That seems to be some kind of oxymoron, a supposedly eco-friendly cleaning product with noxious fumes. You should go to the company's web site and tell them what you think about their product. I haven't tried them, but I have been trying to use things to clean my house that my mom used when she was a young housewife. She's a fountain of useful information.

I stopped using creme rinse on my hair and started using rain water. Baking soda cleans procelain sinks. I use vinegar to clean many things around the house. I just haven't been able to give up my steam cleaner for animal messes on the carpets. I guess the green solution would be to go back to linoleum floors and a damp mop. I could go for that if I could find a linoleum in a retro pattern suitable for the 'country house' feeling I like. I'm sure the dogs would enjoy the coolness of it. Cheryl

Have you tried using Rosemary to clean? It is very simple: Cut a couple handfuls of Rosemary and put it in a pot of water. Bring it to a boil and let the Rosemary steep until the water is cool. Pour the Rosemary water into spray bottles and use to clean sinks, tile floors, etc. It smells good too. I've even used it in the garden to spray on aphids to kill them. It worked! It only lasts about a month, but I tend to use it up pretty fast.

I've also read that this same solution works as an herbal toner for the skin. Keep a small amount of it in the refrigerator and dilute it by half with plain water. Squeeze some on a cotton ball and clean your face after removing any make-up as a toner. It has a slight antiseptic quality that will help clean your skin.

Whoa, ladies! There's green, and there's green.

Seriously, though, I've taken on a greenish hue over the last couple of years, but my DH is a bit behind me, so I have to go slow. I have started using vinegar/water on glass, a variety of foods for facials, and a few other simple cleaners recently. I also stopped using conditioner & am conducting a year's experiment on electricity-free hairstyles with no curling iron or dryer. I hadn't heard about the rosemary water, so I guess I'll have to try that.

I have fun razzing my DH about extreme green products & asking when we'll install solar panels.

We've gone over to toilet paper made from pre-consumer (I would hope!) recycled paper, but many of the other green cleaning products on the shelves are beyond our budget. So when our Tom Thumb came out with their Bright Green that's pretty cheap, we tried a few products. We're sticking with the laundry detergent for now - esp b/c it is fragrance free and dye free, but that bathroom cleaner was horrible! I had to open the windows and turn on fans.

~ freshair

What's wrong with cream rinse/conditioner?

We've been using a product called Green Works that we really like. I don't know exactly how "green" it is but the reason I love it so much is it smells good and the fumes don't kill me. I bought a bottle of concentrate for refilling the spray bottle. If I mix it too strong it will bother me.

I only use it in the kitchen. Our water is so hard and soap scum is a problem, I use stronger stuff in the bathrooms.

conditioner (speaking for myself):
A few years ago, I was introduced to a Swiss-made line of skincare products that use *no* petroleum derived products. Their primary reason for this was that x% (don't remember their stats) of what we put on our skin can be absorbed into our bodies. This is why we have some meds in patches now. The prices were entirely out of my budget, but the info stuck with me. A few months ago, I found a couple of lines of more affordable products that basically offer the same ingredients (all vegetarian) & are available at vitamin stores, drugstores and Sprouts.
I haven't been able to bring myself to quit shampoo b/c I have *really* oily hair. But I decided the conditioner, that is also loaded with gobs of petro-chemicals, isn't as necessary as I thought. I can tell a slightly negative difference, but not one worth fussing about.

re: Cheryl's rainwater hairwashing:
We have a new 2nd favorite show - The Goode Family. The family struggles with applying eco-friendly principles in a suburb & its funny. Don't remember whether its in the intro or the actual episode, but the dad is showering in a wooden stall with water from his rainbarrel & its right out front for God and everybody to watch.

I've been wondering about Green Works.

~ freshair

My hairdresser says we get oily hair because we strip the natural oils from the scalp. He says the scalp freaks out when the oils are stripped and goes into overdrive producing more oil - therefore, we have oily hair. Now, I have to wash my hair daily - I can't stand it if I don't wash it. I have used natural hair products in the past and was happy with them. They are a little more expensive but worth a try.

I'm using the Green Works dish soap now. It feels gentle on my hands and smells nice too without being perfumy. It does a good job at cleaning dishes - at least the ones that I can't put in my dishwasher.

I work for Vileda, we are behind a whole host of cleaning products including the very famous red handled ÂSuperMocio mop and we have a brand new blog ÂThe Clever Cleaner http://theclevercleaner.blogspot.com.

Our blog pulls together lots of cleaning hints, tips, stories and info on the world of cleaning so have a look on and share your cleaning know how with the Vileda clever cleaning community!

denise ~

I had heard that about natural scalp oils & stripping-induced overproduction. An online article I read said that after a while (months) of washing with baking soda, the scalp begins to reproduce a naturally and healthy amount of oils that keep the hair shiny and healthy looking. I don't remember the time period, but I remember thinking that was waaay too long to wait.

I also have pretty oily skin (high school was traumatic, but I'm also almost wrinkle-free so far at age 37), as do most members of my family, so I assume that at least some of my oiliness is "natural."

~ freshair

I never believe anything I see on TV. (smile)

i read it on the internet, rick, so i know its true :-P