Since I've had Avin I've been searching for "green" or natural cleaning products. The search has been frustrating to say the least. I thought I had found a good product at one point only to discover after using it that it contained ethanol (same as E85 gas!). (See my previous Clorox Greenworks post for more info) I've kept up the search and I have finally been rewarded!!! I received Lavender-Lime Bac-Out Bathroom Cleaner, Citrus Essense Bac-Out Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner, Spray & Wipe All Purpose Cleaner, & Bac-Out Stain & Odor Eliminator for review. The first thing I liked about Biokleen was their history.
According to their website:
Jim Rimer founded Biokleen in 1989. As a previous sales representative of cleaning chemicals in the commercial and industrial industry he became more and more aware of the dangers of the products he was selling and the ingredients they contained.
He saw first hand his chemicals were creating health problems for his customers, causing negative effects - including cancer - on families and pets in the homes and businesses where these supplies were being used. Jim was selling poison and this realization shook him to the core. Jim's drive to take a stand and make a difference helped motivate him to study chemistry. With his newfound knowledge and driven passion he formulated his first cleaner using natural, non-toxic ingredients. Today Biokleen continues to develop and create innovative products, which still measure up to Jim's beliefs and standards:
•Effectiveness
•Concentration
•Non-Toxic
•Environmentally Safe
I couldn't wait to try out the cleaners when they arrived. The first one I tried was the Lavender-Lime Bac-Out Bathroom Cleaner and it worked so well! My sink was covered with globs of toothpaste and liquid handsoap when I walked in with the cleaner in hand. Usually I have to spray the sink down, let it soak, wipe it out, and then scrub it down. I spritzed the cleaner all over the bowl of the sink and wiped it with my rag immediately just to see what would happen. I couldn't believe my eyes when the area I wiped immediately came clean. One quick swipe and all the toothpaste and soap residue were gone! I used it to clean the seat of my toilet bowl, my shower, and my sink and counter. Everything came clean so easily! It didn't seem to do anything about my hardwater build up on the shower walls but then again nothing does! The smell of the bathroom cleaner was unusual. It wasn't overly strong but it was different and I could never decide if I liked the smell or not. It wasn't a bad smell, just different.
I use a swiffer sweeper on my hard floors and I usually have to use at least 2 swiffer pads on my kitchen floor when I mop because they become so soaked from the swiffer solution. My normal mopping routine is to wave the swiffer around and spray solution in a wide path in front of the mop, let it set for a minute, then mop. I usually end up spraying spills or heavily soiled areas again and using the scrubber pad on the side of the swiffer to scrub them up. The Citrus Essense Bac-Out Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner comes in a spray bottle so I decided that I would try it out with my swiffer instead of using the swiffer solution. The spray that comes out of the bottle is a wide, light mist. I sprayed the area in front of the swiffer then ran it across the floor and the floor came clean. I didn't have to let the solution soak on the floor, I didn't have to scrub, I just sprayed and mopped. It was so easy that I was halfway done with the kitchen before I realized that I was mopping left handed (I'm a righty!). Mud, babyfood, and anything else that was on the floor didn't stand a chance against this cleaner. The spray is so fine that the floor barely gets wet, and it is so concentrated that I didn't have to soak the swiffer pad to get the dirt up. It left behind a light citrusy scent on my linoluem. The best thing about it was that I didn't have to worry about any chemicals if Avin crawled across the floor!
While I was in the cleaning mode I tackled the kitchen with the Spray & Wipe All Purpose Cleaner. My husband had tried to be helpful and cook dinner for me. While I appreciate the gesture he does have a habit of getting as much food on the stove as he does the plate. His pots boil over, he doesn't use a spoon rest, he drips sauces when he dishes it out. After he's done cooking it looks like the kitchen exploded. When I set out to clean the kitchen I expected to be scrubbing for at least 20 minutes on the stove alone. WRONG! I sprayed the cleaner on the stove and then immediately tried wiping the stove. The food started coming up instantly--even the boiled on, cooked on, baked on food remains. There was no spraying and letting it soak and then coming back to scrape it off like I've had to do with other cleaners. I gave it a light spray and wiped-the end. The kitchen smelled so yummy and clean!
I was practically dancing with joy because I had shaved a good 20-30 minutes off my normal cleaning routine since I didn't have to practice what I call "spray and wait". Since I had some extra time I headed into the bedroom to try the Bac-Out Stain & Odor Eliminator. We had a cat who in her old age (10 years) got the carpet confused with kitty litter. I had several spots near the litterbox that she peed on and soaked the carpet. I've steam cleaned using every product imaginable, I've tried carpet powders, spray on foams....the works and I cannot get the horrible cat urine smell out of the carpet. I figured that it couldn't hurt to try one more product. I read the directions and sprayed the carpet down with the Bac-Out and set my timer. When I came back in the room smelled disgusting! It was a mixture of citrus and cat urine. Gross! As the carpet dried the smell faded away. I got down on my hands and knees and sniffed the carpet and the cat urine smell had definitely decreased but it still wasn't gone. The bac-out warns that it may take repeated treatments to completely eliminate the smell. I gave it a second dose and once again the room smelled horrible while it dried but once it did the carpet smelled better. I think a couple more treatments and the smell will be gone completely from my carpet. The end result of clean smelling carpet is well worth the temporary gross smell that comes from the bac-out's live enzymes digesting the pet waste.
Frankly before trying BioKleen I expected to be disapointed again. Boy was I wrong! These products exceeded my expectations by a mile. I can't wait to try the Dishwasher detergents, fabric refreshers, and toilet scrub! I recommend these products to everyone now! At about $6-$9 per bottle these cleaners are very affordable. They are super concentrated so you get a lot of cleaning power out one bottle. The fact that there are no harsh chemicals and that it is completely safe for the baby, the dog, and the earth makes me feel so good about using these products.
Go to
biokleenhome.com to see their entire line of eco-friendly cleaning products. You can also fan them on
Facebook or follow them on
twitter to stay up to date on their great products.
Happy Cleaning!
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