Whether you are pulling out extra seating for holiday guests, putting away patio furniture for the season, or simply cleaning your dog’s crate, it wouldn’t hurt to arm yourself with a dependable cleanser that is kind to your senses and the environment.
We have two resin yard chairs that are about ten years old. They have lost the “shiny” protective layer that made the chair slick and easily maintainable. When the resin loses this layer, anything and everything sticks to it, and it no longer offers an inviting seat. The entire chair looked like the left half in the photo below.
I’ve tried a number of cleansers on this chair. I’ve hauled it into the bathroom to let it “soak” in a bleach based cleanser, I’ve used two-part cleansers that apparently only pitted the chair and finished off any remaining protective coating that may have existed.
The future was bleak for my chairs. I was faced with sending them off to the recycling center (who, thankfully, will accept this plastic item), or purchasing a can(s) of spray paint. Additionally, I’d need to tarp a spray area, wait for a non-windy day (a rarity here), fight bugs that area always attracted to a freshly painted surface, repeat for multiple paint coats, and then find a recycler for my paint cans. Both options are a lot of work and neither choice really excited me. The chairs aren’t broken or in need of repair, so cleaning them up was the only solution for me. The degreaser was really the last shot at “cleaning.”
One beautiful summer day I headed outside with the degreaser spray (in my non-gloved hands) and scrubbed the chair with a once-coveted scrub brush by a much younger Tristan. I gave the chair a quick rinse with the garden hose, and I proudly present to you a CLEAN chair. Well, I jumped ahead of myself with this photo, as I later realized I forgot the back legs, but they were cleaned too, have no fear.
I didn’t have to tarp my yard or worry about run-off into the flower bed. This cleanser attacked the grime on my chair, not the living grass beneath it. No flowers or grass were harmed in the cleaning of this chair. Oh yeah, neither were the humans or non-human animals of the house or yard. Although this looks like a lot of scrubbing, the degreaser did most of the work, thus preventing me from tearing my rotator cuff for the fourth time.
I know, you are thinking, “That’s great Pack Mom, but you cleaned your chairs outside and now there is snow on the ground!” Have no fear, you can simply wipe off the area you are cleaning with a damp cloth or sponge. You don’t need access to a hose. There aren’t any chemical odors that will make you leave your home for hours until it dissipates, so no excuses, no matter the weather, you can clean it. 🙂
I mentioned it earlier, but I highly recommend this product for degreasing your pet’s crates, carriers, and dog houses, whether they be plastic or metal. You may or may not have noticed that the inside of your dog’s crate can acquire a very unattractive and “greasy” surface that is discolored and smelly. This coating is created by your pet rubbing and lying against the surface of the crate. The natural oils from his coat transfer to the surface and begin to retain all odors and hair. This may, if left long enough, begin to discolor the surface. Establishing a regular cleaning routine of these items will help keep your pet healthy and your home free of any odd odors you can’t seem to locate.
Pack / Nature Approval: We’ve been using TerraCycle Natural Degreaser for over a year, and none of the 24Paws Pack suffered any negative responses. Tristan, Mr. Sensitive Nose & Skin, never sneezed or presented with any allergic reactions when he was in the room or area where the spray was being applied. When we’ve applied the cleanser outside, there were no visible traces of our use – no dead grass, flowers, or any other living element.
Human Response: As someone with both asthma and extremely fair and sensitive skin, I’ve neither had a reaction to the solution when it has had contact with my skin, nor has it induced an asthma attack.
24Paws Rating: 5 Paws (5/5)
The Product: Natural Degreaser – Non-Toxic, Biodegradable, Environmentally Friendly
Company & Site: TerraCycle
How’d We Get our Paws On It? TerraCycle sent it to us.
Retail Price: $2.99 – $4.99 for 34 fl. oz. (1L)
Easily portable: Yes. Willing to clean wherever the desire takes you.
Why we like it: Non-toxic, No Fragrances or Dyes, Biodegradable, pet and people friendly/safe ingredients, is an effective cleaner without being harsh, is NOT tested on animals, contains no animal-derived products, packaged in a waste stream recyclable bottle, is absent of ammonia, phosphate and petroleum ingredients. This non-abrasive cleanser does the job without walking away with peeling/burning skin or a diminished product.
Room For Improvement: Would like to see a completely transparent ingredient list
To Sum It Up: We’ll simply repeat what we’ve said before, “We love the fact that the ingredients in these products are pronounceable, identifiable, and natural. However, as sticklers for transparent ingredient lists, we’d like to see exactly what ‘essential oil cleaners’ they are putting into the products. We love essential oils, but sometimes there are sensitivity issues with them and it would be nice to know what’s under the cap. However, this issue doesn’t take away from the fact that these products were successful in removing stains, dirt and grime, while being gentle on our floors, skin, and sense of smell, not to mention the planet.”
Ingredient List:
Water, grease cutters and performance enhancers (linear alcohol ethoxylates), essential oil cleaners and soaps, all derived from natural sources.
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