How I Keep a Green Kitchen with Vine.com & Shopping Discount!

Today I want to share how I keep a “green” kitchen. I’ll admit that I’ve only gotten really good about using natural, non-toxic cleaners in recent years. When I was first married I happily scrubbed surfaces with thick pastes and sprayed aerosol cans of toxic chemicals all over the place to “freshen up the air.” Then I started reading the horrible reports about air quality in homes. Each one cited that household cleaners contain thousands of toxins that are potentially harmful to children, pets, and just about anyone. I freaked out! Ever since I’ve been experimenting with natural cleaners and trying to the find the best ones to keep our house clean and safe, as well as smelling excellent.

For a while I mixed my own cleaning solutions by combining vinegar, lemon, baking soda, and water. They worked pretty well but my husband complained they made the house smell like salad dressing. He wanted back in on the aerosol cans! I begged him to hold off repurchasing the old nasty cleaners and set about experimenting with all of the natural ones I could find. After much experimentation, and plenty of disappointment, we landed on the products below. They meet all of our criteria including being green, effective at cleaning up after two children, and pleasant smelling. Now I just keep them on a list at Vine.com and with one simple click they are on our doorstep whenever I need to refresh our stock!

Method All-Purpose Cleaner with Ginger ($3.99): This is probably the most important product in our kitchen. I use it several times a day to wipe down counter tops and kitchen surfaces. It always cleans up the toughest messes. Plus it smells great without being overpowering.

Seventh Generation Dish Liquid in Lemongrass & Clementine ($4.99): I clean A LOT of dirty dishes every day and this soap is the best for getting the job done. Plus, it doesn’t dry out my hands and it makes the sink smell like a bowl of oranges.

Cotton Dish Clothes ($15.99 for 3): I try to steer clear of using too many paper towels. Instead I stock my drawers with pretty cotton dish clothes to use with our cleaners and wash them after use.

Method Smarty Dish ($5.99): Finding a good green dish detergent was hard. Our dishes get dirty and crusty and I need a tough soap that can handle them. I love these cool tabs because they are truly as effective as any of the commercial detergents out there and are so easy to pop in the dishwasher!

Yes To Cucumber Facial Towelettes ($6.17): Two kids means a lot of mess at meal time. I use these all natural moist wipes to get the hard food crust off their faces (and sometimes hands and torsos!) They are lightly scented and are delicate enough for baby skin.

Mrs. Meyer’s Liquid Hand Soap ($4.99): We wash our hands a ton between cooking and having a new baby in the house. This awesome hand soap smells delicious and gets off all the gross stuff without cracking our cuticles.

Vie Luxe Eco Candle ($39.00): Instead of spraying disinfectants I like to light a pretty candle to freshen up the kitchen after a long day of cooking and kids. This eco-friendly candle gives off a calming mild clean scent.

Caldrea Powdered Scrub ($8.99): This awesome scrub is the best for getting gritting food stains off counter-tops and in sinks. We love the delicate lavender scent that makes the kitchen smell like a summer garden.

Dr. Hauschka Hand Cream ($27.19): This winter has been really tough on our hands. We are constantly washing them before touching the baby. This hand cream totally keeps our skin soft and moisturized. And I never worry about touching my son after using it since it is non-toxic.

Today my friends at Vine.com are offering a 20% discount* on all first orders to Naptime Chef readers. Just use the code NAPTIME20 at checkout!

*Fine print: 20% off your first order on Vine.com.  Cannot be combined with other Vine new buyer discounts. Max discount $20. Expires 12/31/2013. Excludes Sales & Closeouts, Argington, Baby K’Tan, Bloom, Britax, Bumbleride, bumGenius, Dandelion, ERGObaby, Haba, Lambs & Ivy, Naturepedic, Oeuf, Orbit Baby, OXO, Spot on Square, Stokke.