NOW CLOSED: Talk to Tesco Naturally Powered about environmentally friendly cleaning products - you could win a £100 Tesco voucher

[AnnMumsnet]

You may have seen in store (or on Mumsnet, thanks to the 1000 odd testers who put two of the products to the test) that Tesco have recently launched a new range of cleaning products, Naturally Powered and they would like to know your opinions on buying environmentally friendly cleaning products.

So, if you buy environmentally friendly cleaning products, why is this? Are all the cleaning products you use environmentally friendly or only certain ones? If so what type of cleaning don't you use environmentally friendly cleaning products for and why? Do you find that they are effective in cleaning your house? Think about both laundry and cleaning products.

If you don't buy environmentally friendly cleaning products, why is this? Is there anything that could persuade you to buy environmentally friendly cleaning products? Is this something you think about when doing your shopping?

Are there any cleaning activities where you don't use cleaning products at all, but choose to use 100% natural ingredients? What would be your top tips for using natural products to clean your house?

All those who add their comments to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive £100 Tesco voucher.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw.
MNHQ

[mrscumberbatch]

Wheeee! That's fantastic news. Came at a good time as well [skint emoticon]

Thankyou Mumsnet!

[mamij]

I never bought eco friendly products. But I did try out Tesco's product. I had hoped it was environmentally friendly and made fom sustainable materials, but I think I was a tad dsappointed. It smelt for too 'chemically' for my liking.

[AnnMumsnet]

Thanks for all the comments - am pleased to say mrscumberbatch has won the £100 Tesco voucher. Well done.

[InMySpareTime]

I vacuum while it's sunny, so my solar panels generate the electricity needed, does that count as Eco friendly?
Vacuuming e.g. Beds and sofas prolongs their life, and surprising amounts of dust comes out of them (there was a thread about it yesterday).
I also find that opening windows is more effective in getting odours out than any amount of "room freshening" sprays. A bit of a breeze gets dust out of the house too so I don't have to .

[domesticslattern]

I buy ecover products, stocking up when they are on special. As far as I'm concerned the performance is good and I like not having a house filled with chemical fumes. I also want to protect the environment for my children, and I like being able to get refills eg of fabric conditioner. The only thing that puts me off is the price. My toilet cleaner is the one exception as I found the ecover ones did not prevent limescale build up.
I don't normally shop in Tesco or Sainsburys, but on the occasions I do I might buy their green ranges instead of Ecover if they were cheaper.

[EatingSwansHorror]

Used to use ecover for everything as dh was diagnosed with cancer and we freaked out. Gradually started using regular stuff again, mainly cos nothing ever felt clean with ecover or similar. Especially washing powder. It just can't get things clean as easily or quickly as the other stuff.

[lagoonhaze]

To be honest I want to care more but unless I do it completely natural I cant see how much difference it will make.

[Charlene1]

I don't look if any products are environmentally friendly - I buy them to do a certain job, but I do prefer pump action sprays to aerosols. I use toothpaste to scrub off limescale in the bathroom, vinegar for glass (on scrunched up newspaper), and antibacterial washing up liquid to scrub the hob!!

[stealthsquiggle]

All other things being equal, I would prefer to buy more environmentally friendly products, but it's not top of my list. Stuff that works is #1 and things whose smell I can stand (anything with febreze in it, or pine scented, or whatever the blue stuff is supposed to smell of, makes me heave, as do most lavender-scented things (I like lavender, just not the artificial scent)) is #2 (tied with "does it bring me out in a rash/shred my hands), with price #3 and eco credentials #4.

I did test the tesco spray, and it was OK (passed tests #1 and #2) but since I rarely shop in Tesco I have not had cause to look at the price and decide if I would buy it (also, I bought dettox in bulk last time I was in Costco). I don't use bleach because of having a tempramental septic tank, but do use anti-bac sprays on kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

What would persuade me to change? Not sure, really, but if I was really determined to use natural products I wouldn't be sourcing them from Tesco's cleaning aisle, I don't think.

[BlueEyeshadow]

I tend to use eco friendly products when they're available. I like Method but they're £££ so I tend to stock up when they're on offer. I use vinegar sometimes but DH moans that it makes everything smell like a chippy! The only thing I've found that works in the loo though is bleach. I've tried cola, vinegar, bicarb etc but they don't shift the heavy limescale we get round here.

[weenwee]

Sorry, easier to read link here: Geek Family 2.1

[weenwee]

Tesco, here's the thing. If you are going to go green, great! But you have to actually, you know, GO GREEN. Not just make a clear solution and then slap a leaf on it. You're talking to women who actually use real products as cleansers, not a slapdash of chemicals. Don't insult our intelligence by saying your stuff is green, when it clearly isn't. I was one of the testers, here is my review: www.geekfamily.co.uk/tescos-naturally-powered-review/2012/05/07 . Address the obvious issues raised in the review, and you may be on to something.

[PetiteRaleuse]

I don't set out to buy eco-friendly cleaning products as have found them not to work as well as the hard stuff.

I do however use vinegar / bicarb of soda to clean certain things, though I have to admit it's more to save money than the environment.

In an ideal work cleaning products would be cheap, work well and environmentally friendly, but they generally aren't. I also have a vague suspicion about companies cashing in on the environmental movement and overpricing the environmentally friendly stuff to make more money.

[Malachite]

I use environmentally friendly laundry detergent and washing up liquid. I buy them from a local coop shop that makes them on site and provides refills. I prefer them as they are more environmentally friendly and also as I have skin allergies and don't react to them. The laundry detergent is very effective but the washing up liquid doesn't get through grease very well so I have a back up for really greasy dishes e.g. roasting trays.

I also buy some not so environmentally sound products e.g. bleach for the toilet and oven cleaner as I've not found an effective replacement for these yet. I do keep trying though.

[Tryingtobenice]

Ha, Cola in the loo, definitely one to try. I also succomb to bleach from time to time.

Ecover is great in most things but i agree the non bio washing powder isn't as goodas non eco. The 'simply' range is great - currently pressure testing against baby poo and its gentle tablets are beating fairy freebies from the bounty pack hands down. (btw, bounty is a good sampling opportunity as babies might lead to rethink about poisons in house).

Method shower spray is great and so glad it's enviro ok as used every day.

[Astaril]

We used to shop at Tesco and we used their old eco cleaning products and they were really nice! Very similar to Ecover, even looked similar, I seem to remember the smell of the surface cleaner was lovely. However we decided to boycott tesco as a supermarket after the whole chicken out campaign. They just came across as immoral uncompromising and uncaring. They have really gone after the Asda market and dropped standards and quality in the store and their morals with went with them.

It is good to see Tesco are still making Eco products and I applaud that, its really good they don't test on animals too. I just hope they start improving their standards in other areas.

As for cleaning I use Method cleaning products now, aww they are so gorgeous! makes cleaning feel luxurious and nice to do, which is really something! Their furniture polish is so lovely on wood, smells like bakewell tart all almondy, makes everything really glossy. I love Lavender surface spray for every day and we have granite surfaces so we use the granite spray for a treat which just smells so lush! I use Ecover Wash up, although we do have dishwasher. and Ecover laundry bleach. I use Method laundry liquid which I have found really effective and cleans really well. Oh and we use Ecover in the loo which is another nice one, Ecover limescale is really really good!!! definitely as good as Viakal or whatever its called, and I use Method peppermint for bathroom everyday. I think thats all of them.

[Shriek]

BTW... there's nothing to beat getting the real hard burnt on layers off the bottom of the pan than a generous sprinkling of soda boiled up with just water .. shiney pan! like new.. no elbow grease, or any other grease!

[Shriek]

I wouldn't consider Tesco for eco!.. the thought makes me laugh! as I consider their commercially aggressive approach in our locality, (ploughing through our ancient woodlands, and riding rough-shod over planning regulations) to be a sufficient statement from them about anything 'eco'. Sadly all our local independents are now closing down, and Tesco express appears everywhere despite local protest and fines.

I do veer away from using any anti-bacterial stuff to avoid killing all the friendly bacteria and inhaling the fumes from it... none of us dead yet from all the awful bacteria they say we must kill [telly ad's] -ecoli/salmonello/etc.. scarey, yes, but real?..

I use a descaler for the loo, the same as vinegar (hard water area too).

Can never over-rate vinegar .. just brilliant for loads of stuff.

In think £1 in every £8 is quite sufficient amount for the buying public to be putting into the coffers of these profit hungry lot. So I try to buy 'ethically' as well, and support independents where atall possible, as the large stores already control the farmers driving down any hope of profits they ever had... and on...

I use soap and water. for everything in the kitchen pretty much, and all natural products... have a gleaming bathroom from washing with soap and water followed by a wipe with a hot chamois (soaked in dilute vinegar). I hope the raw ingredients never disappear from the shelves, they are far cheaper and better, not more (maybe the product made and branded to be eco friendly are tho), and there is no warning on a vinegar bottle about potentially hazardous chemicals inside that mustn't be inhaled! [unlike other chemical warfare designed for keeping clean] I imagine if Tesco are interested it must be because a lot more people are reverting to time honoured cheaper ways of keeping the home clean and safe, and considering the planet more where economically possible.

People are getting a lot more savvy about the benefits of keeping the cleaning simple and not spraying everything within an inch of its life! Same thing happened with over-prescription of anti-biotics. ... and anyone kow yet why soo many children and adults are now suffering with terrible eczzema's and life-threatening asthmas... aren't we amongst the highest rates in the world for it now, did I hear?

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

I'm afraid my decisions are dictated by my purse. I tend to buy whatever is cheapest. I won't switch to eco products unless they are the same price. When you have to budget then a conscience can be expensive.

I do use vinegar to descale and find bicarb useful for various things such as cleaning grouting.

[ruffletheanimal]

I of course like the idea
i do need things to work
and i am partly dictated to on what products to buy by my dh who does a lot of the cleaning and i aint arguing in case that means i have to do it instead :slack:
cost is important too; eco products are usually more expensive, and yet you can use much much cheaper things instead of them according to yer average eco warrior (vinegar for windows, bicarb, olive oil, lemon juice, that sort of thing) how does that make sense eh?
so if you want my dosh, mr corporation, appeal to my lazy side while not treating me like a fule and make simple, enviro friendly options just easier and more convenient to use than home made stuff. vinegar in a spray bottle for e.g. - people really are that lazy while also preferring a natural option.

ime anyway

[Irate]

oh yes I forgot I dust wood with a soft cloth and a few drops of lavendar oil to freshen up rooms.

[Irate]

I use branded eco products for the following:
washing and conditioning clothes
dishwashing liquid
dishwasher tablets
floor cleaner

I use soda crystals for general surface and bathroom cleaning.
I use vinegar for glass cleaning
I use a non eco friendly brand of toilet cleaner for the actual bowl as I find the eco branded one smelt foul and didnt get rid of hard water stains.

I find these products do a good enough job in comparison to non-eco brands and in some cases such as vinegar and soda crystals a better job.

I never use anything marked anti-bacterial as I think this is the devils work!

[zinaida]

I use bicarb and vinegar like a lot of other posters, and any cleaning products I buy ( washing up liquid, surface cleaner etc) I get the cheapest possible.

[hk78]

I use a mixture of the two.

The environmentally-friendly products do smell nice but...they just don't do as good a job and I haven't got time (or inclination) to put in the elbow grease etc. Also, they are too expensive for me.

So I use cheap bleach mainly, and bog-standard washing powder etc.

However, I also use 'traditional' methods, for example bicarb, white vinegar etc. I don't know if these are environmentally-friendly or not, tbh.