I\'m Summer, a mouthy, sarcastic bitch. I\'m passionate about natural birth, long term breastfeeding, and living naturally. I curse too much, love tattoos, and will some day be crushed to death by my book collection. I homeschool, dream of gardening, and swing to the left. 
Clorox Green Works Review
You all know I’m a little tree hugger. I try to do my part to leave as small an impact on the earth as I can. So when Mom Central sent me a pack of Clorox’s new Green Works wipes to try I was curious to give them a shot.
A lot of companies have been throwing their hat into the green ring, trying to jump onto the bandwagon and putting out supposedly environmentally friendly products in an effort to make more money. So I was definitely hesitant to swoon over these wipes for simply having green in the name. Especially since they are made by Clorox, a company that rated a solid F for earth friendly companies in the The Better World Shopping Guide. Under “cleaning products” Clorox is listed as the corporate villain for
- On MM’s “10 Worst Corporations” list (MM = Multinational Monitor)
- Continues unnecessary animal testing
- Refuses disclosure to consumers
- Major producer of chlorine-dioxin
I have to wonder if just slapping some key words on the package, like “green” and “natural”, actually make these wipes environmentally friendly. With that in mind I gave them a try.
According to the packaging these wipes are biodegradable and compostable. In fact it says right on the back that you can simply toss them into your compost bin once you have used them. A huge plus. Anything that can be composted is certainly worth looking at. However, while the wipes themselves may be compostable the container continues to be made of plastic, only 25% post-consumer plastic. Be sure to toss it into the recycling bin when it is empty to keep the cycle going.
According to Clorox these wipes are made with natural cleaners and contains no bleach. After cleaning with them for a few days I can say that they certainly do not clean like bleach, meaning that kitchen stains were not as easily wiped free. The wipes did do as good a job as my vinegar and baking soda cleaning mix does on most of my kitchen messes. But I do have to argue the “no chemical smells” part. The scent, to me, was definitely a strong chemical smell. Maybe it’s just the increased sense of smell that comes with pregnancy, but I had to leave the kitchen after wiping down the counters until the smell had disappeared.
Pros:
- biodegradable and compostable, no worry about the wipes sitting in a landfill for years
- made with natural cleaners, no bleach or harsh chemicals
- safe to use on most surfaces in your house
- cleans as well as home made cleaning solution
- individual wipes are convenient to use, especially for busy moms with only one free hand
Cons:
- strong, chemical smell
- sold in plastic containers
- made by Clorox, a not always so earth friendly company
My diagnosis: for the mom still trying to find her eco balance these might be a perfect addition to your kitchen. They’re a little greener, a little healthier, but not too far off into crazy hippy land (you know, where I hang out). But if you’re a little more on the green-freak side of things you might want to just skip the Clorox Green Works wipes. Besides, if you are then you’re probably already doing what you can to remove chemicals from your home.
I’m giving them a C.
I have a review of the spray version of Clorox Green sitting in my drafts, waiting for me to get my lazy butt around to editing it.
I have a feeling the green-neo-phytes that swear by the stuff aren’t going to be too happy with me
The chemical smell was the very first thing I noticed! Is it because we’re so used to non-chemical cleansers?
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It IS convenient to have some wipe cleaners around for those quick clean ups. So that is an advantage over baking soda, vinegar, etc. And at least these are (hopefully) biodegradable.
I tried Clorox Green Works toilet cleaner (just on my own, not as a product review). The liquid was really thin and didn’t work very well at all.
Oh well. Nice that they’re trying, though. Baby steps?
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I tried the spray cleaner (it was on sale…) and I hate, hate, hate it. Hate it. It doesn’t clean well and it leaves a residue. Yuck. Plain water is much better!
I do agree though…now that I have 2 potty trained boys, wipes are niiiiiice to have around.
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Until reading this post I had no idea about the harmful side effects of Clorex bleach. I actually thought that I was doing a good thing for the environment. Thanks so much for posting this, I learned a lot. It seems that vinegar and water is really the way to go. I just cannot stand the smell.
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Renee I’m used to the scent of vinegar by now, so it doesn’t bother me. But some people use a lemon wedge to clean with instead, sprinkle a little baking soda on it and it actually works like bleach does. A friend of mine mixes vinegar, salt, and a few drops of lavender oil into a bottle for a spray cleaner. She says it works great and doesn’t have a vinegar smell at all.