Organic cleaning solutions for your home {Green Living}

When you resort to lessening the carbon footprint on the planet, you also look out for safer alternatives that are good for you, your home and of course the environment. About three years ago, I started looking for options where I could use organic cleaning solutions for my home. The choices were limited and it was also the time when I was making that gradual shift to leading a green and environmental friendly life!  I was looking for  products that would not be harsh on the clothes of the boys at least. My quest led to me to some products that I have tried and tested and some that I would love to try! Just a note, if you are a fan of the jhaag waala detergents, then then be warned, these are the non foaming detergents.

Organic Cleaning Solutions for clothes

Detergents for clothes

Rustic Art – Power Laundry Detergent

I have been using this regularly and I have reviewed it here. This was the first organic detergent that I used and I totally loved the way it kept my clothes absolutely clean and fresh. This washing powder can be used in the washing machines – top load and front load and as well can the bucket wash. There is a correction here, Rustic Art mentions that the detergent is just soda ash processed with lemon and neem – no fillers, bleaches, enzymes, whiteners or foam boosters.

This is a non foaming detergent and the first time I used it, I was pretty much convinced that I wasted money buying this detergent because it did not foam, but to my surprise, the clothes came out absolutely clean and with regular use I also began to notice that the colours of the clothes never faded (which is common with the commercial detergents).  The detergent is strong enough to tackle the stubborn stains of the collars and socks also faded with one wash There is an almost negligible fragrance with this detergent and to be honest, I don’t miss the clothes not having a fragrance because they look fresh. This detergent is available in a 1 kg and 500 gm pack and is priced at almost the same price as the commercial detergents. The only differentiating fact is that this is much better!

Rustic Art – Bio Liquid Laundry 

This is the liquid version of the laundry and the product is very similar to Amway’s SA8*. This is a product that doubles up as a hand wash as well as  a machine wash detergent. One tip you need to keep in mind is not to pour the liquid directly in the machine on the clothes because it can stain the clothes. Instead, you take the desired amount ( depending on the load) and mix it with a mug of water, let the water fill in the machine and pour this mix for effective results.

I alternate between this and the SA8 from Amway because the price of both these products is almost the same. The good part is that the bio liquid laundry is available in a 200 ml bottle, so if you want to try using organic detergents, Rustic Art would be your best bet.

Rustic Art has a bar version, bio laundry flakes and a detergent for the clothes of infants too which I have not used till now.  But with the use of these two products, I doubt there will be a scope to be unhappy! View the complete list of the Rustic Art laundry range here.

Krya Natural Detergent Powder

Now this is a product that is very much in my to-try list. I have read some absolutely rave reviews of this products by parent bloggers and I very much keen to try this once I have exhausted the current supply of detergents. This natural detergent powder is made from certified organic soapberries and a 400 gm pack ( priced at INR 290) is supposed to 40 standard 5 kg washing machine loads. That makes it less than INR 8 for a wash which is superbly economical especially for a house like mine where the boys change their clothes at least 4 times in a day!

You can use this product as a bucket wash option as well as machine wash option for both the top load as well as the front load washing machine.

Organic Cleaning Solutions for home

 Nirvaaha Herbal Floor Cleaner (Concentrated) – 50 ml

This product came to me with a very high recommendation from the founder of NaturalMantra. When she told me that you just had to add about 3 -4 drops of this liquid in a bucket of about 4-5 litres of water and then use the water to mop the floor, I was pretty convinced that she was mistaken. I picked this up and I used about a teaspoon of it in 5 litres of water and I almost gagged with the fragrance. I threw it away and I used exactly 4 drops of this concentrated floor cleaner as mentioned on the bottle. That was a year and a half ago and I have completely stopped purchasing the commercial phenyls and the Domexes that claim to clean the house so well. This cleaner has a faint fragrance of lemon-grass that makes your house smell really nice. The good part, the water is safe to use to water the plants, so this is pretty much one organic cleaner for your home that I would totally recommend.

Just a snippet of what this product is all about:

• It is a Completely Natural, Chemical-free, Non-toxic, Environmentally Friendly Alternative for Cleaning Floors, Tiles, Wash Basins, Counters, Marble, Granite.
• It is a Disinfectant, Anti-bacterial, Anti-fungal, Child-safe and Environmentally safe.
• Cleanses, removes stains and gives a shine to the surface.
• Fights bad odors, purifies and freshens surrounding air.
• Repels cockroaches and insects.

And the best part, this 50 ml bottle last about 2 months for a 2 -3 bhk flat and it is priced at INR 145. You can buy this here.

View the entire range of natural detergents at Natural Mantra

Krya Dishwasher

This is the second product from Krya and I am yet to use this one too. All I know is that this product has been recently launched and is yet again in the midst of rave reviews by the customers. This product is made of soap berries, neem, zedoary and lemongrass EO and is known to work on all kinds of vessels, ranging from the pots and pans to the glass cutlery. Contains no artificial additives like colours, fragrances, enzymes or bleaches. As mentioned I am yet to use this product, so I cannot comment on the effectiveness of this, but it is in the to-buy list and a review will be up once I use this.

Priced at INR 190, this 350 gms dish cleaning powder can be bought here.

That was my list of the organic cleaners available in India for your home. Have I missed out something? Do let me know so that I can try it out!

* I am not sure of the complete ingredient list of Amway SA8, but they do sell it as an organic detergent.