Earlier this summer Maggie from EcoStoreUSA contacted me about the plant based cleaning and personal care products offered by her company. She was kind enough to send me the All Purpose Cleaner as well as the Dishwash Liquid, which I’ve been trying out around the homestead lately.
EcoStore is actually a New Zealand company and has moved into the US market as well. The products are plant based and non-toxic. I’ve got some friends that are quite enthusiastic about being as chemical free as possible. I see great value in that approach. Why put more chemicals into our lives than we need?
There are two things I’ve been concerned about though: effectiveness and price. Because green products are still new on the market, prices can be high. And do they really work as well as they claim? While those questions don’t keep me up at night, they do rattle around in my brain on sundry shopping trips.
I’m pleased to report that both products worked just as well for me as my usual cleansers. I was able to remove dust and mold from some hard surfaces with the All Purpose Cleaner quite easily. The citrus fragrance was light and pleasant. At $9 a bottle, the price is rather high when you compare it to other cleaners. But if being free of chemicals is a priority, then this would be an excellent choice.
When I used the dish soap my dishes got clean for me as quickly as they would have using my regular cleanser. I did notice that the bubbles don’t pile up as quickly or as high; this was disappointing for Captain Earthquake. He likes to come by and bat the bubbles out of the sink while I’m scrubbing. In terms of cleaning though, the Dishwash Liquid got the job done. The price for the liquid is $5, making it closer to traditional products but still a bit expensive.
A friend of mine from church along with some other folks I know are dreadfully allergic to the fragrances and chemicals in many cleaning products. One time I accidentally caused an allergy attack simply by having scented garbage bags. I can see where the EcoStoreUSA products would be extremely helpful in these cases particularly. Families with small children would also benefit greatly from the safety and peace of mind having fewer strong chemicals in the home.
FTC Disclosure: This is my honest opinion of the EcoStoreUSA products I received (All Purpose Cleaner and Dishwash Liquid).
Earnest Parenting: help for parents who want to clean organically.