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bean_counter_z4

Anyone use Shaklee products for everyday cleaning

bean_counter_z4
13 years ago

I've heard Shaklee's Basic H is effective and very safe and now I see Opra recommends it. Anyone use it for things like floors, woodwork, tile, etc.

BC

Comments (11)

  • bean_counter_z4
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I use vinegar on ceramic tile, stainless steel, and sometimes glass surfaces but I wonder about using it on flooring. It is very, very acidic and over a long period, I wonder if it will weaken the finish on flooring.

    I got some Shaklee Basic H last night and will let you know how it works. I think the instructions say to mix about a tablespoon full in a gallon of water for floors. We'll see.
    BC

  • graywings123
    13 years ago

    Shaklee by all account is a good company and makes a good product. It is an MLM - Multi Level Marketing - business like Avon or Amway or Kirby, selling through its distribution network.

    They make good products, but not better at cleaning than products you can buy in stores. There are lots of PH neutral cleaning products out there. Shaklee was a leader in the environmental movement, but there are other environmentally friendly cleaners, and you can buy them at your local stores.

    One benefit to some Shaklee products is that they are sold as concentrates, so you can reuse your bottles. At the slow rate that I use cleaning products and with the ability to recycle plastic bottles, that isn't an important issue for me.

    I clean my wood floors so infrequently that it doesn't matter much what I use on them. I rely on my vacuum cleaner's hard floor attachment to remove most of the soil. Experts say that removing grit from the floors, which acts like sandpaper on them, is what is most important. I don't have babies crawling on my floors, so my acceptable level of floor cleanliness is different from that of other people.

    Speaking generally about products sold through MLM companies, one concern I have about recommendations to use them is that SOMETIMES the people recommending them have a vested interest in promoting the company and its products. I heard rave reviews of Amway products from a friend when she was a distributor. Now that she has left Amway, she no longer uses their products.

  • livebetter
    13 years ago

    Firstly, jimsonburg please stop "spamming" on every post - it's truly annoying.

    As far as vinegar, I know I've posted these comments before but I'll reiterate ...

    IMO vinegar is not a great "all purpose" cleaner. I do use it for some things (ie. laundry rinse for some items, clean the fish bowl, clean some mineral deposits, etc Â).

    Low pH cleaners (acidic, like vinegar) can dissolve hard water and mineral deposits, but canÂt tackle dirt and grime. Many people have heard "use vinegar" so they do but they donÂt really understand the chemistry behind cleaning.

    Cleaning/laundry are really a lesson in chemistry. What will remove certain dirt/stains and suspend them in water so they can be removed completely. ItÂs really quite fascinating (to me anyway):)

    High pH cleaners (more alkaline, like harsher soaps) are good at dissolving dirt and grime. Warning: these will also eventually dull the finish of some floors (ie. hardwood).

    I like to use a neutral PH cleaner for all my floors. ThatÂs why I choose the Shaklee Basic H2. I have tried MANY cleaners for my tile floors (even vinegar at one time). They all left streaks. Basic H2 dries my floor with no streaks. I donÂt rinse or dry it.

    I do have/use the Shaklee Basic H2 in many ways. I have the 3 spray bottles for the different concentrate levels (to be honest I just love the graphics on them but you could use any spray bottle). I have one for glass/mirrors, one for all-purpose and one for degreasing. I also use it diluted in a pail for washing floors (best thing IÂve ever used  honestly). One bottle can last me 6 months (itÂs so concentrated).

    I sometimes add essential oils to my mixtures (ie. tea tree for floors and bathrooms as it has disinfecting properties, sometimes eucalyptus and/or lavender too). My cleaners smell amazing and have no nasty chemicals to breath in.

    Graywings makes some valid points regarding multi level marketing. Although I think that Shaklee is a great company  when you read about all their efforts to help improve the environment  itÂs better than a company like Clorox. I joined Shaklee purely to buy my own products for myself (without having to go to someone else). I have several friends who also love the products and I order for them. ThatÂs as far as my involvement goes but I do really like the products that I use.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Basic H2 spray bottles

  • cohoss
    13 years ago

    Interesting that I saw this today. I've had two bottles of Basic-H for a year now and haven't really done much with them (one is the old "green" kind and the other is the new "clear" concentrate).

    I normally use Bona on my hardwood floors with a microfiber cloth with decent results but they have felt "sticky" lately. So, I pulled out my old string mop and made a bucket of diluted (old) green Basic-H and had good results with it. I did wring out the mop extremely well so the floors dried in just a minute but there was no hazing and they feel and look clean.

    I made a bottle of spray for the countertops and found it to be okay. Most of my countertops don't get too dirty, so it did a fine job on them. For the stovetop area, though, I found that I needed to use a heavier cleaner to truly get the muck up.

    Overall I'd put it on par with Amway's basic cleaner. Both do have the benefit of being extremely concentrated--which I like--and are relatively environmentally friendly.

    As a side note, I used some of the Seventh Generation basic cleaner at my mom's house last week. The cleaning properties were on par with the Shaklee but the smell was wonderful - not chemical at all and lasted long enough to not be obnoxious.

    I also second Graywings comment about keeping the floors vacuumed thoroughly. Since I have two big dogs, I vacuum once a day but find that keeping the dust, dirt, sand and hair off the floor keeps them cleaner than anything else.

    Hope that helps

  • jannie
    13 years ago

    I have a very bad opinion of MLM distributors, Avon in particular. I became an "Avon lady" years ago. I gave out booklets at work and to a few neighbors, got a few orders, made a little (very little) spending cash. But the boses above me insisted I wasn't meeting goals (that they set) and pressured me to sell more,and arrange Avon parties (yeah,right, a 'party" HAHA.) I didn't like being pressured, so I quit and never went back. _I did like their Anew skin care product line, but that's not the issue.

  • livebetter
    13 years ago

    jannie, that is not my experience with Shaklee.

    I am a "distributor" but I joined to buy products for myself. I also order them for some family/friends/acquaintances who love them but that's about as far as my involvement goes.

    I have never been pressured by anyone "above" me in my group to do anything more than I have. If "I" choose to grow my business, they would be more than happy to help but have never pushed me to do anything.

    I really enjoy the products that I do use from them and I think they are a great company. I use non-Shaklee products that I like too.

    What bothers me is when distributors troll for comments re: Shaklee and then put in their plug for their business  especially on a forum like this. It makes all distributors look like pushy people only concerned with selling and not all Shaklee distributors are like that.

  • gayle0000
    13 years ago

    I LOVE Basic H. My mom used it back in the 70's when I was growing up, so it seems as common to me as "Windex" or "Pine-Sol".

    I primarily use it as a general cleaning spray. I have a handout, but I don't recall the exact recipe. I think I put like 1/2 teaspoon for about 28 oz of water. I love most how there is no smell...and when I do use a commercial cleaner, there is definitely this very slight residue left on countertops or whatever I cleaned.

    I find it great for tougher cleaning jobs used full strength, or diluted down a little. The miracle Basic H performs for me is a strong solution will clean off my steering wheel of makeup residue and daily hand grime that builds up to grossness over time.

    My friend who I bought it from moved far away, but I bought a 1/2 gallon about 6 years ago and it's just over 1/2 used.

    I also use it like you would Woolite, but you only need like a capful to get the job done.
    Gayle

  • wendy2shoes
    13 years ago

    I put a half teaspoon of TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate) in a spray bottle with water, and it is the best all purpose cleaner I have ever used. You can buy a half pound box of it at the hardware store for $1.50. Used in a more concentrated solution, it will remove paint from a dried out paintbrush.
    If you want to clean your stovetop or greasy cupboard doors, it's the best.
    It's also the main ingredient in "Spic'n'Span"..a great cleaner for a fraction of the price.

  • callie25
    13 years ago

    I have never used Shaklee products. Wendy2shoes.....what can you spray the TSP on (I thought it was a strong solution in that it really cuts the dirt as well as paint). Do you use on a glass top stove? Currently, I like castile soap (Dr. bronner's...peppermint...you dilute to your situation, probably a tsp for a 32 oz. bottle. It's great to mop vinyl flooring. It's a natural product, you can use to wash your hair (takes just a small amount). However, it doesn't do well to clean a greasy stove top. So...is the TSP safe for glass top stoves? Thanks.

  • livebetter
    13 years ago

    I would think that anyone looking into Shaklee is looking for a "safer" product. TSP would not be a logical alternative.

    Keep in mind that TSP makes an alkaline solution. The pH of a 1% solution is 12.

    TSP was once the major component of laundry and dishwashing detergents. However, the phosphate contained in these products was not removed from wastewater during treatment and was then subsequently discharged into watersheds and larger bodies of water. There, phosphate was often the limiting agent for waterborne plant life, and the excess caused algal blooms and subsequent eutrophication of lakes and estuaries. In the United States, the Clean Water Act severely limited the use of phosphates in general, and trisodium phosphate in particular, in consumer cleaning products.

    From MSDS Inhalation Health Risks And Symptoms Of Exposure Small Amounts Of Dust Are Very Irritating. Large Exposures Can Cause Tissue Burns. Skin And Eye Contact Health Risks And Symptoms Of Exposure Eye Contact: Tissue Burns Are Likely. Skin Contact: Strong Irritant; Chemical Burns Are Possible. Skin Absorption Health Risks And Symptoms Of Exposure Not Known. Ingestion Health Risks And Symptoms Of Exposure Slightly Toxic (Due To High Ph). Health Hazards (Acute And Chronic) Acute: The Material Is Moderately Toxic To Humans. Inhalation Of Heavy Dust May Irritate Nose And Throat. Ingestion May Injure Mouth, Throat, And Gastrointestinal Tract. Contact With Eyes Produces Local Irritation And Possible Conjunctivitis. Chronic: Chronic Toxicity Is Known, But Is Not Believed To Be Significant For Low Concentration. Medical Conditions Generally Aggravated By Exposure: Skin Irritation May Be Aggravated In Persons With Existing Skin Lesions. Breathing Of Dust May Aggravate Acute Or Chronic Asthma And Other Chronic Pulmonary Disease.

    Here is a link that might be useful: MSDS Information for TSP

  • emma
    11 years ago

    My sister sells it and suggested Basic H for cleaning the bugs off the car after a road trip. She asked me how it did, I said it didn't work any better than water and soap and was a lot more expensive. It is sold like one of the poster above said. If you want to save money buy from a distributor is higher up the scale. My sis wanted me to buy the water picture to filter my water and I found I could save a lot of money by finding a distributor higher on the ladder. I did not buy it. I prefer city water.

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