# Green alternative to Lysol?



## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

First of all, DH is totally on board with all my green obsessions. He even ran as a candidate for the provincial green party several years ago, knowing he wouldn't win, just to help them be able to say they had a name on the ballot in every riding. He totally understands and agrees with getting all the unnecessary chemicals and junk out of our households and our bodies.

He has a few blind spots (as we all do), like he continues to use fluoride toothpaste with all the junk in it (not even something like Tom's of Maine, gotta be Crest), but he's such a dear and has come so far I'm not going to complain.







We're also in a very tight spot right now financially, so we are having to make some compromises, going as green as we can afford to but not stressing about it when finances don't permit it. We do what we can.

Anyway, we don't currently have any Lysol spray in the house. I just haven't bought any since we moved. I don't like the idea of spraying chemicals everywhere, but we did use it occasionally for really bad smells or really gross spills that had major germ potential.

I haven't missed it, but DH is asking if we can have a can on hand... the downstairs bathroom where the kitty litter is can get pretty funky, since one of the kitties likes to poo on the floor. And even though DD is nearly 100% for poops in the potty, once in awhile she does miss... yesterday she laid a log on the carpet faster than you could say 'boo'. (Poor dear, she was so upset about it too, went and hid in the corner and cried







)

What could I offer to DH we use as a greener (and possibly cheaper) alternative? We are NOT germaphobes, I shun the antibacterial soaps, I know that over-sanitized does NOT equal "clean", etc etc. But when it comes to poo, I do want something to "kill germs". And to reduce any lingering stink.

Would a vinegar solution be enough for this? Any other good suggestions?


----------



## littlecityfarmer (Apr 27, 2004)

Vinegar is what we use... If things are really funky, we add a few drops of Lavender EO and/or Tea Tree Oil.


----------



## sunnysandiegan (Mar 5, 2008)

For the air (such as kitty bathroom), we use the orange air-freshener at Trader Joe's. It smells terrific and doesn't just "cover up bad smells". I do not recall the brand name right now.

For hard surfaces (such as the floor), we use plain hot tap water. I wear gloves and use the hottest possible for icky germs, but just ordinary hot for regular cleanings. The guy who installed our linoleum in our bathrooms told us to just use water. I have and they still look brand new after 8 years!







I think the key is to clean up as soon after the mess as possible and to not leave it sopping wet.

For carpet, I use Kids-n-Pets (blue and white bottle with a bit of yellow), which is an enzyme cleaner. There are plenty of other such products. I have Bac-out right now, which is essentially the same thing. The enzymes literally eat the 'organic' wastes and stains disappear and the germ issue is solved at the same time.

There are other methods of deodorizing you can try for the kitty area. I have a mesh bag of volcanic rock that absorbs odors, I just set it out in the sun for a few hours every so often to "rejuvenate" it. It doesn't add any new smells to the air, just absorbs odors. I also recently discovered Aroma Gems from a craft fair while we were on vacation over the summer. They are permanent type smells that freshen air naturally. I have a crystal bowl in our living room that I love and had recently ditched my wedding bouquet flower petals, so it was empty. I added a layer of the cobalt blue Aroma Gems that smell like the ocean to the crystal bowl and it looks pretty (cobalt is one of my accent colors in the LR) and smells divine, even after a month plus. I have a half-dozen in a crystal vase in our powder room, too, and they also still smell divine. That few does not smell unless you pick up the vase and sniff it, though, so I plan to add more to keep the powder room smelling nice all the time. I just have to find where I stashed the rest! LOL (I put them in a drawer or closet to add a pleasant fragrance...)


----------



## jyurina (Mar 17, 2005)

you can use one spray bottle with vinegar water and another with hydrogen peroxide. Just spray one then the other on the spot and it is a VERY effective antibacterial. I just want to say too-Lysol is NOT supposed to be sprayed into the air. It is a surface disinfectant and not meant to be inhaled.


----------



## treehuggermama (Jan 3, 2007)

We use vinegar here...Try reading Organic Housekeeping (can't remember author's name). It explains how vinegar is just as effective as lysol/clorox etc at killing germs and gives studies that prove it.


----------



## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

I have a spray bottle with diluted vinegar and some essential oils that doubles as a glass cleaner and deodorizer. It lives in my bathroom. Depending on the size of your home, you may want more than one bottle in various areas, like one for the kitty bathroom and one in the bathroom DD uses most.

I've never worried too much about germs/antibacterials. I use straight vinegar for things like vomit on the carpet (after cleaning up most of the mess with water or very dilute soap) and vinegar in the mop bucket for washing the bathroom floor.


----------



## jrabbit (May 10, 2008)

knock on wood, but we're a very healthy family - don't use bleach, lysol, hand sanitizer, or any other "typical" cleaners. Our house doesn't smell funky or appear filthy. We use wet washcloths for most cleaning - spray some vinegar if it's really necessary. Vinegar & baking soda make great odor-eliminators. Our house doesn't smell like vinegar, either.

If you need a powerful disinfectant, use hydrogen peroxide & vinegar together. (separate spray bottles, mix at time of use) these articles explain:

http://www.michaelandjudystouffer.co...es/vinegar.htm

http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benef...infectant.html


----------

