Nursery Cleaner

Finally, a safe nursery cleaner made for cribs, changing tables, changing pads, car seats, highchairs, diaper pails, toys, walls, doors, floors, and mattresses. Pure essential oils of lavender and chamomile help you and baby relax.

DOES ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ALWAYS MEAN IT IS SAFE FOR PEOPLE AND PETS?

This is one of the most common misconceptions about "green" cleaning products. Just because a product biodegrades does not mean that it is safe around people and pets. I often use the example of Poison Ivy. Poison Ivy is a plant, it is natural, it is biodegradable and has no negative effects on marine life. However, I would not recommend bringing it in your home or having it contact your skin!

DISINFECTING - BE SURE TO READ THE SMALL PRINT (...Let sit on surface for 10 minutes. oh sure....)

The EPA regulates any cleaning product which makes a disinfection claim, and they classify them as a pesticide. This makes sense since they contain harsh chemicals designed to kill living organisms. Many of us have become convinced that we need antibacterial or disinfecting agents in our cleaning and personal care products. At Better Life we have made a conscious decision to keep these chemical pesticides out of our products. There are many reasons for this, but one of the most pragmatic reasons is that they do not work unless used as directed, and most of us do not use as directed. If you take a moment to read the back of a label, you will likely be surprised by what you find. Almost all products with a disinfecting /antibacterial agent in them have directions which read something to this effect: "Spray surface until thoroughly wet. Let stand 10 minutes, then wipe clean. Rinse thoroughly with water for surfaces that will come in contact with food or placed in mouth." In essence you are having to clean the surface twice because now you must rinse with water to remove all the harmful residues. Also don't forget that you will need to wash your hands before eating, chewing gum etc.

Who really leaves a product on your kitchen counter for ten minutes before wiping? No one I know, and the products simply do not meet the performance claims unless used as directed. Unless you are letting these pesticides sit on your surfaces for the directed amount of time you are dumping money (and a bunch of nasty chemicals) down the drain. At Better Life we have invested in the cleaning agents in our products vs. killing agents.

THE TRUTH ABOUT LABEL REGULATION IN CLEANING PRODUCTS

There is a growing concern about the safety of household cleaning products. However, because manufacturers are not required to list ingredients it makes it very difficult for the consumer to fully evaluate which products are the safest to use in their home. If the manufacturer does include an ingredient statement it is voluntary and in many cases this disclosure is inaccurate and incomplete. ****Under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, household cleaners are the only household products for which manufacturers are NOT required to list all ingredients.

ESSENTIAL OIL "BLENDS"

I love essential oils - they smell great and are naturally derived. A great deal of energy and expense has gone into using only essential oils in Better Life products as a replacement for synthetic fragrances. We create products that smell great, but are done so in a healthy responsible manner. One thing that does bother me though is seeing labels on products which claim to use essential oil blends while still containing synthetic fragrances. Be sure to look closely at the labels for words like fragrance, perfume, and fragrance oil blend. Most often these blends are largely composed of synthetic fragrances / perfumes and use a minimal amount of essential oils. They also still have that lingering fake smell that gives many people headaches and asthmatic reactions.

AREN'T HOMEMADE CLEANERS THE BEST CHOICE FOR MY FAMILY?

There are several things which you should consider when making your own cleaning products. These"homemade" cleaning products lack performance testing, safety testing and product directions. They have not been tested and approved compatible for specific surfaces to be cleaned. Homemade cleaners are often mixed with commercial cleaners (like dish soap or borax) which may not be compatible. Often these homemade remedies are inconvenient and ineffective causing you to work harder with fewer results. They are unstable and need to be used immediately after making them otherwise they will spoil (grow bacteria, yeasts and mold).

DOES ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MEAN SURFACE SAFE?

Not always. Many so called "green" cleaners incorporate aggressive solvents and other harsh chemicals which can cause serious damage to many of the high end surfaces in our homes. One example is alcohol, which is an ingredient commonly found in many of the "green" cleaners on the market. While alcohol is derived from plants we have purposefully avoided its use in Better Life products because it can damage surfaces such as treated windows, factory applied surface coatings, tinted automotive glass, LCD screens, and sealants used on stone and hardwood floors. Additionally, it evaporates quickly into the air inside your home and is considered a Volitale Organic Compound (VOC) by the Environmental Protection Agency.