As I am sure you know, I have made the effort over the years to switch all my cleaning and personal products to environmentally friendly, biodegradable, nontoxic, and phthalate-free versions. Some things were easy to make myself, such as the kitchen cleaner I make out of 90% alcohol, Prell detergent, and water. Sometimes it has been difficult to find a “green” product that does the job as well as the conventional product, as with toilet bowl cleaner, where I have resorted to products made by Clorox, which I suspect aren’t “green” as much as they are greenwashed…but they are cheaper. In rare cases, so far it has been impossible to find a “green” alternative that actually works at all – like with automatic dishwasher detergent.

Thanks to The Green Soiree at BlogHer 2010, I was given a sample starter kit of Green Irene products. I had seen them before at the Plano Green Expo and heard of them online. But I do want to tell you that they are sold through direct marketing. You know, like Mary Kay or Avon or something – you have to buy from a representative. And that kind of freaked me out. I was involved in Arbonne a few years ago after we were first married and loved the products but they sucked me in with their awesomeness and I ended up spending waaaay too much money on things I wouldn’t have bought otherwise. We can’t afford that kind of mistake nowadays.

Still, it seems that the cleaning products, at least are very cost effective. You get a single plastic bottle for each product and all you buy is the refills, which are concentrated packets to which you add water in the original spray bottle. The floor cleaner doesn’t get diluted like that – you just add capfuls to water. I have mopped the floor several times with it (I am mopping constantly with a baby who is learning to feed himself).

I learned that they are effective through the power of enzymes. Therefore, they do not smell all fake-clean, like the Swiffer WetJet, which almost made me vomit every time I used it, the cleaning solution smell was so strong.

Anyway, I have been pleased with the products so far and would recommend them.

Also, Green Irene consultants can come to our home or business and provide eco-consulting services. We aren’t particularly interested in this part of their business because we don’t own our house, so we really have very limited ability to do anything to it other than clean it and let it get take over by ants.

From their web site:

Green Irene Home Services focus on these areas:

• Energy conservation
• Energy-efficient lighting
• Water conservation and purity
• Indoor air quality
• Reducing the use of harmful chemicals
• Waste reduction and recycling
• Shrinking your family’s carbon footprint
• Green energy sources in your area (such as wind power)
• Tax credits, rebates, and other financial incentives
• Safety and emergency preparedness

 
So, there you have it – check out Green Irene!

* Disclosure: I received a free Green Irene Sample Kit from the BlogHer 2010 Green Soiree. Opinions about the products are my own.