Eco-friendly products

A gone-eco reporter tells us about her world of non-toxic clean & how she battles dirt

By Barbara Mahany | Chicago Tribune staff reporter

1. Shower walls: Give me Mrs. Meyer's in lavender, lemon verbena, geranium, or, for spring, honeysuckle -- scents made from essential oils. It smells as good as it cleans.

2. Windows: Seventh Generation, Earth Friendly and, fresh from California, a bright blue something called Holy Cow!

3. Dishes: I'll take any scent from Mrs. Meyer's or blue sage from her high-end cousin Caldrea (same Minnesota company). And Seventh Generation and Earth Friendly, again, are sure bets.

4. Toilets: Seventh Generation (mint) and Earth Friendly (natural cedar) both have cleaners that, trust me, do the trick.

5. Countertops: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day all-purpose cleaner 1/4-cup to a gallon of water, or ready-mixed in her countertop spray. I also love Earth Friendly's Parsley Plus.

6. Floors. I flipped for Method's non-toxic microfiber omop, with, get this, compost-friendly sweeping cloths.

7. Stainless steel: At the International Home & Housewares Show, March 2007, at McCormick Place in Chicago, I discovered Bayes Premium Cleaners' stainless-steel spritzer that made my old firehouse stove so shiny I practically needed shades.