Favorite "Green" Cleaners/househole products...ex:Melaleuca, Shaklee, Others

I use almost all of the Method products (granite cleaner, wood floor cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, etc.) and have been VERY pleased. I use some Mrs. Meyers as well, but the good thing about Method is how readily available it is--Target and I even found it at Home Depot! The granite cleaner is the best I've seen and I use it on our black stovetop, too, for a spotless shine. The greatest thing about all of these cleaners is the wonderful way my house smells afterwards--no more chemical smells. Plus, I don't wince when my son grabs a bottle to "help" me clean.

I've been using Mrs. Meyers Clean Day products for a little over a year now and really like them. They smell GREAT, get the job done and are good for the environment as well as being child and pet friendly. The line is available at Whole Food markets and other eco-friendly stores. I currently order mine online as noone in this area (that I know of) carries MM.

http://www.mrsmeyers.com/

My favorite green cleaners are vinegar and baking soda. I can get almost everything clean with these two and they are cheap. Go to www.care2.com/greenliving for some ideas on how to use them. For laundry I like Biokleen. I've heard some good things about Allen's Naturally, but I haven't tried that.

I've used Melaleuca many times off and on through the years and like it for light jobs. I also love Odo-Ban (available at Sam's Club) for serious disinfecting or deodorizing jobs. Both are natural, smell great (to me) and are non-toxic. More and more companies make "green" cleaners these days, but I still read the labels and make sure they are non-toxic. Vinegar, baking soda, elbow grease - still the best naturals ;)

Hey Abby! I actually distribute Shaklee products. I started doing this because I fell in love with their cleaning products. They are all safe for you, your home and the environment. The line is called Get Clean and it was actually featured on Oprah's favorite things episode this past November. I would love to share more info. with you if you would like. My home phone number is ###-###-####, or you could go to my website at www.shaklee.net/amberterrell.

A. T

Abby,
I love Melaleuca! I looked at Shaklee and could not believe the prices. Melaleuca has 100% money back guarantee on everything! If you know of anyone who has eczema or any other skin condition they need the Renew bath oil and lotion! Just to give you an idea on the prices 96 loads of laundry cost 14.99! They are having a great special right now and they will also give you a $100 in free products. Let me know if I can help you. The special is only advertised right now until March 20. Good luck and Happy St. Patricks day. You can give me a call or email me back. My number is ###-###-####. I look forward to visiting with you.
H. M.

I used to sell Melaleuca until after the birth of my daughter. I then became allergic to tea tree oil!

While they are great products, they are also VERY expensive. If you decide to build a business with them, it becomes even more expensive. The higher on the ladder you go, the more products you must buy. At that point you begin to spend more on than "your budget" on product.

Since leaving Melaleuca, I have found more economical and environmetally friendly options to use around the house. I use winfree detergent (from cosco), white vinegar for in my rinse water, white vinegar for cleaning countertops and floors, Also use Mint Oil for general cleaning(floors, toilets, countertops). Baking soda for scrubbing sinks, tubs, and my glasstop stove. Vinegar for window too. If I need essential oils for medicinal reasons, they can be purchased locally.

Remember too that you are being more "green" by buying things locally when possible. We contribut more to pollution by supporting the trucking of items into our homes.

More about me:
WAHM of two( 17yrs and 4yrs). Married for almost 13 yrs. I work part-time from my home as a sales rep for Valpak of SW Dallas, and a distributer for MAXgxl(a glutathione accelerator)http://www.maxgxl.com/D.

I also use Method - especially in the bathrooms because it's non-toxic to people or pets. I love their everyday shower cleaner. I also use Method floor cleaner and like it a lot.

I love Real Simple magazine. They have a book out on how to clean everything. They suggested a mix of dish soap and water in a spray bottle to clean counters, etc and it works great for me. Works pretty good on stainless steel too.

I love a book called "Healthy House, Clean Planet" that has recipes for homemade cleaners. Easy, great stuff, and very cheap. My only problem is keeping my housekeepers from just putting anything in my carefully-labeled spray bottles! I have gotten so used to the gentler products, I can't stand walking into a room in someone else's home or business that has been cleaned with Pine-Sol or some commercial product.

For a truly Green product use Shaklee. most of their products are organic and are so concentrated they last for ever. To make a 16 oz bottle of Shaklee Window cleaner you use 2 (YES TWO) DROPS of the H2 to 16 oz of water and it works GREAT!!!

I tried the melaluca and although they work well, they are a combination of chemical and natural products which I dont want any chemicals in my house at all. Plus some of their products, in my oppinion have too much of a strong smell and for people with severe Asthma any odors can cause a flair up. Most Shaklee products have no smell at all.

also, with Shaklee you dont have to buy a minimum of products each month to stay a member and with Melaleuca you do have a monthly minimum you have to meet in order to keep your membership. it was averaging me about $50.00 per month worth of products i did not need yet, to keep my membership, I dont agree with that.

For a shaklee dealer near you contact Sheryl Nichols www.allstarwellness.com or ____@____.com

I get my products from her and she is great. (I am a member but I dont sell I just buy)

Good luck!

I love the Shaklee starter kit, it has lasted forever, and cleans great....all of them!

Write to "hints from Heloise" she has a whole pamphlet on make your own natural "green" cleaners, and they are so much cheaper!

I have used Shaklee in the past. It works very well. It may seem expensive, but they are all dilutable so they last very long. Right now I am using Clorox Greenworks and I really like it. It smells freash and because it is highly dilutable the little bottle that I bought has lasted forever!

Method cleaners are non-toxic, biodegrable and actually work. You can even find them in fabulous target. They also have a great website www.methodhome.com. I highly recommend them, they have floor cleaner, tile cleaners, general purpose cleaners, wood cleaners & granite & stainless steel cleaners.

The cleaners are generally under $3 and really work.

Be very, very cautious with all "natural" products. Melaleuca uses tea tree oil, which simulates estrogen in the body. This can cause a lot of problems...miscarriages, early puberty in girls, etc. I used Melaleuca products for over a year after my son was born. It took me another year and a miscarriage for my body to recover from the side effects of the tea tree oil-induced hormone imbalance. And the reality is that the products did not clean very well at all. My house and clothes are much cleaner using other products. Being "green" isn't necessarily healthier.

I have just begun using melaluca (not sure about the spelling) and love their products. It feels good to use products that are natural and safe for my family. If you need the name of a distributor, please call Carola Broaddus at ###-###-####. She's great!

I've been using Melaleuca since October 2007 and I love their products. I've used just about every cleaner and detergent they have and really, they aren't more expensive. They just have the monthly committment to buy that scares some people off. I've found that I order more than I'm supposed to every month--and it's not because I have a lot of extra money--I'm a SAHM for the first time this year and our budget has been more than cut in half. I only buy products I'd buy anyway and I do refer other people to the company (just like any of their preferred customers can do if they choose to do so). Right now, their membership for the first year is only $1 instead of $29 and all their products are guaranteed, so if you don't like them, you can get your money back even if the bottles are empty. The $1 deal is good through March 20th. If you go to their website--Melaleuca.com and look in their product store at the cleaners, you'll find the prices very reasonable. Remember, many of these "Ecosense" products are concentrated and one bottle that costs $5.24 makes 4 regular spray bottles. That comes out to less than $2 a bottle which is more than what I used to pay for stuff like Clorox Clean Up, WIndex, etc. If you'd like to find out a few more details, I could tell you everything you needed to know in 30 minutes. My email address is ____@____.com or just respond to this. I really have been satisfied w/everything I've gotten from Melalueca. Good luck w/your search even if you don't go w/M....

I'm loving the new clorox green cleaners. I have the spray cleaner and the floor cleaner and love them both. Neither one were over $4.

My 6 year old son suddenly had what looked like a pre-pubescent breast bud! After over a month of pediatric endicrinologists and lots of blood work and diary-keeping on diets, etc., we found out that the everyday household cleaners, detergents and soaps that we all see advertised daily and available at all the grocery stores and retailers was TOXIC to him!

He was diagnosed with gynecamastia.

His body had to process all the aromas and chemicals by turning those toxins into a false estrogen. I was shocked that my clean home was hurting my son!

The doctors all advised going toxin-free and specified that I read the labels because of the loose or lack of regulation on "green" products.

Shaklee was the only one that provided the ingredients, the purity testing and tons of peer-reviewed medical journal papers that were easy for me to find and read and had been around for over 50 years.

30 days after ditching all the toxins and getting Shaklee products in the house, my little guy tested 100% normal on all of his hormone levels! We were all thrilled, of course!
I like supporting a green company like Shaklee and local enterpreneurs and not the big box retailers & chemical producing companies, especially in this economy.

The bonus is we have all been healthier as a result. Its been quite the education, there is A LOT of mis-informatin out there - so do your research!

Bleach is one of the most toxic products out there - contributing to or causing asthma, attention issues, learning issues, etc!

Good luck! You can find a local distributor on their website, just put in your zip code! (bet you thought I wanted your money!!) - N. T, Missouri

I have done lots of research on toxins in everyday household cleaning items, and started switching over from standard cleaners to more natural cleaners from the grocery store but was not happy with how well they cleaned. I even made some of my own cleaning products using baking soda, vinegar and essential oils. That was fine for many cleaning jobs, but I still wanted something non-toxic that cleaned well for my laundry, dishes, oven, bathrooms, etc.

So after researching other companies and Shaklee I decided to try out Shaklee's Get Clean starter kit. I am very impressed by how well they clean -- they actually clean better than the standard cleaners I used to use and they are very economical. I bought my kit in September, and the only thing I ran out of in the first month was laundry detergent (which does 32 loads -- I have 4 kids). I just finally ran out of the automatic dishwashing detergent last weekend. I am also finally almost out of the handwashing soap. I still have plenty of the scrubber, the Basic H (all purpose cleaner, window and glass cleaner, and degreaser), dryer sheets, laundry brightener, basic H wipes, basic G wipes, and liquid dish washing soap. Last month, I ordered more of some of the things just in case, so I had them on hand for when things run out. And there are no minimum purchases required with Shaklee to maintain your discount membership. (I have heard that other companies require you to buy a certain amount of products every month to qualify for your discount . . . that is not the case with Shaklee.

With all that I've learned about the toxins in everyday cleaning products and Shaklee's non-toxic alternative with their Get Clean line, I have decided to do my part to share this info with others. I can also tell you my daughter, who has asthma, has noticed a big difference with us using Shaklee's Get clean products, and she commented earlier today when I was cleaning about how it doesn't hurt her lungs like it does when she is over at her dad's house and they are cleaning with regular grocery store products.

I hope this information is helpful. Here are more resources for you as well:
www.shaklee.net/makeadifferencenow/getclean
Want to read an informative report prepared by EWG (non-profit group) about Comet and other household cleaners:
http://www.ewg.org/schoolcleaningsupplies/fullreport
Another great resource:
www.healthychildhealthyworld.org

D.

Simple Green. Plus, it is easy to get, and it is inexpensive. Simple Green also smells wonderful!!

You can get it at Home Depot, and even a better price at Sams.

Iswear by Simple Green, full strenth you can clean the oil off the driveway, it is also great to wash cars with ,but diluted it is great for indoor cleaning, it is non-toxic and biodegratable, it was the only cleaner I used while I was pregnant. And it costs like $5 bucks in the auto department of wal mart.

I have heard that both of these companies have very good products. Not only are they environmentally friendly, but do not test on animals like many of the companies do including proctor and Gamble (Tide, Charmin, Fantastic, etc). Clorox is another company just entering the world of green that is available in the stores.

Method available at Target...fairly inexpensive, non-toxic, etc.

Hello Abby
I just started using a couple of products from Meleluca just this past week and they are great for me. I have used so far: the body bath bar, liquid hand soap and chapstick. These are like some everyday things so I wanted to try them to see how they would work. The bath bar feels and smells great. The hand soap seems to radiate through the restroom when you wash your hands. I have my 2 yr. old son washing his hands with it also and he does not seem to have any strange reactions from it (that I can tell yet). I like what they offer and I believe I will be ordering from them more often now. I still have some more products that I need to try but if you like I can get you in touch with the woman who got me started on them and she can get your questions answered.

A. J.

A friend of mine sold Melaleuca and she loved it. It has a pleasant smell, but is expensive. I recommend vinegar and baking soda. I'm kind of amazed at how many uses there are for them! Just google uses for vinegar and you'll see what I mean. Vinegar and baking soda are also much cheaper. The vinegar smell dissipates pretty quickly. I have also used Clorox's green cleaners, and they work pretty well. I think they contain a coconut base.
J.

I use Melaleuca cleaners, laundry detergent, and dishwashing detergent. I LOVE them! I used to get a headache after cleaning the bathroom because of all the chemicals in regular cleaners, but not now. The laundry detergent is my favorite because I know there are no harsh chemicals rubbing against my skin everyday. The pre-spot works really well too. The cleaners come concentrated so each bottle equals 3 or 4 bottles of cleaners making them more economic and environmentally beeter. I have a friend who is a distributor that gives me a good deal, so it doesn't cost more than regular cleaners. I'm not sure what the criteria is to be a distributor, but perhaps it would be worth it for you to become one to get better pricing. As far as the products go--they're GREAT!

Hi B., for quite some years I have been through a lot of 'natural' products, Arbonne(not really), I've also used Shaklee and will say they are good, but could get better. Any company can claim it is natural or organic, but unless it has met the rigorous certifications, it can very easily tell you a lie. I have found a company that is Certifed Organic and after using the products, I just fell in love with them! Most wonderful products I've ever ever used in my life! It is a company based in Australia called Miessence. It offers skincare, cosmetics, household cleaners, perfumes, babycare, men's shaving creams, nutritionals, and more to come. This company does not put greed before its mission of staying enviromentally safe as well as being safe to use. The cosmetic line at this time is limited and safer ways are being worked on, but until then, it will not sell a toxic product! A lot of people may not like not having as much lipstick colors to choose, but that is why I so appreciate this company! Like Shaklee, they are concentrated, so the products will go a long way. Check out websites and feel free to contact me.

http://allthingsnatural.mionegroup.com/
http://allthingsnatural.mienterprize.com/

Dear Abby,
Try Family Dollar store or Dollar General. You will find the cheaper brands there for a fraction of the cost. You do know that 'cheapies' can be just as good as the higher cost products. I hope this helps you. I get most all my home cleaning & laundry supplies at Family Dollar Store. I am not in a position to shop the more expensive stuff any longer!

Sincerely,
D. W.

I LOVE Melaleuca! I have been a Marketing Executive for 3 yrs now! The upside to Melaleuca is that, the co. has over 350 products, not just skin care, and dietary products. We have cleaning products where as most companies limit what they distribute. Also the best part of Melaleuca is that you DON'T HAVE TO SELL, HAVE PARTIES, DISTRIBUTE or anything else that comes with other businesses. You can simply be a customer if you want, or you can work the business part as well. IT IS SOLELY UP TO YOU!!

I LOVE IT, AND I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR THE WORLD!! The first 2 yrs I barely worked the business aspect and was just a customer. Now I am working the business part and I love it too!

Good luck with what you choose to do, but if you would like to attend a webcast with me on Monday evening at 7pm. I have that one going. On Mondays we only have one in the evening, but from Tues-Thurs we have two, one at 11am & one at 7pm, and then on Fri & Sat we have one at 11am. They only take 30 minutes, and you'll receive a ton of info. If you want to get more info from me my email is ____@____.com

Have an awesome day!
~S.

We have used Shaklee products for years and years. I love that they are the most 'green' ones that I've found. We tried Melaleuca and liked their products, also. I particularly liked how they left things smelling clean but, as my husband pointed out, there's nothing in nature that smelled like the Melaleuca cleaners! We did stop using the Mel cleaners because we are treating our toddler's allergies (food and environmental) with homeopathy and the tea tree oil antidotes her homeopathic remedy (which has been amazing, by the way). So, we are back to Shaklee and all is well. I buy the quart sized ones and they last for YEARS, literally. You can do a million things with Basic H . . .

I use clorox greenworks, and the products work great. The only thing I've noticed is maybe a little more streaking than some other products that I've used, but I'll take that over toxins in my home. I'm pregnant, and I've noticed I don't have to leave the room because of strong odors. I buy them from Wal-mart, and the cost is between 2 and 4 dollars depending on the product you buy.

Simple Green is a great cleaner. It has a nice mild smell and is safe around kids, food areas, etc and cleans really well. I have seen it at a few stores, Target, Walmart, Grocery, etc. I got mine in a big container at Sams that came with a spray bottle, which you mix part cleaner and part water in. You can add as much or as little cleaner depending on the job.

www.livetotalwellness.com/maxwell

You can check out my website and get a lot of information about Melaleuca. My family uses it and we love it. There is also the business side of Melaleuca, if you are interested in makeing extra money. Check out my other web site if you are interested in that. I hope this helps you!

www.workathomeunited.com/maxwell

K. Maxwell

I have been using Melaleuca since January. I too am sold on the products and will be a customer for life. I don't think the products are too expensive. When going green, it's all about education. Sure you can go to Wal-mart and pick up a low quality product for a low cost, but what is your health worth. Since I have been educated on the impact of all the toxins utilized in household cleaners, I will never use anything else.

Not only does the company offer household cleaning products, it also offers personal care, pharmeceutical, vitamins, and beauty products, all of which use naturals products.

I have lots of information I could share on the products. My eyes have been opened in the last few months.

Abby, you aren't comparing apples to apples. You said Shaklee was too expensive. Shaklee is extremely concentrated so in the long run it is less expensive than Melaleuca. One drop of Basic H2 will make a 16 oz bottle of powerful window cleaner. So one bottle of Basic H2 at $10.35 will make 1456 gallons of window cleaner for less than 1 cent per gallon!! If you used the same bottle of Basic H2 as a fantastic heavy duty cleaner it would make 48 gallons at 22 cents per gallon. Shaklee's laundry powder does 224 medium loads and that is about 18 cents a load. Shaklee has a 100% money back guarantee AND they do not test any of their products on animals. Check google about Melaleuca. You may be surprised. www.cre8health.myshaklee.com

Biokleen products are really good, especially the all purpose cleaner and BacOut. They are great for laundry stains and odor elimination. Also, I really like the Mrs. Meyers line of cleaners, in particular anything in the lemon verbena scent; nice fresh, clean smell. You can buy Biokleen products at Green Living in Dallas or on drugstore.com (no shipping on orders of $50 or more).

My family uses Melaleuca, and I wouldn't consider using anything else! Especially since my son stopped having problems with his breathing after we started using them! When you say you think the products are "expensive", are you looking at the price of each item, or are you considering the "cost per use"? Because the cost per use is usually just 1/2 or less than the products in the stores! Also, Melaleuca guarantees the enrollment fee for 4 full months, and the products for 2 full months (60 days), except for the vitamins, which carry a 90 day guarantee...You can email me at ____@____.com or call me at ###-###-####, and we can talk more!

I also love it because I buy only what I need and have room for. I don't have to stock up or buy in bulk.

HTH, and that I get to talk to you soon!
~J.~
Healthy Families Happy Moms
WorkAtHomeUnited.com/hfhm
LiveTotalWellness.com/hfhm
###-###-####

I love to use Vinegar. I clean the toilets, counters, bathtubs, tile floor, and I use it to disinfect all our humidifiers. It is natural, non toxic, and a natural disinfectant.

Hope this helps!
F.

Hi Abby! I have a lot of experience with Melaleuca's products... I have been a Melaleuca customer for 5 years now .. I absolutely love them and since they are so concentrated, I have found they really SAVE me money! One of the first things I noticed when I started using the Melaleuca products is that my son's asthma HUGELY improved!!! They have about 400 products, so they really have most things that I used to buy at Walmart, but they are safer for my family and they do save me money! T.