apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have two babies and only one bottle under the sink. It contains a mix of white vinegar, water, and a few drops of lavender and rosemary oil. Cleans everything in the kitchen (along with sometimes some baby oil for the appliances, baking soda and lemon juice for the sink, but these are stored elsewhere).

It's not very 'green' but Pledge Multi Surface has worked wonders for me. It takes care of almost everything I need (wood, electronics, glass, plastic) minus the bathroom and heavy duty cleaning like the stove top.

I know it isn't very 'green' either, but I am like that family from "my big fat greek wedding' where they can't live without windex-yep, that's me. Does anyone have a rec for a more 'green' version of windex? I would be happy to switch.
I also have Tilex =( I know...but I am new to this living alone stuff, and that's all I recognized when i went shopping for cleaning products

Three ... Windex, Target All-Purpose Cleaner, and All-Floor Cleaner for my Hoover Floormate. They all fit in a little plastic tote (with sponges and gloves) and that then fits inside a bucket. It's a nice little system that I can carry around the whole apartment, and that Target cleaner works on absolutely everything.

I switched over to the "green" Clorox multi-purpose spray and absolutely hate it. It leaves a slimey film on every surface.

I hate to admit it, but I use Clorox/Lysol wipes for just about everything. I want to head into the vinegar water realm, but I hate the smell of vinegar. Any other alternatives?

mrs.m&m - I've managed to banish windex from my home forever. There are a number of good micro-fibre cloths on the market that are amazing on windows and mirrors. Just use water and you get absolutely no streaks.

As far as cleaner bottles goes, for me it's just vinegar and water, baking soda and bio-degradable dish soap.

has anyone else used the "Greening the Cleaning" all purpose or glass cleaners? http://www.lnt.com/sm-greening-the-cleaning-citrus-sage-all-purpose-cleaner--pi-2252393.html

i found the all-purpose at shaw's last night, and so far i like it.

Sabt: Thank you! I will def look into that plus it sounds like a great way to save $$
THANKS!!!

Ditto on the "green" Clorox stuff - awful.
I'm the guiltiest party here - I have way too many bottles of cleaning products. Now I'm motivated to pare down.

Loads of space under the sink now that I've decided to go green.
Right now I have a bottle of vinegar, baking soda, Mon Ami and the best thing ever according to my husband...Mrs Meyers all purpose cleaner. The lavender one. He absolutely loves to clean the bathroom with it.

I like to have a choice of cleaners. Most jobs are handled nicely with dishwashing soap: powerful and not too toxic. Some jobs need an alkaline or acidic cleaner. Good to have those (I once used limescale remover to get rid of metal 'dirt' that was on an etched glass lampshade) when needed, and they do not do any damage when you already purchased them. Then there is the limonene 'citrus' cleaner, for when I need a solvent.

Mrs. Meyers Counter Spray
White Vinegar (for laundry)
Antibacterial Soap
Fantastic (need to pitch this)

and my personal favorite

Murphy's Oil Soap and water in a spray bottle

i love the new green works series and have got rid of everything else under my sink! down to 1 bottle ( toilet cleaner in the bathroom which is also from greenworks)

Anyone have green suggestions for cleaning granite/marble counters?

Slightly off topic, but---
Never throw out a broken and/or worn out plastic clothes basket. Cut the top off down to the bottom and use the bottom "tray" inside lower kitchen and bathroom cabinets for storing things in bottles. Leaks are contained, and it's easy to slide the basket bottom in and out to reach things at the back.

dishsoap and vinegar. Baking soda is with the baking supplies. c'est tout.

Method's glass cleaner is my substitute for Windex. It smells better, too.

Dr. Bronner's Soap - in peppermint: Great for floors, counters, dishes etc. (diluted of course!)

Olive oil mixed with lemon juice and a few drops of Lemon EO: great for dusting.

Baking Soda: Great for scrubbing

Vinegar: I let my veggies & fruit soak in Vinegar water and then rinse

Other cleaners (as our housekeeper demands these): Windex, Clorox "green" cleaner, Bleach

Vinegar.
Baking soda.
Bon Ami.
Mrs. Meyers for the floors.
Rubbing alcohol (for disinfecting door knobs and toilet handles)
Dish soap (in tandem with the vinegar for the windows)

Under my kitchen sink . . .

Windex
Pledge
Extra dish soap
Soap for dishwasher
Target All Purpose Cleaner w/ Bleach
Comet no scratch

I use all of the above. I have been using baking soda more for a lot of different things from rug/carpet deodorizer to cleaning out the refrig. However, I don't think I could do without the all purpose cleaner with bleach. Its not green, but it really does a great job of cleaning with alot less scrubbing required.

Too many. Hoping to get rid/donate some to friends/relatives when we move.

I am going to count my bottles under the sink when I get home - I know it's a scary amount. But I live in an apartment, and storage is limited...

But for glass, I wanted to suggest Earth Friendly Products Window Kleener with Lavender (no misspelling - that is what the bottle says). I just started using it at work to clean my glass top desk, as the supplied Windex was smelly! The glass 'Kleener' works great and smells great too! I liked it so much I bought some for home!

I've got three staples. Two under the kitchen sink - glass cleaner and all-purpose cleaner (both method), as well as Method's daily shower spray in the bathroom.

Threesquare, try the daily granite from Method. It is formulated especially for marble and granite. I have polished marble counter tops and use this along with a soft cloth to keep them clean.

[1] Baking soda in a shaker bottle (ex-grated parmesan cheese container).

[2] Caldrea's surface cleaner in a spray bottle

[3] Seventh Generation dish soap. Cut with water in a spray bottle, it cleans every surface including dirty dishes. I got the idea from a Jon Carroll column about cleaning services that use this combo to protect the staff from chemicals. This soap also does a good job on laundry.

I'm still looking for a good micro fiber cloth.

none

http://www.norwex.ca/norwex/

There is no better microfiber cloth.
This line has silver in the microfiber, a natural antibacterial used on burn unit patients to prevent infections. The window cloth kicks all kinds of windex butt. I love that not only do I not have chemicals, but I don't have to mix anything. I use the cloths and only water for 95% of my cleaning.

Clorox green is still clorox.
As for wipes...
http://www.greenhome.com/info/news/125.shtml

I keep most of my cleaning supplies in a small basket in my laundry area, not under the sink. That way, I can just grab the basket any time I want to clean.

The only things related to "cleaning" under my sink are refills for my small hand soap and dish soap dispensers.

In the basket, I have:

1. toilet cleaner

2. a special spray for metallic surfaces to remove grease and grime (which I rarely use, but occasionally break out for deep cleaning under and behind the gas table)

3. spot remover for laundry

4. Simple Green cleaner

5. extra bars of soap

So, I guess that's only 3 cleaners. Simple Green covers most bases for everyday cleaning.