Cleaning-Products Books

Loux's Easy Green Living is a great guide for anyone looking to live as free from manufactured chemicals as possible. The nice thing about this book is that anyone at any level of "green" living can use it. There are great, easy beginner steps and there are also wonderful product guides and chemical information that are helpful for those that adopted this lifestyle long ago.

Loux speaks to her audience in a clear and concise manner that is respectful and encouraging; one does not feel preached to while reading her suggestions. The information is organized well and each chapter follows the same pattern which make it much easier to find information when needed in the future. The endnotes are well documented and the index is a phenominal reference for the book.

On a personal note, I used to keep to myself about my "green" choices. This book really inspired me to share what I know with friends and family. Like so many, I always hate to feel like I'm preaching so I give this book as a gift. I put no more than three sticky notes on pages that I think the recipient will like. I include the book in a basket (or cleaning bucket) with a bottle of Dr. Bronner - Organic Castile Soap Unscented Baby-Mild, 32 fl oz liquid, a box of baking soda, a recipe card for the cleaner I use, a couple of reusable wash rags, and a spray bottle with pre-made cleaner so my giftee can try it out. Everyone looks at it funny at first, but after a couple of weeks I start to hear how much they love the book!

I used to have to reference all of this information in the binder I've collected it in through the years, but I finally have an easy to reference book and I love it!!

I recommend this book if you're looking for organic product ideas. I brought it with me to Whole Foods market and it was a good resource because there are so many products to choose from. Also, there's a good recipe for a floor cleaner. It includes lavendar oil. I used it to clean my tile floor and it smelled great.

I purchased this book because I wanted to green my home (and of course make environmentally friendly choices too). I've been trying to do this for years and have been overwhelmed. With so many products claiming to be "natural" and "eco-friendly" - even though I can't pronounce half the ingredients on the label - I needed help making these daily choices.

I purchased the book because reviews said it was detailed and comprehensive...and I was not disappointed! I read the book cover-to-cover and it's absolutely packed with information. At the same time, the author was engaging and entertaining - Renee Loux made the content easy and fun to read. Very inspiring!

She starts out with all these great tips. Chapter 1 alone made the book worth the purchase. In the following chapters, she leaves no question unanswered. She covers everything. I've already gone back to the book several times - it's an encyclopedia for greening your life!

Definitely recommended!

Easy Green Living is a practical and down-to-earth guide to greening your lifestyle. It is very approachable and allows the reader to diagnose their current way of life while picking up tips to make simple decisions to improve the environment. It has been an invaluable reference for me and is a resource that I have continued to turn to for advice. It is going to be my holiday '09 gift for friends and family!

I have never been motivated enough by any book to spend time and thought writing a review but this book is the exception. The book is unusually thorough, covering its subject matter in depth and breadth. We should all read it cover to cover but its simple and compact organization invites us to browse and still get lots of ideas. Though I'm not into cosmetics, I found even that section interesting.

The book is well written and an easy read. Technical readers will find it a pleasant experience with good sentence structure and enjoyable phrasing.

Renee makes her ideas clear without preachiness or hysteria. She believes we can live the good life and do the right thing (read sustainable, healthy, thoughtful) at the same time. Life on this planet is short; we should make it as good as possible. This book helps define some ways to improve the experience. You might try one of Renee's receipies from her other books. She thinks and cooks -wow.

My favorite writer is Louise Erdrich and now in second place is Renee Loux. That's a strange pairing but I guess it's that they both talk about things important to the world.

This book is perfect!
Michael DeJong, with great humor and charm, has written the perfect primer on green cleaning. I bought this book when it was initally published and since then have bought over 25 copies to give as housewarming/hostess/ any occasion gifts!
My own original copy is dog-eared from use..........I find myself turning to the index in the front over and over again.

If you care about the environment and/or your health (or your family's health) you'll find the cleaning recipes in this book very useful. I remembered some of the cleaning techniques from my grandmother when I was a little girl, then they were all forgotten until now. You can find all the ingredients in your grocery store, borax f.e. is in the laundry isle. These ingredients used in this book work just as good if not better than the store bought. My grocery store offers nowadays eco-friendly cleaning products but they are very expansive, your home made version will cost you very little to make, and it's very easy. The A-Z cleaning key section is a quick way to look for a cleaning problem you have with the necessary ingredients and a link to the pages where it describes more about it. If you ever got a headache using those toxic shower cleaning products, think again, your body is telling you something...use nature's own...

"Clean" is a true gem. When I first read the book I thought to myself sure, sure baking soda and lemon is going to do the job of the store bought cleansers I've been using for years. Well imagine my surprise when I gave it a half-hearted whirl and soon found myself surrounded by a wonderfully fresh and spotlessly glistening bathroom and kitchen. And here is the part I really enjoyed, that overbearing scent of the cleanser I normally use wasn't there. I'm sold. I've mixed up my own batches of cleansers, refer to the book on a regular basis and am converted. Thanks to Michael DeJong's book not only is my home bright and clean and I am saving money but I can help save the environment.

I keep a copy of this book on my coffee table in my country house. I always enjoy it when my guests are curious and I can share this precious gem of a book with them. The author is genuine and exremely knowledgeable.
I have incorporated several of the recipies and they work without hurting me or our planet. I have purchased several copies to give to friends when I visit their homes.

"CLEAN" is an amazing example of how each of us can take responsibility for our environment--home, neighborhood, city, state, country, planet. It provides easy and safe recipes that replace commercial products, but more than that, it's creating a grassroots environmental movement. We all hear about Global Warming and figure, "What can I do?" or even worse, "the government will fix it." Environmentalism begins at home, and "CLEAN" is a great guidebook to get us started--if everyone exchanged just ONE commercial product for ONE "CLEAN" recipe, the process of de-toxing our planet would begin. And we all have the ingredients in our homes already--baking soda, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar and borax (OK, so maybe you don't have borax, but believe it or not--it's in every grocery store right beside the commercial laundry detergents and bleach!) You have to clean anyway, so why not do it in a way that is safer for your family, pets, neighbors and the other billions of people who share our planet!

I came across this book at a friends house and found myself sifting throught it. It has ALOT of useful information on so different many topics. It has useful tips on everything from how to clear a drain with cheaper products to how to save money on gas...I had to order a copy of my own ASAP, you should to!

This is the title that every person needs to own!! It has wonderful commonsense information about a huge amount of everyday household problems and topics with easy solutions. For instance, in reference to a mouse problem in my house, it gave me at least 4 different ways to deter the little critters. All of the ways consisted of items which I already had in my cabinets, but didn't know would solve the problem. The diversity of topics absolutely amazed me and encouraged the immediate placement of this title on the most accessible shelve in my bookcase. I know that it will be indispensable!! The price is perfect too. Thumbs up!

There are hundreds of items of advice in this volume, and they are applicable to topics as diverse as gardening, household cleaning, the entertaining of guests, caring for pets, simple mechanical care, and many others. Who would imagine some of them! Did you know, for instance, that dressing in clothing that contains vertical stripes makes you look taller? Or that vinegar can clean and deodorize your coffeepot? Or that you can avoid smashed fingers, when driving in a nail, by first sticking the nail into a piece of cardboard before driving it home? Or that a licked and closed envelope can be re-opened, without damaging it, by freezing it first? Or that olive oil can substitute for shoe polish?

Much of the advice presented in this book centers upon foods. There is a ranking of peppers according to their spiciness. The flavor of coffee can be prolonged by keeping it at a freezer (since chemical reactions, including those that degrade feedstuffs, tend to proceed more slowly at colder temperatures). I found this to be the case.

Finally, the advice presented here is not merely relevant to household conditions. For example, there is a suggestion to re-use plastic egg cartons for the holding of paint--a different color in each chamber. As a teacher, I found this especially useful in children's art projects. What's more, the messy egg-carton "palettes" can be disposed after the project is over.

I have used this book on an as needed or reference basis. It gives several ideas and solutions for each problem I have looked up. The solutions I chose worked and were helpful.

Many useful tips in this book. Being 'green' is the new buzzword/catchphrase/trend these days, but it's been a way of life for many people for a long time.

This book will give you many ideas and tips to really improve your health and that of your family, as well as help the environment, and save some sheckles to boot.

I've had this book for four years. I leave it on my kitchen table for guests to browse. Most everyone will end up reading at least 2-3 excerpts to whomever may be within ear-shot. They love it! It's definately a conversation starter. I plan on purchasing it for friends and family this Christmas.

As a parent, I try my best to create a home environment which is happy, healthy and safe for my family. The ideas I came across in this book have helped me in my efforts to do just that. From tips on eco-friendly cleaning, to food storage, from saving energy to nutrtitional tips... it has a little bit of everything! It is well written, easy to read - and a great book to keep on hand to refer to later on. It is the type of book which gets you thinking... and has you looking at your kitchen, and even the rest of your home... in a whole new light!

I love this book, and I use it all the time. It has a wonderful collection of recipes and ideas about housekeeping, along with beautiful photographs. It has a lot more information in its pages than some similar books. It is not so much a guide to green housekeeping, but a guide to housekeeping, that in its very nature is green. A delightful read, and I use this book on a regular basis to look up different cleaning recipes.

Many good ideas and well-know recipes in France, but I learned new stuff anyway and I think this book is very useful to save money and spare our planet.
I am also a big fan of Cabbages & Roses which belongs to the author. It is very English, beautiful, handy, useful, smart, clever as is this book.
The pictures are cool and beautiful (even if the paper is recycled) and the explanations so simple and easy to use.
I recommend strongly, by hoping people will be more aware of the importance of sparing and being "more natural".
Yael from Los Angeles

This book was so interesting that I am ordering 3 more copies for each one of my sisters. I actually am now using only natures products to clean my home such as vinagar, lemon, and baking soda. I have honestly thrown away all the chemical cleaning product under my sink and I'm washing my clothes with baking soda and vinagar. Believe me this book can change a persons life just reading the 1st two chapters.

All of Jerry Baker's books are great but this is the BEST. I gave this to my parents last year for Christmas and they STILL talk about it. They had to stop lending it to friends because the friends never wanted to return it. This one does have gardening tips in it too so it's a good combination.

I have thoroughly enjoyed going through this book. I have not been able to try everything, but what I have tried works. The book is written so that it is easy to follow. There are hundreds and hundreds of "recipes" and tips which can be used to remedy any number of situations around the house/yard/garden. The best thing is that most of the ingredients were already in my kitchen cabinet - at least for the things that I've wanted to try so far. I also appreciate that this book provides alternative methods to the use of hazardous chemicals/pesticides. Additionally, this book provides a wonderful offering of recipes for self-care (pampering) such as lotions and tonics, and hair and skin care. Even if you've never even THOUGHT about making your own "stuff," this book will introduce you to any number of concoctions that you can have fun experimenting with. I highly recommend this book... have fun seeing what works for you!

I purchased this item for my daughter.She first used it at the half-way house where she is a care-taker for three young men. She wanted a copy of the book for herself so she could try out different recipes at home. She uses it a lot.

You know you've been led astray before. Other books in this genre rely heavily on expensive, hard to find ingredients you've never heard of, forcing you to spend far more on searching and supplies than store bought versions of the finished products. This book is so simple and easy to follow, you'll smack yourself on the head and wonder "Why didn't I think of that?" Within an hour of cracking open this book, I had already tried out three different ideas. A handful of fresh Verbena on a string perfumed my living room, a new spray bottle of dryer scent was blessing my clothes with amber, and I was cleaning my kitchen counters with citrus scrub. The next day I was experimenting with creating new tea blends with the herbs in my garden. As days progressed, store bought sprays and cleaners were pushed aside and forgotten. I was so pleased! My only additional expenditure was a whole ten bucks on the two ingredients I didn't have - Borax and Soap Flakes - and now I can make all but two of the recipes in this book.

Speaking of recipes, the Tudor Lemon soap is probably the easisest, and thankfully, Julia Bird skips the animal fat and burning lye steps I've seen in other books. Just soap flakes and lemons, really, that's all you need. No need to endanger yourself at all. No need for goggles and a burn kit. None.

I love this book, and I feel I made a good investment by buying it. I think you'll like it too.

For anyone who wants a useful index of how to mix scentful herbs for food, oils for aromatherapy, natural and effectful house cleaners, keeping bugs out, etc - close to hand. It's got beautiful photography to illustrate it and it is very easy to follow, lots of tips on 'how to', psychological as well as physical impacts of the different scents. Basically an instruction for beeing one with nature in your everyday life making things a lot easier:-)

With an ever increasing sensitivity to chemicals, fragrances and dyes, this book allows a reduction in some of those noxious things by giving specific recipes to make your own.

This book is worth its weight in gold! I learned so much about the dos and don'ts about keeping my family and our home naturally, healthy. This book disspelled a number of myths and sheds some light on the mystery of moving in a "green" direction. I've made a number of changes in our home since reading this book, and at little to no extra expense. I particularly love the resource section of this book, which offers a plethora of websites and contacts that will take a person to the next level in their quest to "go green." The author organizes the chapters & topics very well, making the book easy to read. The colors and graphics are exceptionally pleasing. I bought more copies for Mother's Day gifts, classroom teacher & Girl Scout leader end of year gifts, a wedding shower and a baby shower gift. This was a great find!

This is a great book I found by accident! the layout, photography, everything about the book is utterly fantastic...I recommend it to anyone not only looking for the 'natural" way, but anyone interested in folk lore and very interesting 'ancient" information...Well done Beverley!