Are green cleaners really strong enough?

The honest answer, from a company that uses them as standard.

Short answer: yes, for almost everything

The idea that green cleaners are weak comes from early products that were basically scented water. Today's green formulas cut everyday grease as well as conventional ones. They just don't smell like a swimming pool.

Where they shine

• Everyday kitchen grease and fingerprints.
• Bathroom soap scum and sinks.
• Floors, including hardwood and tile.
• Glass and mirrors. A vinegar-based spray leaves no residue to streak.

Where they need a bit more time

• Heavy limescale on a shower door that hasn't been touched in a year.
• Mould in grout. We use an oxygen-based, chlorine-free scrub and a little more elbow time.

Where we'd bring something stronger

A household recovering from illness that wants a hospital-grade disinfectant. We'll bring it. We just won't use it by default.

What "green" means on a label

"Green" is not a regulated word, so it helps to know what is in the bottle. The cleaning power in most products comes from surfactants, which loosen grease so water can carry it away. In green cleaners those are usually made from sources like coconut or corn instead of petroleum, and they break down after they go down the drain. They do the same job. What is left out is usually the bleach, the ammonia and the synthetic fragrance.

How to check a product yourself

• Look for a third-party mark such as EcoLogo or Safer Choice. Words like "natural" and "eco" on their own tell you very little.
• Read the ingredient list. A product that will not publish one is asking you to take its word for it.
• Be wary of heavy scent. "Fresh" is a fragrance, and fragrance is not what cleans.

Technique matters as much as the bottle

• Give the spray a minute to work before wiping. Most streaks and smears come from wiping too soon.
• Use a clean microfibre cloth. One that is already full of grease just moves it around.
• Work from the top of the room down, so nothing lands on a surface you have finished.

One safety rule, green or not

Never mix cleaning products. Bleach combined with vinegar or with ammonia releases toxic gas. If you are switching to something new, use up or rinse away the old product first.

What you gain by going green every visit

• No residue on the counters your kids eat off.
• No fragrance headaches, no fumes trapped in a closed-up winter house.
• Nothing going down the drain into Lake Ontario that shouldn't.

That's why it's our standard, not an add-on. Read more about our green commitment.