Clean House Clean Planet

I stumbled upon this book when I was searching for recipes for homemade cleansers that were also inexpensive. Truthfully, the whole toxicity issue didn't even cross my mind until I took a closer look at the book and reviews. I don't have children, but I do have a very curious dog who tracks in all sorts of dirt and loves to smell and (usually) lick everything he explores. It's very comforting to know that the cleaners I am now using are non-toxic. I also often wondered, "if *I* think this stuff smells strong and nasty, imagine what my dog and his superior sense of smell thinks of it!"The book was fun and interesting to read. It's amazing that commercial cleansers don't have to list all of their ingredients. I also appreciated the author's honesty--pointing out things that are suspected and not proven, and even rating how well her cleaners work when compared to those you buy at the store. I agree with other reviewers that the recipes could have been laid out differently and can be hard to go back and find.The recipes are very easy to put together and use ingredients that are easy to find. They also work!! Who knew that vinegar and water in a spray bottle would make cleaning the bathroom floors a million times easier and more pleasant. Or that baking soda would make my sinks sparkle. I've truly enjoyed reading the book and using the author's recipes.Update (1/28/07): It's been nearly two years since I wrote my original review and I wanted to add that I'm still using the recipies, and love them more than ever!

A Super helpful book if you are looking into a healthier lifestyle. After reading this book I immediatley switched to cleaning with "safe" home made cleaners made from recipes in this book and now I dont have to worry about my toddlers getting into them or worry about silly locks on the cupboards to keep them out of the chemical cleaners. The author is Honest and down to earth , which I like because she will tell you what works and what doesnt. Such as , she doesnt like using store bought Automatic dishwashing detergent but thats the only thing she has found that "Really" works. She also includes names of ingredients used in Store bought Chemical cleaners and where they are derrived from and what effects they have on your health.This book has every little tid bit of helpful information and cute short sories to go along with the recipes. The recipes in this book are super easy to make, cheaper then Commercial chemical cleaners you buy in the store and work good. Not as good as the store bought cleaners but with a little more elbow grease they work good with out risk to your health and 'Hey', you get a bit more of a work out having to scrub a little harder.

By far the best natural cleaning book I have read, and I have read so many!! Her recipes are easy, cheap and a minimum of ingredients. I have been going green and going minimalist, and this book has recipes that do it all!! She explains exactly what you need as far as supplies, including what size spray bottles, squirt bottles, etc. Other books I have read call for expensive and hard-to-find oils, but she has narrowed it down to just a few. All of which smell great!! Only thing I would change is having all her recipes in one area so you don't have to hunt through the book every time to find the one you are looking for. Hope this book becomes available on Kindle. A true classic.

This is a great resource for anyone looking to clean less toxically. It has completely changed the way I clean, and definitely for the better. For the most part, her recommendations are realistic and don't take much time after the initial setup (getting the bottles/containers, mixing of the first ingredients, etc.). She also includes a list of commercial cleaners which she deems to be less toxic. I now love using castile soap to clean the kitchen. Her bathroom cleaners work at least as well if not better than commercial cleaners, and don't smell horrible. Her suggestions on dealing with clogged drains work well, and are far preferable to the HIGHLY toxic clog-breakers available in stores. The recommendations on the many uses of scented vinegar and baking soda are great. It's also pretty amazing how club soda cleans mirrors and glass about as well as blue commercial stuff. The vast majority of the recipes are very cheap when compared with commercial cleaners, particularly if you can get your baking soda and vinegar from a warehouse store.The only cleaning recipe where I wasn't happy with the results was her brass cleaner... it looked like it worked really well initially, but any dried on pieces were next to impossible to get off, and even with the recommended buffing with olive oil, the piece tarnished again within only a few days. I unfortunately had to use a very nasty commercial cleaner with ammonia to undo the tarnish, which reminded me anew why I try very hard not to use such stuff! I also didn't like the all-purpose cleaner recipe she suggested - I really didn't think it cleaned much better than just castile soap and water, and the borax seemed to attack my nails.Overall, a terrific book, filled with reasons to clean less toxically, easy recipes, and amusing anecdotes.

I loved this book! It is an easy read, and full of great information. I have replaced all of my commercial cleaners with recipes from this book, and am so pleased with the results. All the recipes are easy to prepare, last a long time (you don't need much of them to get the job done since they are pretty concentrated), and work wonders. They are also really fun to make, if you like cleaning like me. I was so impressed with the results that I have since purchased this book as a gift for several family members and friends. This book is worth every penny!!!

Per chi desidera eliminare un po’ di prodotti dannosi dal quotidiano con valide alternative più sane (ed economiche!)

It is a great tool to free our home from toxines.

This book really opened my eyes. It let me start rethinking about everything else that I can do to make the world and my health better.

I was stuck at home, off sick for 4 LONG weeks with a massive chest infection. Being a chronic asthmatic, this was not good! I decided to rid my cupboards of all those choking cleaning products which were making my quality of life even lower. The alternatives in supermarkets were limited.... and pricey! I remembered my mum using bicarb and vinegar to freshen up sink drainage systems, and scrunched newspapers for the final wipe-over for newly cleaned windows, but what else?The answer was this book.... clearly written, basic products (you can get Dr Bronner's soap on Amazon!) that are very reasonably priced, and you know EXACTLY what goes into the solutions you make.I read the book, cover to cover, in one sitting, and have already started to collect empty plastic containers to use as 'air fresheners' in which to place the recommended bicard and essential oil mix.I teach in a secondary school, and the budgets cuts mean our classrooms receive only a 5 minute flick with a damp cloth and mop each day. I will be making up the cleaning products, donning a face mask to protect me from the years of gathered dust, and set to work! My girls and I will start the New Year with clean lungs and a clean classroom. A happy, and healthy, New Year to all.If you must make a resolution, let it be to get this book!

Fantastic book!! There are so many recipes in this book that, to be honest, I don't need half of them. Her recipe for Merlin's Magic spray actually does most jobs, I've never seen such a good cleaner in my life and its all natural products! She is a wonder. Well written book with short to-the-point sections and lots of tips she found worked for her. Highly recommend this book and I would recommend tagging the pages, as this is a book you keep picking up and putting down as needed - THE reference book for cleaning with natural products.