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Green Works Cleaners by Clorox

2008-01-23-clean.jpgClorox just unveiled Green Works, a new line of cleaning products that are safer for both us and the environment. The research on this line, which includes products for all-purpose, toilet bowl, dilution, bathroom, and glass & surface cleaning, originated over five years ago so Clorox isn't just buying into the recent green trend. Yet, they do admit that they're not quite 100%.

 
 

20080124greenclean3.jpgAccording to Clorox, all of the Green Works products are at least 99% natural. In some cases, they haven't been able to get rid of artificial ingredients, like coloring and preservatives. They also haven't been able to figure out how to make these products natural disinfectants.

Even though they're still working toward 100% all-natural, they do state that the current Green Works line of cleaners are made from renewable resources, are biodegradable, and free of petroleum-based chemicals.

Has anyone test-scrubbed these new eco-friendlier cleaners?

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green ideas, cleaning, Clorox, cleaners

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Comments (21)

I saw these at Dominick's over the weekend and I stopped to look at them. I didn't end up buying it. My head just can't associate Clorox with being eco-friendly.

posted by katie on January 23rd 2008 at 7:52am
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I tried it because it was cheaper than Simple Green (is that it? it's in a spray bottle but says to dillute it - is this true? any tips?) - it works well but i agree, my head doesn't associate clorox with green, either. I don't know if I will buy it again. Funny - I was going to ask a question about this on a daily thread. Thanks AT. :)

posted by elizabeth in AL on January 23rd 2008 at 8:07am
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But... but... if they're producing eco-friendly products, that means they know the non-eco-friendly products are bad. So why are they still producing the old ones? I think I'll stick with giving my money to companies that solely manufacture green products.

This is like when McDonald's came out with their veggie burger. As if animal rights advocates would react by saying "Oh, yay! Thanks, McDonald's! I'm now going to completely ignore your horrible meat production processes while I enjoy your cardboard-tasting fake patty!"

posted by TammyE on January 23rd 2008 at 8:40am
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A little off the subject, but Clorox also recently purchased Burt's Bees, which just seems wrong on multiple levels.

posted by Rhaya on January 23rd 2008 at 8:47am
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Nooooooooooooooo!!! Oh man that sucks about Burt's Bees.

posted by katie on January 23rd 2008 at 9:11am
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vinegar baking soda cheap soap = works wonders. non toxic. cheap.

posted by cecicela on January 23rd 2008 at 9:41am
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I tried the floor cleaner, and it worked well, but I still prefer the environmentally friendly products for cleaning windows and such. It's not as effective, but probably better for you. It's a trade off.

posted by chaseunchase on January 23rd 2008 at 9:41am
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Actually, Doppelganger, it was Burger King. McDonalds still dips their fries in beef fat, there's nothing veg-friendly about that place. But that being said, a lot of the veg community was actually pushing BK at that point, trying to go get people to eat their veggie burger. Why? Because any step in the right direction made by a huge corporation should be encouraged. I know the entire world isn't going to magically go vegan, so I support anything that people are trying to do. If we still avoided them, they'd say, "Oh, see, I told you they wouldn't sell. Get rid of them." If they sell, they're more likely to put more veg-friendly things on the menu.

I think the same way with this Clorox thing. They're not going to go all green at once. But we should still encourage them for truly making an effort. Hopefully they'll one day go all the way, but we have to let them know that we're pleased with an attempt.

posted by gretchenkjer on January 23rd 2008 at 9:54am
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You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. As long as these products are legitimately what Clorox is claiming them to be, I think we should support them for making a step in the right direction. Clearly with their purchase of Burt's Bees they see a market for these products. The more companies do that, the better off we will be.

posted by Bart on January 23rd 2008 at 9:59am
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I just bought the All-Purpose Cleaner this morning and used it. It worked and smells great. I think it is a wonderful step in the right direction. They need to start somewhere and if they aren't supported in sales then they will go back to only offering the toxic cleaners...eh...whatever...either way it worked good, smelled good and I felt good buying it.

posted by Sara_Hew on January 23rd 2008 at 1:42pm
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"They're not going to go all green at once. But we should still encourage them for truly making an effort. Hopefully they'll one day go all the way, but we have to let them know that we're pleased with an attempt."

To Gretchen et al, I see the point you're making, but at the end of the day, I don't accept it. Other major corporations have made the radical decision to go completely green and have been successful. I don't see why others should be exempt.

The idea that we should be "encouraging" them and letting them know we're "pleased" with their "attempt"... that kind of philosophy is well and good if you're a preschool teacher dealing with a three-year-old who doesn't know any better. I don't see why we should be expected to apply it to companies run by supposedly educated people making million-dollar salaries... people who, if they read the environmental-impact research that relates to their own products, should know how toxic their products are, and on what a massive scale.

To respond to another (unrelated) point, McDonald's does (or at least did at one point) offer a veggie burger, at least where I live. So does Burger King. They both taste nasty, which makes it all the more apparent that these are pretty token "green" efforts. The idea that these products represent a foray into healthier, more ecologically friendly food production and eating -- and that, if properly encouraged and applauded by the masses, someday McD's and BK might move entirely into this domain -- well, I'm not the only person who thinks this is a pretty laughable idea, right?

posted by TammyE on January 23rd 2008 at 2:57pm
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I bought all the glass cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner and bathroom cleaner. They all worked great, ESPECIALLY the glass cleaner, which I was very impressed by. I felt like it worked better than anything I had used before.

The products hardly had any smell, in my opinion. I give them a thumbs up!

posted by MirandaJay on January 23rd 2008 at 3:29pm
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elizabeth in AL - simple green does need diluting - even if you buy the handheld size. that irritates me to have to buy another container, but it works really well. For an all around good spray cleaner, the trader joes brand does a great job and it doesn't have a sickly aroma like simple green. toilets, general, windows, etc. i am currently into ecover products since i bought my new home, but i used to be even crazier busy than i am now and didn't have time to deal with cleaning and shopping - so i got into the habit of using the tj's brand for everything. it's excellent and saves you a trip to OSH!
(disclaimer - i work at trader joes)

posted by Joan in SB on January 23rd 2008 at 4:04pm
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What gets me with the big companies like Clorox is how late in the Green game they are. I mean, most of the time, the greener products I buy are cheaper. And since green products have been around for as long as they have, why the F*@% are these bigger companies just now getting on board. It's been common knowledge since the beginning of time that you don't need tons of chemicals to clean so why did they even start with them in the first place?? The 20th century is such an embarrasing moment in human history in some ways. I agree with Doppleganger.

posted by orangejuce on January 24th 2008 at 6:34am
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I have been using the floor cleaner for over a month now... I am a total sucker for new products.

I have loved every single last minute of it. It doesn't work for wood floors, but I am able to tackle all of the stone that is in my house as well as the tile.
It smells FANTASTIC and dilutes nicely. I haven't had to use it full strength on anything, and that's saying alot since it's been muddy and wet here and I have two dogs.

Sure baking soda and vinegar or borax is cheaper... but the ability to pour a capful in a sink and mop my floor without mixing or thinking, or two bottles, or a large amount of storage (the bottle is actually rather small which I really appreciated) is worth alot of time to me.

The price wasn't had and has been well worth my time, I've used maybe a 1/4 of the bottle and have washed 6 floors atleast 30 times so far!

posted by sarahrae on January 24th 2008 at 7:06am
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PS when it comes to diluting, I haven't bothered with a separate bottle.. that's too much work for me, as I hate cleaning to begin with! haha.

I merely add a capful and then fill my bathroom sink/kitchen sink/laundry room sink with water. Dipping a cloth into it to clean toilets and mirrors and showers hasn't irritated my hands in the slightest, I can then mop my floors and let the drain out, easy peasy!

posted by sarahrae on January 24th 2008 at 7:08am
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mcdonalds does not dip their fries in beef fat - they have their own fryers for the fries because they make so many of them, which makes them gluten free and vegetarian. according to this website, they quit using beef tallow in 1990.
http://www.rense.com/general7/whyy.htm

posted by elizabeth in AL on January 24th 2008 at 7:52am
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thanks for the tip about dilluting - that's annoying - i wish alabama had a trader joe's!!

posted by elizabeth in AL on January 24th 2008 at 7:53am
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k so nevermind - researching skills are rusty - maybe mcdonald's still does because look here : http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/06/05/national/main511109.shtml

posted by elizabeth in AL on January 24th 2008 at 7:59am
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How safe is the Green floor cleaner?

I mistook the bottle for my wife's Fruit & Veggie Spray & Wash (practically identical). I used it for a couple of days before I noticed.

My stomach hurts slightly. Is it a carcinogen, kidney/liver killer or anything like?

posted by studdad on April 9th 2009 at 12:20am
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The dilutable all purpose cleaner works well, but it smells putrid. I will not repurchase.

posted by Midwestdiva on April 22nd 2009 at 12:32pm
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