Here at Total Home Cleaning, it is our priority to maintain a clean, healthy, and eco-friendly environment in the homes of our clients. It is our duty to tackle the big cleaning jobs, but for the regular household cleaning that is done in between visits, we recommend a few green-friendly products approved by the Good Housekeeping Research Institute.
The Good Housekeeping Research Institute’s Appliances & Cleaning Products department rigorously tested 23 green cleaning products. They have crowned the top green products in the categories of laundry detergent, dishwashing liquids, all-purpose cleaner, and heavy-duty all-purpose cleaner. Here are the results of the study:
Arm & Hammer, Essentials 2X Concentrated took the crown for best laundry detergent. Not only is the liquid gel biodegradable and plant-based in formula, but its lightweight plastic bottle is as well.
The runner-up detergent happens to be the #1 selling natural laundry detergent – Purex Natural Elements. This detergent is hypoallergenic, dye-free, and costs about half the price of its competitor.
The study found that Planet Ultra Dishwashing Liquid worked great against dried-on grease and cleaned the most plates per use. Because this product is hypoallergenic, it can serve many other purposes such as bubble bath, body wash, and pet shampoo.
For the all-purpose cleaner, Sun & Earth All Purpose cleaned most effectively, cleaning countertops with ease. Its non-toxic formula is free from petroleum-based solvents and is composed solely of natural surfactants.
A cheaper alternative is Green Works Natural All-Purpose Cleaner from Clorox, which claims to be at least 97% naturally derived.
For the heavier jobs such as cleaning barbecue grills and concrete floors, Good Housekeeping recommends Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner. The makers of Simple Green have spent over $3 million to verify the safety claims that the product is non-toxic and biodegradable without the harmful effects of bleach.
When shopping for green cleaning products, look for those that are biodegradable, phosphate and chlorine free, and are natural or plant-based. To learn all of the details of this study from Good Housekeeping, click here.