Pat Ives tests a selection of Eco-friendly cleaning products

Tag : calcium sorbate
Asda Eco-Friendly
£1.48, 500ml
Claims No petrochemical-based ingredients; no artificial colours orpreservatives; 100% natural fragrance; product not tested onanimals; 100% biodegradable ingredients; suitable for septic tanks;all packaging and components can be recycled where facilitiesexist.
Ingredients Less than 5% plant-derived non-ionic surfactants; also containsnatural fragrance, natural preservative, natural d-limonene.
Pat's view I was really pleased with this one. In fact, I would be happy toswap this with the Cif multisurface cleaner I normally use. Reallygood results achieved in all parts of the house, including thekitchen and bathroom. It left a glittering finish and the pleasantaroma wasn't too overpowering. I would buy this one myself.
Performance 9/10 Tesco Naturally Clean
£1.49, 1 litre
Claims 98% biodegradable; ingredients made from plant extracts; productand ingredients not tested on animals; no phosphates; no bleach.
Ingredients Non-ionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, soap, amphotericsurfactants, perfumes, limonene, sodium citrate,methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone.
Pat's view Pleasant aroma and not too strong. It's also very good value as itneeds to be diluted - two caps (50ml) to every five litres of hotwater. Undiluted, it works very well on stubborn stains, but it isstill great as a diluted cleaning product. I even managed to cleanmarker pen from a wall with just a wipe of the cloth. I would alsoswap my Cif for this one.
Performance 8/10 Ecover Ecological Squirteco
£1.98, 500ml
Claims Fast and complete biodegrability; minimum impact on aquatic life;against animal testing.
Ingredients Up to 30% water, 5-15% plant-based alcohol, less than 5% anionicand non-ionic plant-based surfactants, floral perfume.
Pat's view Overall, a good cleaner. The squirty bottle makes it very easy touse and I liked the fact that the aroma wasn't too overpowering.I've tried Ecover washing-up liquid before and thought that it wasrubbish - you end up using so much of it - so was pleasantlysurprised by this product.
Performance 7/10 Sainsbury's Cleanhome
85p, 1 litre
Claims Only UK own-brand cleaner to be certified to the performance andenvironmental criteria set down by the European Ecolabel andSwedish Falcon Good Environmental Choice label. Minimum impact onaquatic life and the main packaging materials are recyclable wherepossible and, when they are not, they are made from recycledmaterials.
Ingredients 5-15% anionic surfactants, less than 5% soap. Also contains:perfumes, benzisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone.
Pat's view Another very good-value cleaner because it can be diluted. Imanaged to shift marker pen marks off walls, it's good on kitchensurfaces, and surprisingly good on floors.
Performance 7/10 Method
£3, 828ml
Claims Biodegradable formula; naturally derived cleanser; 100% recycledplastic bottle. (Stockists include John Lewis and Waitrose.)
Ingredients Corn- and coconut-derived surfactants, soda ash, potassiumhydrate, biodegradable surfactant, fragrance oil blend, colour,purified water.
Pat's view I loved the fresh smell of this product. I used the cucumber one,but Method also do lavender, pink grapefruit and "go naked"versions. To be honest, I wasn't too sure about its performancewhen I first started to use it, but after a while I found that Igot more used to it.
Performance 6/10 Marks & Spencer Naturally Derived
£1.99, 500ml
Claims Gone to amazing lengths to find ingredients that are reallyeffective, without the need for any petrochemicals, artificialcolours or preservatives not found in nature; approved by theBritish Union for the Abolition of Vivisection; bottle made from30% recycled plastic; uses a fusion of bergamot oil and SouthAfrican lemons with a fresh hint of ginger root.
Ingredients 5-15% soap, less than 5% non-ionic surfactants, also containslimonene, linalool
Pat's view I was disappointed with this one. It really didn't achieve theresult I expected it to. The bottle was comfortable to use, though,with a good grip and spray action.
Performance 3/10 Natural House Surface Spa
£5, 500ml
Claims Made with 83% Soil Association-certified organic ingredients;approved by the Vegan Society; contains quillaja extract, anaturally occurring soap sustainably harvested from the bark of atree from South America, and coco glucoside, a gentle degreasingagent made from coconuts and tea tree extract; made entirely inEngland. (Stockists include John Lewis and Waitrose.)
Ingredients Aqua, organic wine vinegar, coco glucoside, organic grain alcohol,potassium sorbate, natural quillaja bark extract, organicwitch-hazel hydrosol, organic tea tree essential oil, naturalrosmarinic acid (extracted from herbs of the Labiatae familyincluding sage, rosemary and oregano), ethanol, natural hopextract.
Pat's view I really liked the idea of organic ingredients, but this wasreally let down by the extremely strong smell of vinegar. If youwant your home to smell like a fish-and-chip shop, this is the onefor you. More importantly, it was a really disappointing cleaner.
Performance 2/10 Glossary of ingredients
Limone, d-limone
A citrus fruit-based solvent.
Linalool
A naturally occurring scent that is found in many flowers, herbsand spice plants including mint and cinnamon.
Surfactants
A surfactant, or surface active agent, is a substance that, whendissolved in water, gives a product the ability to remove dirt fromsurfaces.
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
A preservative with antibacterial and antifungal effects.
Methylisothiazolinone
A microbial agent and preservative.
Benzisothiazolinone
A preservative with antibacterial and antifungal effects.
Potassium hydrate
A caustic white solid used as a bleach, also called caustic potash.
Soda ash
Also known as sodium carbonate or washing soda. Acts as a watersoftener in cleaning products. Also used as a food additive (E500),it is what makes sherbet "fizz" in the mouth.
Sodium citrate
A sequestering agent that attaches to calcium ions in water,keeping them from interfering with the performance of detergentsand soaps. Also used in foods and medicines.
Potassium sorbate
Typically used as a food preservative (E202) to inhibit mould.
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· This article was amended on Monday June 2 2008. Ecover productsare no longer approved by the Vegan Society, although existingstocks still carry its trademark. This has been corrected.
· This article was amended on Friday June 20 2008. Potash is notanother name for potassium hydrate, as we said in the glossary ofingredients above; it is another name for potassium carbonate,which is used in the manufacture of soap. Potassium hydrate,sometimes called caustic potash, is used instead of bleach in somecleaning products. This has been corrected.