Bio Spectra: Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products

As a mom I try to instill in my children a need to take care of the world around them. That means putting garbage and recycling where they belong and not wasting water when brushing their teeth and other things. I try to teach by example.

But what about what we’re using in the house to clean and wash and make it smell nice (or as nice as a house with two parents, three kids and four cats can smell). I’ve been looking into more environmentally friendly cleaning products as a start and there are a lot of them out there now.

One such company, Bio Spectra, is based here in Canada. You may remember our infant product review, Tammi, did a review on Bio-Spectra’s Attitude Disposible Diapers.

The same company sent me samples of some of their other products to try:

Eco-Friendly Dishwashing Liquid
This was the first product I tried. We have a dishwasher but we also have a number of dishes and glassware that I wash by hand since I wouldn’t trust them in the dishwasher. The first thing I noticed was the aroma. I’m use to those pleasant fruit and flower smells, though I’m sure that’s some sort of chemical additive. This dishwashing liquid I used was listed as being Ylang Ylang and Lime but I found it to have more of an disinfectant aroma. However, after some time using it I didn’t really notice it anymore.

The second thing I noticed, especially when washing something greasy, was the grease didn’t really break up easily; my hands felt greasy still. I found with greasy dishes I had to use some detergent directly on the dish to get it really clean. The dishwashing liquid did produce a lot of bubbles and with regular dishes it did do a good job cleaning.

Eco Cleaner All Purpose
Of all the products I tried, the Eco Cleaner All Purpose had the strongest aroma, very antiseptic. It was even noticeable by my daughter after I finished cleaning the bathroom. I think that just takes getting use to after using so many products with artificial fragrances. Like most spray cleaners, the nozzle offered both a stream and a spray option, along with off.

This product worked well when cleaning counters, especially in the bathroom (though Bio Spectra does have a Bathroom/Mold & Mildew cleaner that I didn’t get to try). The stream worked well on targeting specific messes, like toothpaste on the counter. The Eco Cleaner All Purpose did a good job cleaning up without leaving streaks

Eco Cleaner Window and Mirror
Similar to the All Purpose, the Window and Mirror has the spray and stream option. With three young kids, I'm forever cleaning up little tiny finger prints everyone, especially on the mirror in the bathroom and the kids rooms.

The aroma on the Eco Cleaner Window and Glass wasn’t nearly as strong as the All Purpose. The cleaner did a good job removing the fingerprints from the mirror but I did notice a bit of film on parts of it, depending on how the light hit the mirror. My husband was happy with the job it did cleaning his plasma TV.

Natural Air Purifier
This came in a plastic container containing a dish of small beads (you pulled off a seal to expose them to air). I was worried that my kids would get into this and make a huge

mess with these little beads but the plastic top wasn’t super easy for them to remove. I actually didn’t have high expectations for this product. I don’t know why actually. The Natural Air Purifier's aroma was subtle (lavender & eucalyptus), not like theoverpowering flowery or fruity smell I’ve come to expect from other air fresheners. But maybe that’s the difference, this is an air purifier not air freshener.

I placed this near where the cats hang out thinking that would be a big test. A few weeks later I noticed the beads were now forming a solid ball of sorts, shriveled and much smaller in size in their plastic container. The Natural Air Purifier sat unnoticed the whole time in the corner of the room. I almost thought it wasn’t working, until I took it away and noticed the change in the air, not for the better. I must admit I was impressed that something so unobtrusive and with an non-opressive aroma could do a good job.

Along with their ability to clean, using these four Bio Spectra products have some additional benefits, such as being:

- hypoallergenic
- free of colour dyes
- free of petrochemical dirivatives
- free of synthetic perfume
- made with pure essential oils
- vegan products

If you're looking for household cleaning products that don't harm the environment around you, then Bio Spectra might have the products for you. Besides the aroma on some of the products, which just takes getting use to, they did a good job. The Bio Spectra products are available in a number of national stores.

* product was provided for the purpose of this review

About the Author Managing Partner and Editor-in-Chief at one of the best social networking and lifestyle sites for moms, EverythingMom.com. Trying to balance life at home with my 3 kids (all under 8), while building my business, working at EverythingMom.com and developing my writing. Oh and throw a load of laundry in and a dinner that isn't burnt. Wasn't working from home suppose to be easier? Posted by Carrie Anne in household product reviews on February 20, 2010 More from this author  |  Author Website Follow Carrie Anne on:  |  |  |