Product Review: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day

One of the things I find easiest to forget when I'm broke is how important it is to be proud of the things I do have. That means stomping clutter, keeping things clean, and taking care of what I've got. If you don't, you have the problem of the Broken Window Theory--if one thing gets broken and you don't fix it, you won't fix the next broken thing either and eventually you're stuck with a filthy house and a bunch of broken stuff.

I love to have things clean, but I don't like cleaning, and I hate the smell of the vast majority of standard cleaning products out there. Most of them give me headaches and I don't like the idea of coating the surfaces of my home with harsh chemicals.

Enter Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. We bought it without any idea of what it was or how well it would work, because we wanted to test out something that was environmentally safe and people-friendly. We started out with the countertop spray, figuring that if we didn't like it, it was only $4 lost and we could go buy something new.

We now have the countertop spray, the dish soap, and the surface scrub. This stuff picks up almost everything. I was able to take scuffs off a matte wall in about 30 seconds. It gets our dishes sparkling clean and rinses off with no residue. The surface scrub is good on everything from the subway tile in our bathroom to stuck-on food in my dutch oven. Best of all, it's non-toxic, cruelty-free, environmentally friendly, and smells fabulous.

It comes in five scents and also unscented. Our favorite is lemon verbena. Each scent is aromatheraputic, so it cheers you up and relaxes you as you clean. What's not to love?