# how bad is Pine Sol?



## texmati (Oct 19, 2004)

So, I guess I'm new to this whole natural housecleaning (actually housekeeping in general!).

I get that windex, bleach & bathroom cleaners are bad, because they make me feel bad.

I've been using a mixture of vinegar and a little bit of pine sol, because my husband can't stand what he calls the "chemical smell" of the vinegar. (I kinda like the piney smell of pine sol too.)

I was wondering... how bad is the pine sol and is it bad to mix vinegar and pine sol together? I tried googling it, but got so many conflicting opinions.

Thanks so much!


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

All I know is that the smell of pine cleaners make me feel ill, so I don't use it.

I'm not even sure what's in it- if it's based on natural pine oils, then it would be a fairly natural (though toxic if ingested) product. If it has natural pine oils PLUS synthetic cleaners, then it wouldn't be so great.


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## papschmitty (May 7, 2006)

Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds smell just like Pine Sol without all the nasties. I put a couple tablespoons in a bucket of water to clean the floor. It worked great for me! From Dr. B's website:

Quote:

Dr. Bronner's SAL SUDS is our hard-surface all-purpose cleaner. It is a balanced formulation of plant-based surfactants with natural spruce and fir-needle oils: it cleans and rinses with exceptional power, yet is mild and gentle on the skin. Sal Suds is equally effective in hard or soft water, rinsing freely, hot or cold. It is 100% cruelty-free: no animal testing. Sal Suds will biodegrade rapidly after it has done its job.
BTW, if you're new to natural cleaning products, I wanted to share my favorite discovery. The best replacement for Windex is club soda. Just put it in a spray bottle and use it just like you would Windex. I wipe with a microfiber towel. There's no streaks, the windows are clean, and it's nontoxic. I love it!


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## azzuranotte (Dec 18, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *papschmitty* 
BTW, if you're new to natural cleaning products, I wanted to share my favorite discovery. The best replacement for Windex is club soda. Just put it in a spray bottle and use it just like you would Windex. I wipe with a microfiber towel. There's no streaks, the windows are clean, and it's nontoxic. I love it!

Also works great on stainless steel.


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## papschmitty (May 7, 2006)




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## texmati (Oct 19, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *papschmitty* 
BTW, if you're new to natural cleaning products, I wanted to share my favorite discovery. The best replacement for Windex is club soda. Just put it in a spray bottle and use it just like you would Windex. I wipe with a microfiber towel. There's no streaks, the windows are clean, and it's nontoxic. I love it!

Weird! I wonder why that works? Plus windex is so expensive.

I just use water and a microfiber towel. It normally leaves a streak free shine w/out having to go through the hassle of getting out the windex.


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## mykdsmomy (Oct 10, 2004)

Ok, so i'm a little obsessive but ever since I saw "The Sixth Sense", I've been afraid of Pine Sol









Remember the lady was actually poisoning her daughter with pine sol? chilling!


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## rharr! (Nov 9, 2005)

good to know about the club soda.
I am going to let my boss know and have him switch my chemicals for this, and hopefully I can have the other stuff replaced with natural stuff as well as I learn about it.


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## hippiewitchie (Oct 2, 2007)

aquarian said:


> I've been using a mixture of vinegar and a little bit of pine sol, because my husband can't stand what he calls the "chemical smell" of the vinegar. (I kinda like the piney smell of pine sol too.)
> 
> QUOTE]
> I don't know off hand how bad pine sol is, but if it's the vinegar smell he doesn't like, you could add essential oils to the vinegar. Let it sit overnight with the oils in it to permeate the vinegar and it greatly reduces the vinegar smell. When you clean with vinegar, it smells only for a little while, then goes away pretty quickly I think. Personally, I cannot stand the smell of pine sol, but I think you can get pine essential oils, may get your vinegar closer to a pine scent? I like to use orange or lavendar myself!


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## Sustainer (Sep 26, 2002)

I love Super Pine

http://www.gaiam.com/retail/product/...&keyword=38884

but I don't know about the chemistry of mixing it with vinegar.


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