I Went Green With E-Cloth...And I'm Impressed!
Throughout the month of June I have gone greener than I've ever gone before! Thanks to the lovely people at e-cloth, who provided me with a selection of their cloths and natural cleaning products, I have not had to use any nasty household chemicals in my home at all! I am so surprised at how easy it has been to say bye-bye to bleach and ta-ta to toilet cleaners. E-cloth unleashes the ionic cleaning power of water which is perfect for lots of household tasks. The concentration of special fibres make the cloths able to pick up and hold grease and grime more effectively than other cloths. 480,000 fibres per square cm provide a huge surface area of cleaning edges, picking up germs as well as visible dirt. Other jobs can be taken over by using environmentally friendly alternatives, whether that is a purpose made cleaner or by using salt, vinegar, bicarbonate of soda or lemon juice. I've learned tricks and tips to save time, money and the planet. I have revolutionized my housework!!
One of the most impressive cleaners that I discovered over the four weeks is vinegar. It has disinfectant and deodorizing properties so is useful for drains and toilets when used neat. In a solution, it makes an excellent spray cleaner for most surfaces, windows, mirrors, taps and sinks. It is as good as anything I've ever used before, and that includes the top brand sprays that claim to clean everything in a single spray. The best bit though is just how cheap it is. Economy Malt Vinegar works just as well as the more expensive vinegars and it costs pennies. The smell disappears as soon as it is dry. Using it with the e-cloth makes surfaces smear-free clean with ease. I can't recommend the General Purpose e-Cloth and the Glass Polishing e-cloth enough when used in conjunction with a light spray of vinegar solution for surfaces and windows.
Oven Cleaning is a horrible job but using the Hob and Oven Pack and a bicarbonate of soda and vinegar paste certainly did the trick. I found it actually worked better than a top brand chemical oven foam cleaner that I had previously used. Not only was the end result better, the green way also did not smell for hours or destroy the skin on my hands. In fact, when my son Joe and his girlfriend Jade moved house last weekend, I used my new found green oven cleaning technique to get their oven clean. I used environmentally friendly Astonish and the oven cloth to scrub the oven after scraping off the layer of grease with a plastic pan scraper. Jade had actually bought an expensive chemical oven cleaning kit, but it went unused...I am that much of a convert to going green! Glass doors on ovens and microwaves polish up a treat with the glass cloth.
Laundry products have been replaced by environmentally friendly versions that are readily available and similarly priced to top selling brands. They are just as good yet kinder to the planet. Vinegar can even be used as a fabric softener, although I didn't try this myself.
We have laminate and stone tiled floors in our downstairs rooms. The e-cloth Deep Clean Mop is excellent for both surfaces using just water. The large mop head is very absorbent and works quickly and easily to clean hard surfaces. It breaks down, picks up and holds the dirt and grease which can then be rinsed away. It worked really efficiently and the telescopic handle made it height adjustable to avoid back breaking mopping issues!
Washing-up is so easy with the Washing-Up Pad which at £2.99 is a real must have. It is big, thick and has two different textured sides to tackle both grease and dried on food. It is very robust and after a few weeks shows no sign of deterioration at all. For lightly soiled washing-up I use just water and the pad. For greasy dishes I do like to use a squirt of environmentally friendly washing-up liquid. A dash of lemon juice or a sprinkle of salt in hot water can also be used to assist in washing-up the green way. The E-Towel is a drying up phenomena, drying four times better than ordinary cotton. I love how efficient it is to use, no more smearing damp cloths over my plates! And glassware comes up streak free and sparkling. It is an excellent addition to my kitchen.
Overall, going green was not difficult at all. In fact some jobs were much easier and quicker thanks to the brilliant e-cloth products that are designed for specific cleaning jobs. I loved the fact that all my cleaning jobs were safer for my household and the planet. The money saving aspect of not buying in chemical cleaners was a real eye opener. Every year over £100 is spent per household. Investing in a selection of e-cloths will prove cost effective over time. E-cloths outperform and outlast ordinary cloths.
E-Cloths can be kept clean by regular rinsing, but can be washed in a washing machine with a little detergent according to individual washing instructions. This maintains their performance at its best. They can be washed 300 times without losing their effectiveness!
Taking the green plunge really is a win-win situation. Your family is protected from the chemical residues from cleaning products that can trigger asthma, allergies and skin problems. The planet is saved from the disposal of harmful chemicals. Not using impregnated wipes and cutting down on shop bought bottled cleaning products reduces the impact on landfill sites. Money is saved in the long run by using just water to clean. Your house will be hygienically clean and many tasks will be made quicker and easier.
Whether you want to make one small difference or whether you want to go completely green, every step you take has benefits that positively impact both personally and globally. Take a look at the e-cloth website to peruse the purpose designed cloths, mops and pads. You will also find more information on how e-cloths work and advice on their care and use. Delivery is free on orders over £10.
