?.....bleach is naturally made from salt water, and breaks back down after use to its original form.....don't know how exactly but it works!...is it a waste to re-use wash water and the chemicals? or re-purposing recycled products...at least I don't have to water my lawn and put down chemicals....money in my pocket!

try a test...I have done this...take a 12 inch square piece of lawn...spray the grass with pure bleach (not diluted), in a day or so it will turn yellow, some will die off, and in a week or so the grass will come back plush, thick, dark green blades of grass, have some fun with it and do a checkerboard for the kids to play with, 2 tone green....I discoverd this when I thought bleach would kill the weeds and grass in the driveway and stone walkway...WRONG...it grew back worse than before!
 
LOL My father's house was in a summer community on the far east end of Long Island. There were no sewer systems. Spetic tanks olny. EVERYONE (illegally) dumps their washer's output onto the lawn. Bleach, hot water and all. As you said Yogi, the grass will be just fine..........

Apparently bleach and softner is not good for septic tank
Having a huge party where everyoen sh--- in your toilet, however is said to be a good thing!
 
More common than you would think....and probably done more than one thinks, but I have relatives in Western Pennsylvania, everthing but the toilet runs down the mountain from hoses and pipes, and this is from an area that just recently got an actual toilet and hot water heaters inside the homes,things we take for granted....and like Toggles, I have an Aunt in Long Island, a place I love to visit, years ago while visiting noticed she had to dump her dishwater by bucket into her garden because of a failed septic system under a beautiful floral garden she did not want dug up, with a day of planning and install, we piped her sink and washer and tub into the garden, hidden out of site, and within the first few weeks her garden exploded in enormous flowers and shrubbery, for under $100.00.....as long as its not raw sewage, I don't see the damage, rather more earth friendly....we even put in rainbarrels under the downspouts for her to use for hanging pots and window boxes, and filling birdbaths....think smarter, not harder!....water and chemicals reused....thats my kind of GREEN!
 
Yogi,

Are your relations in Pennsylvania in Greene or Fayette county? I know from having been in different parts of those counties that there are still plenty of people with out houses.We are in Washington county, it is more developed, but until very recently I knew people here who also had outhouses and all the wash water drained into the yard or a nearby creek.Also if you are ever out this way visiting let me know so we can get together for a visit.

I do save my wash water in 5 gallon buckets as well as I have a 55 gallon drum under the downspout closest to my garden. I do not do it to be green, but because I dont want to strain the well too much in summer to water my tomatoes and string beans. The large amount of people in this area still have wells or spring water, so suds saver automatics and wringer washers are still very common here to help save the wel water.

Going green is nearly non-existent here. Recycling does not happen, nobody uses green products, and there are hardly if any hybrids, it is mostly SUV's, large trucks, and big cars. Burning your garbage is still a common practice here as well, at least that saves a garbage bill as well as cuts down on what goes to the landfill
 
Xraytech, you must have read my mind!

I was thinking Fayette county too.

You are right about going green in this part of PA. You have to get to downtown Pittsburgh to see a Prius. There is recycling in our area east of Pittsburgh and we are not allowed to burn. But our community was in trouble with the EPA over not treating sewage and now our sewage and water bills are really high.
 

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