In an email to customers last week, Santander Bank noted it was “reverting back to traditional disinfectant cleaning products from the green products being used today until further notice to maximize the effect of the cleaners.”
Faced with the new coronavirus, an enemy we can’t see but that we’re told might, like similar viruses, be able to live on some surfaces for up to several days, what seems natural is to reach for the biggest weapons in our arsenal.
Which could explain why, when I went to buy disinfecting wipes a couple of weeks ago at Wegmans, the shelves were bare of all but those made by Seventh Generation, a pricier brand that markets itself as eco-friendly. The label boasts of its ability to kill “99.99% of bacteria & viruses,” but when I got it home, I noticed its active ingredient, thymol, was one I’d never heard of.
The liquid soap aisle told a similar story. Largely empty shelves, but plenty of the more expensive Mrs. Meyer’s, which advertises that its products aren’t tested on animals and that they “never contain ammonia, chlorine, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, artificial colorants, phosphates or petroleum distillates.”
But what if we think we need some of those very things right now? And what about people who’ve long sworn by basics like vinegar and baking soda to clean their homes?
What vinegar and baking soda do, “and the only thing they do, is they change the pH,” said Beckman, the George M. Bevier Professor of Engineering in the chemical engineering department of the University of Pittsburgh. Vinegar is a mild acid and baking soda a mild alkali. There’s no evidence that either is effective against viruses.
Which doesn’t mean they can’t be killed by something short of a flamethrower. According to Chemical & Engineering News, “there’s good evidence the novel coronavirus is one of the easiest types of viruses to kill.”
The idea of all natural products is great and thats the reason I ordered this to try. Its an all purpose cleaner but Ill start out by saying you wont want to use this on glass. It left my glass a little streaky and was a little frustrating to clean up. I have a separate all natural cleaner for my windows now. The cleaner doesnt smell that great surprisingly. Its not a bad smell but it isnt what I usually equate with a good, clean smell. I was expecting a natural citrus or mint or even coconut smell but it doesnt smell like any of those to me. It kind of smells just plain or like grass maybe. Im not sure. Anyway, that aside, the cleaner just doesnt have enough power for my taste. Ive used natural products from other companies and the results were much better. This cleaner is 99% natural and is plant based, which I assumed meant it was similar to other products with the same claim, but for me, it didnt work that great. I used this on my natural stones around the house and it didnt do a good job of stain removal. It also didnt work very well in my grout or around the indented surfaces of my shower. It cleaned somewhat but even with scrubbing it left a lot behind. I used my dish detergent with somewhat better results. I would still buy this again because the natural aspects make me feel safer with the kids and pets around but I just needed more stain lifting ability. Performance It did okay but it left a lot to be desired. Scent The smell isnt bad but it reminds me of cut grass instead of a nice citrus or coconut scent.
I really like using this all purpose natural cleaner for most of my regular cleaning around the house. I have a toddler and a dog so I do not like to use a bunch of cleaners with harsh chemicals all the time. Those harsher cleaners are also bad for my hand. I had a bad burn accident and had to have skin grafting surgery so my hand is extra sensitive to strong cleaners. I have to wear protective gloves when using cleaners with bleaches and similar chemicals but with the Clorox Green Works cleaner I do not need gloves. I do not experience any irritation when it gets on my hand either. It can handle all my little messes from the spilled milk from my daughter to daily bathroom cleaning to keep dried toothpaste at bay. I have not really found any messes that it does not work against. I do still use bleach cleaners once a month to keep soap scum and other tough build ups from forming in the bathroom. I like that there is no overwhelming smell to this cleaner too.
I wanted to find something that was more natural when doing my household chores. I came across the Clorox Green Works All-Purpose cleaner in the store and thought that I would give it a try. I have to say that it works pretty good. It has a nice and fresh scent to it that will leave things smelling clean. It is not overpowering like other cleaners out there. I like it in the spray bottle because it is very handy and easy to use. It does pretty well at cleaning up messy areas. This is good for a lot of different rooms in the house. The only problem that I had with it was that other cleaners clean better that are more natural than this one. All in all I liked it though and I have a bottle of this that Im using under my kitchen sink right now. It is a great cleaner to have on hand and can be used for a lot of different purposes. Performance It cleans up basic things. Its great for cleaning kitchen and bathroom areas. It isnt really for windows. Scent Its a good scent compared to other cleaners out there. It isnt overpowering.
I have been using Green Works products for years and l have been very happy with they way they work. I have always used Clorox brand bleach and was so excited when they came out with the Green Works line of cleaners. I feel better about using natural products in my house and around my family. Performance I have a home daycare and I use the Clorox Natural All Purpose Cleaner to clean the table and counters in the daycare room. It does a great job cleaning up all the messes the children make and leaves a fresh clean scent without being too overpowering. Scent I love the fresh clean scent of the Clorox cleaner. It has a clean scent without being too overpowering. I am always afraid of using bleach around the children because of the odors. But I feel the natural cleaners are safer to use around my family and children in my care. I have had several children with asthma over the years and feel that this cleaner doesnt irritate as much as bleach or other cleaners do.
Clorox has jumped on the bandwagon with making “green” products and while that is not a bad thing, they should have worked a little harder to make sure their product worked better. I have used other all-purpose cleaners that work much better than this one. I have not used too many “green” products, but so far I have not been impressed with them. I am not against making products that are good for the environment, but I am against making products that are not up to par with their “bad for the environment” counterparts. I want my house to be clean. I think that this Clorox product works well enough. It gets surfaces clean, but I have to work much harder to get those surfaces clean. It also costs more. If it is made with environmentally friendly ingredients, it should not cost more. I know I should be environmentally conscious, but if it means sacrificing a truly clean household, then I am not willing to do it.
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Did The Clorox Company go too far when it claimed its new “Green Works cleaning products work just as well as traditional cleaners”? S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. thought so, and recently challenged that claim and others appearing in Clorox Green Works advertising materials and on product labels, prompting an inquiry by the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
In response, Clorox stated that it “strongly disagrees with NADs finding”—that its advertising materials imply Green Works products clean as well as disinfectants but agreed to modify its general claims to be specific. It said it will also consider modifying its side-by-side demonstration in future TV ads.—Kristi Weidemann
After investigating the complaint, which included reviewing Clorox Green Works performance test results, the NAD recommended that some of the ads be discontinued or modified.
Essential information: Find exactly how Green Works and many other leading brands of bathroom cleaners stacked up each other in a recent Consumer Reports test (full report available to subscribers). And dont miss an earlier look at the trend toward green cleaning products.
The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus has told Clorox it should alter some of the claims about its Green Works cleaning products.
FAQ
Do green cleaners kill germs?
Does Clorox Green Works have bleach?
Is Green Works bathroom cleaner a disinfectant?
Do all natural cleaners kill germs?
