When Rosamaria and PJ, the husband & wife duo behind the Green Irene Eco-Consultant business, set out to create a line of eco-friendly cleaning products, they wanted something that worked. Not just kinda, sorta worked. But REALLY worked! So they decided to use enzymes. Why? Because "Quite simply, enzymes get the job done."
Enzymes (in case you were wondering!) are protein molecules that biodegrade organic materials like grease, food and grime and turn them back into their basic elements like carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. They also completely eliminate odors by breaking down the materials that cause the odor. Enzymes are naturally occuring and when they finish their job, they are absorbed back into nature. They are completely safe to use and are non-corrosive so you can use them on any surface without harm. What's not to love about all that?
Rosamaria and PJ were promoting their new line of Green Irene Enzyme Cleaners at the Green Blogger Soiree during BlogHer this past August, but I was so busy chatting with my green blogging friends that I didn't have a chance to talk to them. So I was very happy when they offered to send me a starter kit of products to check out!
The coolest part of this line (even better than the enzymes!) is the fact that the products are concentrated formulas that you mix with water yourself. It may seem odd to buy an empty plastic bottle (it comes with a 1 oz packet of concentrate), but concentrated formulas = less shipping weight = lower carbon footprint. Just empty the packet into the bottle, fill with water and you're ready to clean!! When you need a refill, simply order more packets. The line is totally affordable too - $9 to $10 (depending on the product) gets you the bottle + 2 refill packets. Extra refill packets are $2.50 or $2.75 (even cheaper if you order multiples with their autoship program).
One thing to note about enzymes is that they can take a bit of time to "eat" away bad stains and odors. The Mildew Stain Eraser and the Stain and Odor Eliminator require 15 minutes of soak time. Seems perfectly reasonable to me - I'd much rather have natual enzymes eating away my stains than caustic chemicals - wouldn't you? I happen to be a fiend about getting rid of mildew in my shower so I tried the Mildew Eraser on a couple of spots and it cleaned them right up. So far, I've been happy with the other products too...especially the Stainless and Glass Cleaner - it makes my stainless fridge sparkle!
Hey - would you like to try Green Irene Enzyme Cleaners for yourself? I've got a Green Irene Enzymatic Clean Starter Kit (a $39.98 value) to give away to one Mindful Momma reader!! For a chance to win, leave a comment on this post telling me why you would like to try the products. Extra chances if you subscribe to my blog via RSS feed or email, or follow me on Facebook or Twitter. The giveaway will be open through midnight, central time on Wednesday, October 6th. (you must have a US shipping address to win)
{Disclosure: I was sent free products for this review. The opinions about the product are my own.}
The winner is Jennifer Allen of green-jeneration.blogspot.com who said "I have heard that enzyme cleaners really work and yet I have not tried them. I would love to start now." Well now you can! Enjoy!!




























