Customer Reviews
Another Great "Green Cleaning Book" 
2008-07-28
I disagree with the review that this book has no "recipes" on how to use everyday household cleaning items, example: Chapter 9 is about metal cleaning.The "recipes" start at number 96 and go to number 158. Each of these numbers describe different ways to clean metal like stainless steel, copper, gold, bronze, brass, etc. Number 104 is for brass, bronze and copper and it says, "2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon vinegar....." Maybe they were writing about the wrong book?
I really like this book as it does tell you the amounts to use and what to use to clean everything you can think of - Metals, bathroom, furniture, floors, carpets, walls, laundry, cars and kitchen. They tell you the supermarket name for items and the natural food store names for products. How to eliminate commercial products and why and transitions you to natural cleaning.
Definitely a GREAT addition to my 3 other "green cleaning" type books. All have something in them the others don't!
Clean and Green: The Complete Guide to Non-Toxic and Environmentally Safe Housekeeping
Clean and Green 2007-11-30
I got this book as a gift for my stepfather. He loved it so much he ordered copies for all his friends.
great book, but supply your own common sense 
2007-10-03
This is a great book, with lots of helpful ideas on ways to clean naturally (and effectively--always important!). She has a more recent book, but this one beats all for its long listing of ways to treat various stains. My only complaint is that sometimes her definition of toxic varies from mine (for instance, she acknowledges that an ounce of borax may be toxic for a 150-lb. person, but then calls for that in many recipes anyway, and she recommends alum in a place or two even though it contains aluminum), and that she's lacking in common sense in a couple of places. A prime example of the latter was one of her recommendations for treating berry stains: from a height of three feet, pour boiling water onto fabric that's stretched tight. Aiaiai! That recipe is almost guaranteed to cause burns, and I'm surprised she lists it, since she also says that MILK will remove berry stains. So it's a great resource, but remember to bring your own common sense to the table when using it.
Missing web addresses 
2007-03-31
This is a good book but none of the companies she mentions have web addresses which would be very helpful.
lots of info 2007-03-26
This was a big help and had everything I needed answers to.
Very informative although difficult at times to follow 2006-09-25
485 ways to clean, polish, disinfect, deodorize, launder, remove stains, even wash your car, without harming yourself or the environment. Recipes based on harmless, nonpolluting, renewable ingredients. 160 pages, recycled paper/vegetable ink, paperback.
Info for M. Windsor and others who don't know 2006-08-22
Grape seed oil is a good source of vitamin E. Both vitamin C and E are used as preservatives because they are anti-oxidants (prevents oxidation or rotting). Check out the labels on the organic or high end "natural" pet foods and you will clearly see them used as preservatives. Sodium chloride (salt) is a preservative (think bacon) and causes water retention and that's why chefs typically use unsalted butter and then add sea salt as needed. So the author of this book was correct.
Not very happy with the book 
2006-08-03
I purchased this book yesterday and when I began reading it today, the pages fell out as I turned the pages. In addition, it says Vitamin E is a preservative. It is NOT. Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant (keeps oils from rancidity). If you make a product that mostly consists of water with added "food" for bacteria which include tea or herbal infusions, than it either needs to be refrigerated, or preserved with a REAL preservative or you could run the risk of growing bacteria and mold in the very product you are hoping is good for your home. Not to mention getting the contaminated home made product on an open cut or wound and ending up with a bacterial blood infection, or worse. Also Grapefruit seed extract is not a preservative either. It is preserved with a preservative which makes people assume it works.
Fair Book, a bit unfriendly 2006-05-25
Clean and Green by Annie Berthold-Bond
My third choice of the three I purchased. The author uses borax, zeolite, kitty litter, alum, and washing soda not chemicals of choice to use in standard household cleaners. The only one of these are used in the others is washing soda in laundry soap. It is not an easy read not due to content but font choice and the way the recipes are presented. A Little short on instruction and technique. There are tons of them however 485 aprox recipes or suggestions, she numbers them. All this on only 161 pages!! It is a good book to have but the other two would be a better choice to get started. I rated Clean Home Clean Planet first choice and Naturally Clean Home second above this one.
Good starting point 2006-05-01
This book offers a lot of recipes for cleaning a LOT of items - the usual laundry, kitchen and bathroom, but also leather, metals, concrete floors. The most useful thing I gleaned from this book is that I can clean virtually anything with a combination of water, vinegar, baking soda and castile soap. My favorite recipes were the wood cleaner/duster and the floor cleaner. It has changed my cleaning experience! The only downside to the book is that the author frequently includes borax in her recipes, and from my research, it seems that this is not really altogether non-toxic. I wish she would have at least addressed this. Otherwise, I found it a good starting place for a grean cleaning make-over.
