Testing some new products from the E-Cloth range.

I am a big fan of e-cloth. I love their range of environmentally friendly cleaning cloths and products for the home and for personal use (the hair turban is still one of my favourite beauty must-haves!)

I have been trying out two new products in the range, the Kitchen Whizz and the Natural Mineral All Purpose Cleaner.

The Kitchen Whizz is a handy little pad made with long fibres and scrubbing stripes that is ideal for a quick clean in and around the kitchen sink, taps, draining board and work surfaces. You simply dampen it, wring it out and then give it a whizz around the surface that needs to be cleaned. Like other products in the range, you don't need any harsh chemical products as the fibres pick up dirt and residue and remove 99% of bacteria using just water. It can be machine washed to keep it hygienically clean and is guaranteed for three years.

The Kitchen Whizz resembles a scouring pad but it much softer and nicer to use. It really does a good job of cleaning, and gets into hard to reach areas. I love how it brings stainless steel up to a lovely shine. It was also great for whizzing over the hob, bringing it up clean and shiny.

At just £2.99 it is a real bargain.

Sometimes, you get a tough stain that nothing seems to shift. I sometimes find such marks on my work surface made by a rusty can that has been put down for recycling or a glass ring stained with red wine. There are also sometimes hard to shift stains on PVC door or window surrounds or water marks in the enamel sinks. When you need a little extra cleaning power, the new Plus by e-cloth Natural Mineral All Purpose Cleaner is a natural and bio-degradable product with the power to remove grease, stains and stubborn dirt with ease.

The tub of cleaner comes with a sponge and a red general purpose e-cloth to make cleaning up really simple and effective. You simply clean with the damp sponge, making a foam with the paste and rubbing in a circular motion, wipe away the residue and then buff dry with the cloth to get a sparkling finish. The cloth also removes over 99% of bacteria.

The product dissolves and lifts away stubborn stains brilliantly and impressively. It's great on stainless steel, enamel, ovens, pots and pans, showers, bathrooms, BBQ's, garden furniture, cars, caravans, trainers, plastic...in fact it'll tackle loads of household cleaning jobs.

The paste cleaner lifted some really stubborn stains from my outdoor PVC window sills. Ian had tried to use a spray cleaner before with no effect, but the paste and cloth worked a treat. I powered through the water marks and limescale build up around the sink and on the shower screen and tray and even shifted some pen from a doll's face. This cleaner really works.

At £9.99 for the 300g tub of cleaner, the 32cm x 32 cm general purpose e-cloth and the sponge, it is a great value buy, which will last for ages and make your chemical kitchen cleaners redundant!

Both products along with the full range of excellent e-cloth products can be found at
www.e-cloth.com where postage and packing is free on UK orders over £10.

Greener Spring Cleaning with Astonish

I am a big fan of Astonish products for greener cleaning all year round, including the big spring clean.  Astonish is a British brand, with a strong emphasis on cruelty free, environmentally friendly and ethical production. The products are certified vegan and come in recyclable packaging. And as if those credentials weren't enough, the products are also really, really effective. In fact the Astonish Oven and Cookware Cleaner is my favourite cleaning product ever - I use it for so much more than just cleaning the hob or oven.

I received a selection of Astonish products so I could have a green spring clean.

Astonish Mould & Mildew Remover 

When unslightly mould and mildew grows in damp places, this spray can kill the spores and prevent regrowth, working in just 2 minutes. It works well in the bathroom on areas of fresh growth, keeping the horrible black spots away. Unfortunately nothing can shift the black mould that has grown into my silicon sealant around my shower, but for the mould on the tiles and on the plastic shower door it does a good job. I've used it on walls, window surrounds and on the ceiling with good results.

Astonish Bathroom Cleaner

Limescale, soap scum and stains can be removed using this trigger spray bottle of cleaner. It is effective on chrome, taps and shower heads. It works pretty well and doesn't have the harsh, chemical smell of other products. It gave a good shine to my taps and spruces up the shower unit. This is a useful everyday spray to keep limescale at bay or for removing light build up.

Astonish Kitchen Cleaner

Cutting through kitchen grease and grime, this fresh fragranced spray leaves no residue. The spray on, wipe off formula works on tiles, work tops and other surfaces. It is a good everyday cleaner to keep surfaces fresh and clean. It works well to keep surfaces clean and is a good everyday product.

Astonish Window & Glass Cleaner

This formula, which contains vinegar, does a great job on windows and also on mirrors. It leaves a lovely, clear finish without smudges. It is really easy to use and keeps greasy finger prints at bay. It is easy to use and wipes off to a good shine. I also use this on my glass TV shelving unit to remove Freddy's sticky finger marks. It really does clean it up nicely.

Astonish Floor Cleaner

For cleaning floors and repelling dirt, this Lime and Bergamot formula is really good. It leaves floors clean, lifting dirt and grime and smells pleasant. It is good for both our tiled kitchen floor and for our laminate flooring. I also use it neat on a cloth if I find something sticky and gross that the kids have dropped on the floor and not told me about! It is good for getting up dried on splodges of food.

Astonish Oven & Cookware Cleaner

For enamel, porcelain, ovens, cookware, plastics, glass, tiles, chrome and metal, this is a super effective deep cleanser. It lifts stains out really well, working when other cleaners let you down. I find it absolutely brilliant for getting rid of water marks and for removing limescale from sinks and baths. I've also removed Sharpie Marker from a table using a bit of this paste on a cloth. It is also brilliant for removing the brown stains from stainless steel sinks and for shifting rust marks made from leaving tins on the work surface by the sink or in the bathroom. It is also excellent for cleaning the surrounds on my uPVC window frames. I have also used it to clean the burnt on greasy build up on my oven's glass door, something that no spray can touch. With a good cloth and a bit of elbow grease, I made it look like new, buffing it up after rinsing away the residue.

I cannot praise this product enough, it has so many uses and it is my go-to cleaning product when I see a stain that sprays won't shift. The slightly abrasive formula really is a miracle worker when it comes to cleaning things other products struggle with.  Every home should have a pot!

The Astonish products really are great quality and brilliant value, delivering good results and a perfect finish. You can buy them online with an RRP of £2 but many are available for just £1 each in Poundland and so buying a selection of products to carry out a spring clean needn't be expensive. Plus, by choosing Astonish you are being kinder to the planet. 

www.astonishcleaners.co.uk

Greener Cleaning with Method

Cleaning is not a glamorous job, but it is an essential part of everyday life.  Although not an exciting chore, it can be made so much more pleasant by choosing the right products.  Products that work for you and for the planet, which are non-toxic, safe and environmentally friendly.  Products that smell delicious and which are packaged in beautifully designed bottles.  Products that are efficient, effective and which fight dirty!  Products that help you to clean happy!

method products fit the bill!

Harnessing Powergreen Technology, using plant-based solvents and surfactants which tackle tough soils, each product is specifically designed to deliver a mighty cleaning punch.  They are bio-degradable and non-toxic and leave behind no nasty residue.  This makes method super safe in households, especially important where there are young children present.

I was sent some method products to try out. At first glance you can see these products are different.  They look gorgeous, colourful and modern.  You won't want to hide them away under the sink that's for sure!  As soon as you open the bottles to use them, the natural fragrances come flooding through.  Using them shows that they are efficient and effective.  Knowing that they are safe and non-toxic is a real added bonus. Green cleaning has never been so attractive.

method Ultra Concentrated Washing Up Liquid - Cucumber
The crisp, cool and refreshing fragrance of cucumber with a hint of citrus is the perfect scent for a summer's day as you wash up after a barbecue!  The pump action dispenser makes it easy to squirt out the exact dose onto a sponge or into the sink, mess free!  I love the tapered bottle showing the crystal clear green liquid inside.  The washing-up liquid tackles greasy dishes in a natural way and is kind to your hands, especially important to me as I get dermatitis from using harsh chemicals.  I absolutely love the scent of this product, it's so unlike the harsh chemical, lemony fragrances of some of the market leaders.  It bubbled up brilliantly well on my sponge and did a great job.  (Approx £3)

method Daily Kitchen Cleaner - Clementine
The citrus fresh, clementine scent is a delight to your senses from the very first squirt.  It's bright and cheery and makes cleaning the surfaces a far more joyous experience.  I love its orangey smell and the way it cuts through the greasy spills.  Knowing it leaves nothing toxic behind is reassuring when preparing food for the family. (Approx £3)

method Gel Hand Wash - Sweet Water
Naturally derived, paraben free and heavenly scented with the fragrance of grapefruit, lemon leaves, jasmine and lily of the valley, this hand wash comes in a gorgeous teardrop shaped bottle with a pump dispenser. It looks so attractive in the bathroom!  The kids absolutely love this and are washing their hands more often than usual just to get a dose of this gorgeous smelling hand wash! (Approx £2.49)

So now I can clean happy and join in the fight against dirty with method!

method's range includes surface cleaners, washing-up liquids, bathroom products, laundry products, handwashes and some specialty products all designed to do their job brilliantly and naturally.

You can find method products at Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Ocado, John Lewis, Homebase, B&Q, Co-op, Booths, Superdrug, Amazon and independent stores.

Join in the method revolution for people against dirty:

 facebook.com/methoduk 

@methodUK

 www.methodproducts.co.uk

Ecover Adds To Award-Winning Range

Ecover is a favourite cleaning brand in our home with its plant-based products which make sustainable living easier and more convenient.  They tackle tough jobs by the power of green cleaning!

They have added three new products to their range: Non-Bio Laundry Gel, Multi-Action Wipes and their revamped Oven and Hob Cleaner.  They also have a Festive Cookie limited edition Washing Up Liquid.  I was sent all four to try out!

Ecover Non-Bio Laundry Gel is made from plant-based and mineral ingredients without the nasties found in conventional laundry products.  I really liked the easy to open bottle with its leak-free cap to avoid spills.  It is accredited by the Good Housekeeping Institute which inspires confidence!  It is designed to be tough on stains with its cleaning power.  The gel has a nice consistency and definitely did a good job even in  my favourite low temperature quick wash setting.  It comes in bottles containing 18 or 28 washes, helping to make your laundry greener! (Expected price £4.99 for 630ml.)

The Oven and Hob Cleaner is a powerful cleaner that doesn't use the harsh chemicals found in other similar products.  It comes in a handy trigger top bottle which is recyclable.  It cuts through grease and smells really nice!  You can use it on any cookware too to help shift baked on stains.  It is also good for cleaning BBQs (not that we are having BBQ weather at the moment!!) (Expected price £3.79 for 500ml.)

The Multi-Action Wipes are bio-degradable, anti-bacterial, multi-purpose wipes with a Pomegranate and Lime fragrance.  They are a convenient way for tackling little cleaning jobs.  Although wipes are generally not the most environmentally friendly product on the market, there is no denying that they can be very handy at times, and these ones benefit from their all-important eco-credentials. (Expected price £2.19 for 40 wipes.)

The new products are available online at Ecover Direct or from major supermarkets.

The  Festive Washing Up Liquid is definitely going to make my Christmas dishes more enjoyable to wash because it smells good enough to eat.  The cinnamon, cranberry and gingerbread scented liquid conjures up the deliciousness of Festive Cookies.  The Ecover washing-up liquid does not foam up unnecessarily as it is foam-booster free but that doesn't mean its cleaning power is reduced.  It will available at Ecover Direct and Ocado in a 500ml bottle, which is totally bio-degradable, priced at £1.85.  It'll definitely add some winter warmth to the festive period!

Dizolve Washing Sheets - Revolutionising Laundry!

It is not often that a product comes along which makes me really wonder why on earth it hasn't been invented before!  New Dizolve Washing Sheets have made me do just that.  

This new laundry product has revolutionized the way we can wash our clothes.  No more heavy bottles of liquid and no more bulky and cumbersome boxes of  powder, tablets or liquitabs need to be bought, lugged home and stored.  Dizolve are super concentrated washing sheets that come in a super light and compact pack.  The impact of this design is beneficial to both my cupboard space and to the environment.  Up to 80% less packaging is used and the transportation requirements for the product are massively reduced meaning less lorries on the road.  

Each Dizolve sheet has the concentrated washing power to tackle a load of laundry.  The sheet pops straight  into the drum on top of the dirty washing and dissolves into the water during the washing cycle.  They smell really fresh and dissolve fully into the wash leaving no residue.  They are quick and easy to use, are mess free and work really well.  They are effective in both hot and cold water.  I use a 30 degree wash and they work perfectly at that temperature, making them kinder to the environment and to my pocket.

Dizolve are suitable for all types of machine.  They are powerful, consisting of 90% detergent concentrated into every convenient sheet.  The non-biological formula is kind to skin and to clothes.  They really are a trouble-free solution to laundry and a great alternative to traditional style detergents.

They are available in selected supermarkets or can be ordered online at the website www.dizolve.co.uk where you can also win a year's supply!

Disolve 12 pack is £2.99 and a 24 pack is £5.49 RRP.
Available in Unscented, Fresh Linen or Lavender varieties.

WIN a selection of fabulous e-cloth goodies! Plus get an exclusive discount code!

e-cloth is offering one lucky winner the chance to scoop a whole host of exciting green cleaning goodies from their extensive range plus 10% off their products online!

e-cloth allows you to clean all around your home with nothing but water, keeping all appliances including dishwashers, microwaves and fridge freezers sparkling with minimum effort. It’s thanks to the millions of tiny clever fibres in each cloth that remove grease, dirt and over 99% of bacteria to leave surfaces sparkling and smear free. And what’s more, e-cloths are guaranteed for up to 300 washes for added reassurance.

I reviewed a selection of e-cloth products as part of my Clean Green Challenge and was extremely impressed! 

This prize package worth over £50 includes e-cloth’s award winning General Purpose cloth, Glass & Polishing cloth, Hob & Oven Pack, Bathroom Pack, e-towel and an e-cloth Deep Clean Mop.

Simply let us know your top Green Cleaning tip in a comment below for a chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more information visit www.e-cloth.com follow us on Twitter @eclothuk or find us on Facebook facebook.com/e-clothuk

On top of this fantastic competition, e-cloth has also set up an exclusive offer for Inside The Wendy House readers. Just head over to www.e-cloth.com to redeem your 10% off on all e-cloth products until 24^th August 2012. Simply enter the code “GCC10” at the checkout page.

Rules:  This  prize draw is open to UK only.  Winner will be chosen at random from all entries received.  The winner will be contacted for their address details which will be passed on to the PR company.  Inside the Wendy House will do everything to ensure safe delivery of the prize but cannot be held responsible for problems arising from the postal service. Deadline for entries is 12.01am on August 24th 2012.


http://www.competitionhunter.com

ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

E-Cloth Green Clean Challenge Part 4

Ever since starting the E-Cloth Green Clean Challenge, my eyes have been opened to the benefits of ditching chemical cleaners in favour of natural alternatives or simply using e-cloth products with water to tackle household cleaning jobs.  It is amazing how good a job you can do without having to resort to using products that can damage the environment and cause potential harm.  Plus you can save money.  Going green with your cleaning really is a good choice to make.

By using the e-cloth range I've got sparkling stainless steel and glass in my kitchen.  My work surfaces are hygienically clean.  My bathroom mirrors are shiny and my sinks and taps are looking good.  My laminate and tiled floors are being kept clean with the e-cloth mop.  It's all very quick, easy and effective!

This week I'm focusing on washing up.  We used to have a dish washer but decided that after our two eldest  kids left home, that we should go back to washing up by hand as we were creating far less dirty plates etc.  I believe that our decision has reduced our water and electricity consumption, plus we no longer need to buy expensive dishwasher products.  Could we go any greener?

E-Cloth has a Washing Up Pad which is a good sized pad with a cloth side and a scouring side.  The scouring side is for scrubbing off stuck-on food and stains, while the cloth side cuts through grease and grime using just water.  They also have an E-Towel for super fast, streak free drying up.

We have been using the Washing Up Pad to tackle our washing up.  For lightly soiled crockery or glassware, it works brilliantly with water alone.  When washing up greasy pans it worked really well with a squirt of environmentally friendly washing-up liquid.  I must admit that having the lemon scented  bubbles made it feel more satisfying, because that is what I'm used to.

Washing Up

The abrasive side was really good for scrubbing away burned on food and stuck on stains.  It was excellent on my husband's stained coffee mug!  The size of the pad is excellent for making short work of washing up and it feels very sturdy in your hand.  I hate scouring sponges where the abrasive section peels away or disintegrates with use.  The pad is still perfectly intact.

Using just hot water and the pad for much of our washing up is working really well and has made our bottle of environmentally washing up liquid, which we use for greasy plates and pans etc,  last much longer.  This is very cost effective.

The E-Towel is a tea towel that is made with a material with super absorbent fibres that is four times more absorbent and effective than regular cotton drying up towels.   It came in a Country Classic design and was 70 x 40 cm in size.  I didn't really appreciate just how poorly cotton tea towels perform until using this!  Just one wipe leaves things dry, streak free and grease free.  It is exceptionally good on glassware.  I hate it when glasses get smears and white residue on them from being washed up.  The e-towel literally left them crystal clear, completely dry and sparkling with one quick wipe!

Drying Up

The packaging says you will never use an ordinary tea-towel again.  I can see why!  It also wipes down surfaces to a dry, streak-free finish with a single, once over!  It is definitely a very effective cloth!  Ian was really impressed with the e-towel as it cut the drying up time down considerably and left everything completely dry ready for putting away in the cupboard.

The Washing Up Pad is £2.99 and the Country Classic Tea Towel is £4.99.  A small price to pay to revolutionize the way you wash up!

Find out more at e-cloth.com

E-Cloth Green Clean Challenge Part 3

Oven Cleaning The Green Way!

I've been challenged to switch my chemical cleaners in favour of natural alternatives and harness the cleaning power of water with e-cloth's great products! Up until now, most household cleaning products have been easily exchanged.  I am amazed by the effectiveness of vinegar solution as a cleaner for most surfaces when used with a general purpose e-cloth.  Environmentally friendly laundry tablets and washing-up liquid are just as good as my usual brand.  Going green is proving so much easier than I thought it would be.

But this week, I needed to turn my attention to the interior of my oven.  This is a horrible job!  Chemical cleaners are so harsh.  They stink out the house and are terrible for my hands.  They are generally very expensive and also don't live up to the promises on the packaging.  All in all...this makes oven cleaning very high on my list of least favourite jobs!

The e-cloth hob and oven pack consists of two clothes.  One is heavy and slightly abrasive for tackling burnt on grease.  The other is a light cloth for shining up the stainless steel and glass.

Using just water, the heavy duty cloth picked up a lot of the grease and black deposits from the walls and shelf edges of the oven.  It is far less mucky using the Oven e-cloth than when cleaning with a spray on chemical foam cleaner.  The bottom of the oven had some really stubborn marks. To assist in the job, I made up a paste of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to help shift the burnt on grease. 

Using the bicarb and vinegar paste really helped cut through a lot of the muck.  It fizzed up, eating through the grease.  It was odourless once dried and did not effect the skin at all.  After a quick scrub, a wipe off with an e-cloth cleared away most of the mess.  As it is not toxic, I didn't feel paranoid about any residue remaining in the oven and was happy to cook again straight away.

The end result as you can see was pretty good.  There are some slight burn marks still visible in the enamel, but there is nothing nasty lurking at all.  It was much simpler using the cloth and some bicarbonate of soda paste rather than a shop bought chemical oven cleaner.  The peace of mind knowing that it was 100% harmless was a real bonus...I hate those smelly, expensive, noxious, toxic, psoriasis inducing oven cleaners! 

The oven e-cloth rinsed clean with some hot water and once dried was ready to put away, ready for the next oven cleaning day.  

The polishing e-cloth was really effective in buffing up the stainless steel and glass door.  

I also used the oven clothes with plain water on my microwave which was a much easier job than cleaning my oven.  The  heavy duty cloth lifted off the food spatterings really effectively and the polishing cloth made the exterior shine.

It came up really clean.  The polishing cloth is great to get a smear free finish.  I also buffed up my stainless steel finish fridge freezer, toaster and food processor.  It polished them up easily using no chemical cleaners at all.  Knowing that the e-cloth lifts away over 99% of germs, I am not worried about that aspect of my cleaning.  I am getting a hygienically cleaned kitchen without spending money on unnecessary chemical cleaning products...plus it is safer for my family and better for the environment!  There is no compromise involved in going green...it is a win/win situation!

For more information on the products check out www.e-cloth.com.

E-cloth Green Clean Challenge Part 2

The Power of Water and Vinegar For Cleaning

For the last week I've been switching my usual washing and cleaning products for a natural, environmentally friendly approach.  With support from e-cloth, I have discovered that you don't need to spend a fortune on harsh chemical cleaners to do a good job when it comes to housework.  In fact water alone is an excellent cleaner when used in conjunction with an e-cloth product.  There are also plenty of natural plant based cleaners, laundry detergents and washing up liquids available on the market, however using some simple everyday products such as lemon juice, vinegar and Bicarbonate of Soda can produce excellent results for a fraction of the cost.

E-Cloths are specially designed to use the power of water to clean  your home.  This means that you can do away with the harmful chemical cleaners that are damaging to the environment, can effect your skin and be harmful to pets and young children.  The secret lies in the fibres of the cloth that lift dirt and germs away from your surfaces.  I've been using various e-cloth products for my cleaning jobs as part of the E-Cloth Green Cleaning Challenge.

For this week's post I'm focusing on cleaning surfaces using an e-cloth with a vinegar solution.

To enhance your performance for tougher cleaning jobs you can use the disinfecting and deodorising properties of vinegar.  Simply make up a solution of one part vinegar to one part water in an e-cloth spray bottle.  It is safe on most surfaces (not marble though!)

Ready For Green Cleaning

I set about cleaning the kitchen counters, surfaces, paintwork and appliance doors using my vinegar solution and the General Purpose e-cloth.  At first the kids thought it was very funny that I was using vinegar!  Each squirt reminded me of a fish and chip shop, however the smell disappeared as soon as the solution dried and did not linger at all.  Thankfully!

A Helping Hand

The spray and wipe technique really was simple and yet extremely effective.  It cut through grease, even on the cover of my extractor fan, which is usually a cleaning nightmare.  Freddy is always keen to join in with chores and for once I could let him loose (under supervision) with the spray bottle without worrying about him coming into contact with harmful chemicals.

My Helper Spraying

The front glass door and stainless steel of my oven is not easy to clean.  So I was really interested to see how the e-cloth and the vinegar/water solution would fare up to this challenge.  To say I was amazed is an understatement.  Even the older kids had to agree that this cleaning was working!

So Clean you can See your Face In it

The smear free finish I achieved was so impressive.  You could see Freddy's reflection so clearly!   It also worked brilliantly on windows removing the sticky Freddy sized hand prints.  Ian gave the car windows inside and out a clean with the spray and cloth and said that they cleaned up a treat.

Using the Bathroom e-cloth and the spray vinegar solution, I cleaned the bathroom sinks where there was some light  limescale build-up.  Adding an old toothbrush to my cleaning tools I was able to scrub the bottom of the taps really easily removing any build up of soap scum and lime-scale.  The cloth brought everything up to a good shine.  It is a really effective way to clean the bathroom too.

Vinegar can also be used neat for drains or toilets to deodorize and disinfect.  It is a versatile product...I am definitely impressed by how good it is for cleaning.  If you can get over the initial smell, I'd say it is every bit as effective as anything I've ever used before.

To think that a bottle of economy vinegar costs just 13p from supermarkets, this is an incredibly cheap way of cleaning your kitchen and bathroom really effectively!  I am already committed to doing away with those overpriced trigger bottles of harsh kitchen cleaners in favour of vinegar, water and my e-cloth!

www.e-cloth.com