Rating: NNNNN
Our Ecoholic testers are back by popular demand, and this time we’re trying out green all-purpose cleansers in one of the busiest and often dirtiest rooms of the house, the kitchen. Okay, so no one wants to clean in the heat, but by neglecting that mess you might as well put a big sign on your door saying, “Ants, fruit flies, hell, even raccoons welcome.”
No doubt some of you are still hooked on chems. I know, I know, it’s not that you don’t care about the planet (hey, you’re reading this column) it’s just they just work so darn well, right? Well, it’s time to put the nozzle down. Many home cleaners emit smog-inducing volatile organic compounds and are major contributors to indoor air pollution (which can be anywhere from two to 100 times higher than outdoor air). Yes, most ingredients do break down in municipal waste treatment plants, but some surfactants used in degreasers, disinfectants and general cleaners break down into hormone-disrupting agents that have been shown to feminize fish. And 69 per cent of American streams tested positive for this stuff! Antibacterial agents show up there, too.
Don’t be a sucker. Just because it smells like green apples or has an orange on the label doesn’t make it any more natural. In fact, citrus-containing degreasers were also found to have the nasty surfactant mentioned above.
Do your part and switch to the truly green stuff. And if you want to know which ones work best on your greasy kitchen, read on.
Oh yeah, and Nature Clean has informed us it has stopped using sodium lauryl sulfate throughout its product line, though you might find it in older bottles still on shelves.
| Tester 1 | Tester 2 | Tester 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Seventh Generation Kitchen Cleaner
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Smells nice, but I used it on my sink and it felt like I was just spreading dirty water around with a cloth. Good for light cleaning of smudged walls, counters, cabinets. That’s it. NN | It cleans spots well but leaves a bit of a sticky residue. Nice scent. Pretty effective on counters but not on plastic cutting board and picnic set. NN | Iroquois idea of considering next seven generations nice, but it couldn’t really clean stained metal sink. Some stuff came off, but I had to add baking soda and salt and really dig in. NN |
 Parsley Plus All Surface |
One co-worker said it smelled like rot! So sudsy it was a pain to wipe away from stove tops and counters, but it dried to a nice finish. Cleaned burned-on grease well. NN | Parsley odour pleasant. Good for wiping counters and faucets, but nothing looked or felt sparkly clean (residue). Didn’t feel like I was using a cleanser. NN | So much lather when used on fridge or stove that you need to rinse, then heartily buff with dry cloth. Why bother? You can get the same result using your dish soap. I did. NN |
 Simply Clean All Purpose |
I hate the awkward drip-top format! It’s totally impractical and wasteful. But it did clean built-up grime on coffee maker to new! More elbow grease needed on yucky burners but it worked. NNN | Great on sinks, fast and smooth. Removed light stains, but even with scrubbing, hard water stains and caked-on goo (icky!!) still there. Less sticky than pro strength, but same. NNN | Works about the same as Super version, but bottle is a drag. It dealt nicely with ordinary grunge but didn’t touch stains. For those I had to sprinkle salt and baking soda and scrub. NN |
 Simply Clean Professional Strength Supercleaner |
Cleaned other half of coffee maker as well as regular-strength. Much better than regular at baked-on, caked-on grime. Spray format better, too – brought me to my happy place. NNNN | No smell or residue. Great on counter tops, sides of cabinets and appliances. Removed grease and dirt quickly with very little effort. Deep stains wouldn’t budge. NNN | Nice branding, but really this is same as the one above. Except for blessed relief of being able to spray. Good superficial counter cleanser, but for serious dirt you need the real stuff. NNN |
 Citra-Solve Cleaner & Degreaser |
Took care of post-meal mess left by boyfriend, aka the explosive chef. Cleaned built-up crud around dishwasher well. Nice residue-free finish, unlike others. Orange scent a hit. NNNN | Very strong citrusy smell, but as a “traditional” cleaner girl (Vim and bleach were my mainstays before this), I liked the scent and bubbles. I’d buy it. Very good on grimy cabinets and walls. NNNN | The best. Seemed stronger, or maybe I got done in by the lemon-on-the-label trick. Worked well on nasties under my elements but failed on greasy kettle despite its degreasing claims. NNNN |
 Ecover Cream Scrub |
Removed muck beneath burners well with some elbow grease . But matt, filmy finish it leaves on everything isn’t great for shiny kitchen surfaces. Pretty good on sinks, foams well. NNN | Good for degreasing. Even with hard scrubbing and steel wool, didn’t scratch surfaces. Great on chrome muckiness wiped away easily. NNN | Don’t be lured by sensuality of the cream and idea that this is a scrub. It isn’t. It wasn’t helpful on a stained section of the counter. Nothing much to recommend here. NN |
 Earth Friendly Creamy Cleanser |
Cut through grease well on stove top, but what’s up with powdery finish? You really have to rinse well. But it was only one that cleaned dirty NOW desks using only paper towels. NNN | Probably my favourite product of all, this one easily (so easily!!) removed buildup and water stains. Pleasant smell. A nice balance of nature and cleanser. NNNN | It claims it’s a scouring powder. Don’t believe it. It bypassed the stains on my counter – stains that disappeared completely when I scrubbed with salt and baking soda. Some shine. NN |
 Nature Clean All Purpose Cleaning Lotion |
This one goes from washing dirty dishes to smudged surfaces, no problem. But it sucked on my kitchen sink. Extra points for being scent-free and cleaning pesticides off fruit. NNNN | Okay all-purpose cleaner for appliances but didn’t touch caked-on dirt or grease. Stubborn stains took hard work. Lack of bubbles, colour or odour was disappointing. NN | A nice squeeze bottle but what’s with this having to dilute stuff? It shined up my stove top and easily melted away scuzz on my kitchen walls. Hard to say it had any more punch than others. NN |
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NNNNN = A clean freak’s wet dream NNNN = Mr. Clean’s green brother NNN = Decent grime fighter NN = Ouch, my elbow hurts N = You’d be better off with spit and polish
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ecoholic@nowtoronto.com
