Can anyone recommend environmentally friendly products that actually work??

[iwouldgoouttonight]

Hello, I'm trying to be more environmentally friendly but finding it quite frustrating. I use a lot of Ecover products, and some are brilliant, e.g. the toilet cleaner works just as well as bleach, washing up liquid is great, etc. But things like laundry liquid and surface cleaner just don't seem to do the job! I used them for a while and found that most of DS's clothes/bibs still had stains on from his dribbling, and noticed DP started to smell because it wasn't washing sweat out properly!! And surfaces, esp mirrors and windows have loads of smears on! Have also tried natural products, lemon juice, vinegar, etc but still they don't seem to leave things looking totally clean (unless I'm doing something wrong?!)

I also tried Ecoballs (laundry balls which had supposed to clean as well as detergent but with none of the harmful effects) and thought they might also be good for DS's excema. But they didn't work very well at all - they were fine for a light wash with no stains but they're terrible on stains/smells even if I used the stain remover first. So in desperation I have gone back to using Fairy.

I don't feel especially comfortable knowing the damage they do - does anyone know of any good environmentally friendly cleaning products that do work? Or do I just need to compromise and accept that my family and house will just look slightly grubby?!

Or does anyone know if any of the big companies are better for the environment than others?

personally i find ecover spray and washing powder ok - you can get a stain remover by them i think?

but white vinegar and bicarb are good cleaning products.

also essential oils diluted in water are good antibac cleaners - lavendar and teatree is good as a surface spray.

am sure someone wiser will be along soon but hope that does for starters

FOr a general surface cleaner diluted white vinegar really does work.

And it is excellent on water marks.

Try cleaning your fridge with bicarb. I was amazed at how quick and effective it was.

Clear Spring washing up liquid is as good as fairy and no more expensive. Also, their laundry liquid is brilliant and for stains I just rub some neat into the stain before I wash it. Environmentally friendly and green alternatives do work, you do have to be committed to wanting to use them though as it is so easy to switch back. Look at www.ethiscore.org and under the free reports you will see what the big companies get up to. This is often enough to make people stop using Proctor & Gamble products, Reckitt Benkiser, Unilever etc

All the Ecover products are pretty good

BioD are another company, but I'm afraid I have no experience of their products. I use white vinegar and lavender oil in the conditioner tray for my washable nappies. The vinegar is brill at getting rid of smells and softening, and the lavender oil good for scent.

I use Bio-D detergent with a stain remover stick from Astonish (whose products are fairly eco friendly and not tested on animals). Also Bio-D Nappy Fresh is a great stain remover/whites booster for sheets etc just dont use it for a coloured wash. Bio-D washing up liquid also good. Astonish kitchen and bathroom cleaners are as good as any big name brands and I use Bio-D loo cleaner or one from Co-op (more ethical then the big names plus less bad for the environment). I have lowered my standards a bit too but think it is worth it in terms of ethics and environment etc. Sure there is info on Google and Lakeland stock a few good eco cleaning things...

E-cloths are good for mirrors, windows and general smear-free cleaning.

Eres Q2 bathroom cleaner is marvellous stuff!

The Ecover multisurface cleaner (not the spray, one in a big bottle that you can mix up with water) is pretty good, and I do find all the Ecover stuff is much better for non-stickyness if you don't rinse it (eg. when cleaning floors).

I do use the Ecover washing liquid and sort of know what you mean, but I try not to worry too much about stains on my DD's clothes. Haven't noticed any smell problems though, just that things may not be quite as clean so we all look a bit grubby as you say! I tell myself that having perfectly stain-free clothes (as well as perfectly new, not-mended clothes) is a very, very recent obsession!

Although I'm not convinced on the ethical standing of Amway (think they're a bit cultish tbh) we've been given a whole lot of their environmentally friendly 100% biodegradable cleaning things and they're really really good. Great bog cleaner and fab surface spray, but feel a bit odd having their products everywhere in case people think we're heavily involved

Ecover washing up liquid irritates my hands horribly, so would love to hear of some recommendations for dishwashing.

Ecover laundry bleach is very good on whites.

I have ordered soapnuts for washing now.Can soemone tell me how much water nd how much vinager to put in the spray please

Haven't Ecover discontinued the washing bleach because they've reformulated their washing powders?

Vinegar and bicarb both work brilliantly for loads of cleaning jobs.

I use soapnuts for all my washing, and boost the whites with a bit of Ecover laundry bleach and now and then (shirt collars and the like) some Ecover stain remover stuff.

Have to say, the soapnuts aren't a miracle cure, they aren't brilliant for stained stuff. But then neither is non-bio which is what I always used to use - we don't use biological products because of skin problems and environmental concerns. However, the combination of soapnuts for normal washes, boosted by a bit of Ecover stuff for more problematic washes seems to work.

I like Ecover washing up liquid too - someone said it irritated their hands, which is strange because I usually react to everything going and Ecover is fine for me. Just shows it's a personal thing.