How many of us rushed out to buy Eco cleaners as our bit to save the planet and show everyone else how green we are, without actually thinking about what is already to hand? Although certain tasks may well need a dedicated green cleaning product, specially formulated to tackle just that type of dirt to be found in exactly that spot in the kitchen, honestly most of our household dirt is the same everywhere. Surely we could use one simple green cleaner everywhere too.

After wasting more money than I care to share, it dawned on me that we all have one simple green cleaner that can clean just about everything in our homes. Why don't we just use more of that one green cleaning product and use less of everything else.

We would save on expensive formulations, nifty packaging and hidden transport costs. We could reduce our cleaning cupboard contents to a new streamlined environment. We would save lots of cash too, the simple green cleaner is always a lot cheaper than the specially targeted specific formulation for x, y or z!

It is ridiculous. We all grow up associating soap with clean. We are taught soap is what cleans things - heck it can even clean away 'naughty words'. So why do we use so little of it? Of course all the manufacturers of Eco cleaners know that soaps are brilliant at cleaning. That's why soaps are the primary ingredient in any Eco cleaning product.

Detergents are the synthetic equivalent, and yes they are a little more effective. But, once you try to make cleaning Eco friendly you find all your formulations rely on soaps. So, why not cut out the middle-man now and again, and just use soap?

A word of warning, lots of things called 'liquid soaps' on the front of the bottle are often actually detergent based products. Always check the ingredients list too. Conventional cleaning product manufacturers know we like the sound of the word soap more than that of detergent, so even some liquid soaps for hand-washing are really detergents.

Soap flakes can be used as effective green laundry detergent or they can be melted down with water and turned into your own soft soap. That is a true budget cleaner. Anywhere you want to get rid of dirt, try your soft soap mixed with water. Floors, walls, tiles, cars, in fact anywhere you want to 'wash', soap should be your green cleaner of choice!

I've written a few more Green Cleaning Hubs too...

How to Choose a Safe Cleaner

Make Cleaning Eco Friendly

Anti-Bacterial Eco Cleaners