Ecomaids Challenges Me to Give Up My Bleach

I am a clean freak. I can’t deal with clutter and I’m obsessed with a clean bathroom and kitchen. Unfortunately, kids and work have forced me to ease up on the amount I clean, and I get stressed when my home isn’t as clean as I’d like it to be. I blame it on my dad who was overboard in his obsession of cleaning. He lifted his television set daily to dust underneath it — now that’s crazy. But his ways did rub off on me.

Having kids also helped me learn to be more eco-friendly.  We eat organic meats, dairy and produce, recycle and I pack a waste-free lunch. I feel healthier and better about my effort, but there’s one area that I haven’t been able to green.

I’m addicted to bleach.

I don’t use bleach all over my home,  I’m actually quite found of Method cleaners for most of the house. But in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry whites, I just haven’t been able to kick my whitening habit.  There is something soothing about the smell of bleach to me, despite it being a toxic chemical. It’s just that I can’t stand mold, mildew and stains in my white porcelain sink.

So this is where Ecomaids comes in.

I met with Susan Switalski, owner of the green cleaning company, which covers Baristaville. I explained my addiction to bleach cleaners and she tried to school me on why I should give it up. It’s better for my family’s health and the environment. She explained that Ecomaids uses only certified environmentally–preferable products with a Green Seal, is a paper-less company and brings their own microfiber cloths, dusting tools and mops, brings their own vacuum with a HEPA multi–level filtration system and that all the cleaners were fully trained and educated on green cleaning.

When I questioned whether a non-bleach cleaner could really clean my tub like I liked it, Susan told me it could. She shared that hydrogen peroxide was a good alternative for a nasty tub. Then Susan offered to have my home cleaned by her trained staff to prove it.

Two extremely nice women came over this morning, took their shoes off (all Ecomaid staff does, because it prevents tracking in dirt and environmental toxins into your home) and cleaned my home from top to bottom. They were here for almost four hours and when I walked in I could immediately see a difference. The  thing I noticed most was that the house smelled clean, but there was no smell. It didn’t have the scent of cleaning products, no “clean linen” air freshener or lemon-scented floor cleaner, but it smelled fresh. I did a thorough inspection and found the following.

Things I loved:

• Every surface was dust-free. I couldn’t find a speck of dust anywhere. Even my baseboards were spotless.
• My wood floors looked great, even in the corners.
• You couldn’t tell anyone was here. There wasn’t any garbage or rags in the house. They took everything with them.

Thing I didn’t love:

• Some of my things weren’t in the spot where I usually keep them, but here’s the thing — I’m a bit neurotic about having things in the exact same spot where I like them — so I expected that.
• One of the cleaners accidentally chipped my coffee pot when she was washing it, but the minute I came in she told me, was extremely apologetic and wanted to pay for it. If I had a nickel for every time I broke a glass or a pot when I washed dishes, I would be rich, so I told her it was unnecessary. Accidents happen.

I’m feeling super stress-free right now and I’m going to throw away my bottle of bleach cleaner and only clean my bathroom with a non-toxic cleaner from now on. I’ll see if Ecomaids is right. It’s better for my family’s health and the environment, so it’s worth a try.

(Full disclosure: Ecomaids cleaned my home in exchange for an honest review.)