MNN - Mother Nature Network

There’s a host of new products on the market for those dedicated to keeping their homes and offices squeaky clean without plaguing the planet or harming the environment. These new green cleaning solutions, from mini robots to multi-use cleansers, make cleaning a breeze while keeping your home free from chemicals and paper waste.

 

One of the coolest green cleaning gadgets available to neat freaks, tree huggers and overworked housekeepers is the Mint, a robot that sweeps and washes hardwood floors. Launched in 2010, the Mint has won several awards including the Good Housekeeping V.I.P., IDEA (International Design Excellence Award), Popular Mechanics’ Editor’s Choice and the International CES Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering Award. 

 

Utilizing advanced navigation technologies and a range of sensors, the Mint travels around the room picking up dust, pet hairs and dirt, and can fit under most furniture to reach those hard to clean places. The unit comes with reusable microfiber cloths that can be washed and reused, saving money and landfill. The floor cleaning robots are available at Amazon, Bed, Bath and Beyond, or online at the Mint website.

 

A green-thinking Norwegian brand of cleaning products, called Norwex, has introduced several new products in the last year. Their fruit and veggie cloths are great for scrubbing produce to remove pesticides, wax and bacteria. The cloths have a rough side for scrubbing and a smooth side for polishing, and are handy in the kitchen and for cleaning fruit and veggies on the run.  

 

Norwex also launched a kids’ line of green cleaning products, including kid-sized anti-bacterial cleaning mitts, window cloths and enviro cloths (at right). Enviro cloths are made of a unique microfiber that uses silver particles to help fight against bacteria, fungi and viruses. The cloths eliminate cross contamination from cleaning various surfaces, and dry quickly to prevent bacteria growth.

 

The company’s mission is to eliminate unhealthy chemicals from the cleaning process. They suggest using only water to clean with their microfiber cloths, citing tests that prove the cloths reduce bacteria by 99.99 percent in 24 hours. For jobs that require serious elbow grease, Norwex offers a line of non-caustic, bio-based and bio-degradable kitchen and laundry cleaners, as well as organic personal care products. In August, the company will launch new products and packaging for 2012.

 

Spectrasan, an enzyme-based cleaner created by BioTech Medical in Ohio, launched an expanded line of products in April of this year. The new line of multi-enzymatic cleaners includes environmentally-safe products for pet stains and odors, spa and whirlpools, mold and mildew, glass, stainless steel and floor surfaces, and a special cleaning spray for medical instruments.

 

Spectrasan 24, which utilizes SDC technology, is touted as the first new disinfectant with active ingredients to be registered with the EPA in over thirty years. The powerful cleaning technology in this science-based cleaning product kills bacteria for up to twenty-four hours after cleaning, yet holds a Category IV toxicity rating with the EPA, the lowest classification available. 

 

Monica Nassif founded Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day to honor her mom, Thelma Meyer, and create a more affordable line of green cleaners after launching her first brand, Caldrea. Nassif’s mother, a product of the Great Depression, raised her own nine children with the motto of “waste not, want not.”

 

An avid gardener and an earth-friendly woman, Meyer inspired her daughter to use botanical scents, earth-friendly ingredients and attractive packaging in cleaning products to mimic the appeal of personal care and cosmetic packaging. Products such as household cleaners, air fresheners and laundry detergent contain powerful essential oils to fight dirt and leave the house smelling like a garden. Their newest scent, a calming honeysuckle, is available in dish soap, countertop spray and liquid hand soap.

 

Both Caldrea – named after Nassif’s daughters Calla and Aundrea – and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day were finalists in the 2011 Cribsie Awards for Safest Cleaning Products that Actually Work.

 

Know more about new green cleaning solutions? Leave us a note in the comments below.