On Wednesday, I shared that I was offered an opportunity to try Edie Bird cleaning products. An Austin-based company, Edie Bird offers truly natural cleaning products. It was created by a mom (the super-nice Jenni) who wanted a "clean floor" for their newly crawling son. When she and her husband looked at the ingredients of commercial cleaners, even those labeled as natural, they were not pleased. They set out to make cleaners that would clean their home as well as any store-bought product but safe enough to clean a teething ring. Yes, I said a teething ring!Here is their commitment:

edie bird has continued to research and learn about “clean” ingredients, particularly those that are “green,” or environmentally friendly.  Our products are both clean & green!All products made by edie bird are free from…sulfates, phosphates, parabens, synthetic preservatives, fragrances, dyes, phthalates, VOC’s, petrochemicals, optical brighteners, phenols, ammonia, bleach, chlorine, ethelene glycol, propylene glycol, butyl cellosolve & gluten.We do not test on animals or use any animal by-products.Sustainability is important to us, so we encourage the reuse of recycled containers to reduce waste.

Many of you know that I struggle with chronic health issues. I have not had full relief via traditional medicine so I have chosen to be more conscious of everything I do that possibly impacts  my lifestyle and life. I was, therefore, happy to try out cleaning products that might be healthier for me (and the Earth).But there was one caveat... did I mention I am a clean freak? And something of a germ-ophobe? Yep, I am! I was very concerned that if I gave up all those harsh chemicals, I would not feel that the house was clean to my standards. So I am not sure if Jenni knew what she was getting into with me, but I put her products through the ringer.First, I tried the dishwasher soap. As I showed in my tease on What's Happening Wednesday,  I chose taco night to try out the soap.And I am happy to say that there was success!So I am giving the dishwashing soap a solid thumbs up!Next, I really put the laundry soap through the ringer. I am an Oxi-Clean fiend. It has saved many of my children's clothing so I am not an easy sway on this front. But I must say in general, I am pleased. The clothes came out smelling fresh and looking bright. Now I did really test it with one shirt of my daughter's. It had pizza sauce and Kool-Aid stains, as well as the normal dirt a five year old accumulates over the course of a busy day. Here is a before:Pretty bad, right? And it was mostly successful. It got out all the Kool-Aid -- yay! It struggled some with the pizza stains. Here is the after:Now this was a great challenge and I do not know that a commercial cleaner would've fared better but I always promise to be honest here. So I give the laundry a moderated thumbs up.I also got to try the glass cleaner and the all-purpose cleaner. Both did well and left a nice smell. There was no haze remaining on the glass and the all-purpose cleaner tackled the soap scum on the bathroom sink very well. I give them both thumbs up. All in all, I felt that the natural products held up well and equitably to a store-bought product.Another great selling point to Edie Bird is it is local. They are an Austin company created for Austinites. More than that, they support other local organizations. Currently they are giving ten percent of their proceeds to support the Sustainable Food Center. You can learn more about that program and their goals here So if you are an Austin reader, please check them out!. After November, Edie Bird will be continuing to support other organizations for which she feels great passion.Clean house. Green Earth. Local Supporter. In short, I say "Yay!" Edie Bird provided me with products to test. All opinions are mine.