Clean House Clean Planet

I stumbled upon this book when I was searching for recipes for homemade cleansers that were also inexpensive. Truthfully, the whole toxicity issue didn't even cross my mind until I took a closer look at the book and reviews. I don't have children, but I do have a very curious dog who tracks in all sorts of dirt and loves to smell and (usually) lick everything he explores. It's very comforting to know that the cleaners I am now using are non-toxic. I also often wondered, "if *I* think this stuff smells strong and nasty, imagine what my dog and his superior sense of smell thinks of it!" The book was fun and interesting to read. It's amazing that commercial cleansers don't have to list all of their ingredients. I also appreciated the author's honesty--pointing out things that are suspected and not proven, and even rating how well her cleaners work when compared to those you buy at the store. I agree with other reviewers that the recipes could have been laid out differently and can be hard to go back and find. The recipes are very easy to put together and use ingredients that are easy to find. They also work!! Who knew that vinegar and water in a spray bottle would make cleaning the bathroom floors a million times easier and more pleasant. Or that baking soda would make my sinks sparkle. I've truly enjoyed reading the book and using the author's recipes. Update (1/28/07): It's been nearly two years since I wrote my original review and I wanted to add that I'm still using the recipies, and love them more than ever!

I purchased this book along with another, larger book on this topic by a well-known author of books on the subject. I had assumed that I would learn more from the other book and that this would be a supplement. I couldn't have been more wrong. Not only is this book concise and easy to read, but Karen Logan explains the chemistry behind what makes combinations of ingredients work...or fail. This is critical to success with cleaning products of this nature. Because of her recipes, I have won my husband over to the efficacy of natural cleaning products. He always assumed they just didn't work. Additionally, she does not recommend the use of toxic ingredients (such as LYE! recommended in the other text when making soap!!) in any cleaners, so I don't worry about doing more harm than good. This book has paid for itself several times over. A very good read and an excellent investment.

My friend and I made most of the major recipes in this book in the course of a few hours! We found all the ingredients at the market, health food store and Target. We both went home and cleaned our houses top to bottom and were amazed at the results. I thought for sure the glass cleaner wouldn't work - boy, was I surprised! I have since bought several copies of the book to give away to friends and family. My friends with young children really love the recipes! Most importantly for me, these products smell divine! I feel like I am perfuming my house rather than cleaning. My kitchen smells softly of lemons, and my bathroom has a lovely, light, lavender aroma. From now on I'm cleaning the natural, non-toxic, better smelling way!

Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan is one of the best books I've read recently! Ms. Logan discusses why you should switch, what is in the commercial cleaners found in the store, how to put together the essentials for green cleaning and how to make your own homemade cleaners. However, she goes above and beyond most authors. Ms. Logan explains the recipe's effectiveness and compares the costs of the particular recipe with the commercial alternative. What I like most about this book is the recipes -they are inexpensive, easy and *effective*. Moreover, with or without the use of the essential oils she recommends, they leave your home smelling fresh! Perhaps the most effective suggestion I've tried is "Hollywood Bowl" and a pumice stick. Together, they elminated a toilet bowl ring that has plagued me for months. Now, if Ms. Logan could help me wipe out the mold and mildew on my bath tiles, this book would be perfect!Overall, Clean House, Clean Planet is a must for every home. Fun to read, easy to implement, and refreshing to use!

Karen Noonan Logan has put together an extremely useful, honest recipe book for green cleaning products. It is honest in that she rates the effectiveness of each formula provided, and not all of them are 95s or 100s (comparable to commercial cleaners). In fact, there are several in the book that aren't that effective, but at least they don't poison you.However, the majority of her recipes *are* effective and very easy to make. Logan writes matter-of-factly, but with a positive style. It's not like reading a textbook or cookbook at all; you are entertained as you read.There is a broad enough range of recipes that you can clean nearly anything, but not so many that you can't figure out which recipe to make for which cleaning job. In contrast, I found that Annie Berthold-Bond's book "Clean and Green" was too cluttered by a confusing array of recipes, some of which are so specialized many people will probably never use them. Also, her writing style is far too dry to really be enjoyable. If you really, really need a weird stain out of your clothes and don't want to reach for the bleach or stain stick, you may want to pick up "Clean and Green." But for just cleaning floors, tile, windows, etc. it is *much* easier to use the simple, multi-purpose recipes in "Clean House, Clean Planet."