Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner: Review & Giveaway

BOY PARTY

POST 10

Boys are messy.  Have you noticed?  I sure have.  I love my messy boys, but NOT my messy house.

It is important to me to keep my boys safe while making my messy house a little more "mommy friendly.  I try to avoid harsh chemicals that could potentially harm my young children.  Oh and also - if you didn't know it - I'm pregnant, so I need to avoid a lot of those things anyway.  

Tropical Traditions offers a fantastic line of food products, health and beauty products, and EVEN home cleaning products.  I completely trust Tropical Traditions to produce safe cleaners for my family.  Recently I have had the opportunity to try their All Purpose Cleaner.  It claims to be safe for household appliances, windows, bathrooms, washing clothes, and EVEN dishes.  

TEST 1

The Microwave

I would show you before and after pictures of my microwave, but I would be completely embarrassed.  Let me put it this way: my microwave sits on a low shelf, so I don't see inside very often.  When I opened it up and looked around inside I was horrified to think that I had been cooking food for my boys in it!  I thought it would be an amazing first test for Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner.  After I pulled out and sprayed the glass tray, it wiped clean easily.  Next, I sprayed the inside of the microwave and let the cleaner sit for a couple of minutes (seriously, this was gross).  I came back to it and wiped it down really well.  The cleaner easily removed most of the mess.  

My biggest problem - figuring out whether to use a wet or dry rag while cleaning the  microwave.  The instructions on the bottle don't tell me.  I chose a wet rag, I think I should have gone with dry.

TEST 2

Dishes

I was already in the kitchen, and the bottle says it's safe to use on dishes.  I figured, why not give it a try.  I filled up my sink with hot water and some All Purpose Cleaner and washed a sink full of dishes.  My dishes did get clean and looked nice.  I just wish it would put them away next time as well.

My biggest problem - I couldn't get the cleaner to make suds in my water.  I like suds when I'm washing dishes, it makes me feel good about my soap.

TEST 3

The Bathroom

Again, I have 2 boys.  Monkey is 3 and potty trained.  He has figured out that some boys can potty standing up.  He hasn't figured out how that works, so when he tried, he generally stands on TOP of the toilet and lets loose.  This does not have pretty results.  Our toilet regularly needs cleaned - so does the floor - and the wall...  You get the picture.

My boys also have hands.  They like to put their hands in the dirt.  I am so glad that my boys like to be outside and get dirty - we spend almost every morning playing outside in the yard right now and they love it.  Unfortunately, dirt comes off on white walls, doors, cabinets, the sink, and the bath tub.  I actually found a ring in my tub for the first time this week - YUCK!

I sent daddy to the store with the boys for a little while and took some time to clean the bathroom.  I pulled out the Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner and went to town.  The bathtub ring was gone within moments, the walls and cabinets wiped clean with no problem.  The sink was a little bit harder because there's a tough spot in it that needed to soak in the cleaner a bit longer.  The toilet was simple to clean.

My biggest problem - The bathroom sink needed some extra time for the deep groove around the stopper.  Not a big deal, just took longer for that part than I expected.

TEST 4

The Mirror

While I was in the bathroom I thought I would try glass, I had not attempted to clean any glass yet and thought this seemed like a logical next step with the cleaner.  I sprayed down the mirror and wiped it.  The result?  I could see myself and there wasn't nastiness all over me!  I looked much better (although tired and pregnant).

My biggest problem - I used a rag to wipe the mirror off.  I should have grabbed a newspaper.  The rag left a few fuzzies on the mirror.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I really like Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner.  I trust it around my boys (it's even sitting on the dining room table right now, within their reach).  I will use it again and again.  I am impressed by the true versatility of this cleaner.  My next challenge?  Laundry stains - I want to see what this stuff can do to some of Monkey's shirts.