Can I test my tap water, with vinegar added to it, with a TDS meter? Does the TDS level actually drop when you add vinegar?
1 ml is equal to .0338 fluid oz
1 liter is 33.8 fluid oz
50 mls = 1.69 fluid oz
100 mls = 3.38 fluid oz
James
I was sceptical when I first saw this thread by John. I thought, another dish washing soap. When I saw BostonMike liking it I knew I had to give it a try. How did you come across this product?
It looks like 2 to 3 ozs would be a good range to work with.
John,
Ya I got that but how much water does James have in his bucket? John raised a concern. I don’t want to add to much and cause damage to my skin and even window fixtures. Testing my bucket water with a TDS meter may be a good idea.
Hey John,
Thanks. My GG4 is officially off the truck. I’m adding 1/2oz of Ecover to my 2 gallon bucket of water. I’d like to make a video of a bottle of Ecover pushing a bottle of GG4 off a table onto the floor but something like that has already been done. Haha
Hey Mike,
Personally I don’t think it will hurt your hands, that Aloe Vera is an acient medical remedy and I think it will only help your hands…But John did say to lotion up before and after , but it’s just my opinion that it should be cool on the skin.
Only time will tell !
DangeDandy
I was only having problems ( a crack in the thumb it might be small . but plays havoc with your window cleaning performance ) when i added a very small amount of clear salad vinegar to my solution ( few drops )… but i have stopped adding Vine…
The theme on the vinegar still needs investigating… is it the Ecover keeping windows clean ? or is the mix together ?
John,
I have a tendency to over complicate things. Perhaps I should just use a bucket of tap water with a 1/2oz of Ecover for my storefronts and DI water in a small 20oz. water bottle or 2 liter pumpup sprayer with Ecover on residentials. KISS
Mike
I’m going to use 1 ounce of distilled white vinegar per gallon of water.
Thanks for the Ecover ratio.
The skin factor is something to consider. If the cleaner is very good but it is hard on your skin, that can become a big problem.
I have used chemicals in the past that worked very good but caused cracks in the skin on my hands.
It will take time to see if this happens. I bought a bottle of Ecover dish soap from Lassens, a local health food
store and will be trying it out.
Merv, Ecover alone is more gentle on your hands than regular dish soap. Only when you introduce vinegar does it become a problem. I don’t think I will have the need for vinegar in my solution. Never had in the past.
Has that been your experience?
Experience counts much more than advertizements.
I would forget all claims made by the manufacturer unless they panned out.
I tried vinegar a long time ago. I couldn’t see where it helped anything so I stopped.
That was my experience. Some others have had different experiences.
Some time ago I tried a dish soap on the market now that claims to be fantastic for the hands.
I think it is called “hand renewal”.
I used it for a week and my hands were grossly destroyed, so I gave it to my wife.
She doesn’t use it that much so it is ok for her.
Generally speaking I would say my hands have less of a burning sensation by the end of the day and feel a little less rough as well. Of course, dipping your hands in water all day long is going to be rough on your hands anyway so I’m always looking at ways to keep my hands dryer throughout the work day.
Allergies & Skin
Why are Ecover washing and cleaning products caring for the skin?
Ecover carefully selects plant based and mineral raw materials that, when traces stay on the fabric, are less likely to cause skin irritations and allergies.
Could I have an allergic reaction to one of your products?
Allergies and irritation can be triggered by any ingredient, natural or synthetic. With Ecover products, experience shows that allergic reactions are less likely than with the use of conventional products based on petrochemical ingredients.
Are Ecover products suitable for people with gluten intolerance?
Wheat is contained in the Lemon & Aloe Vera washing-up Liquid and in the Shower Gel. Sufferers only normally have a problem if ingested, however some may wish to avoid the washing-up liquid in case traces are left on plates etc.
Are Ecover products suitable for people with nut allergy?
There are nut derivatives in the Multi-Surface Cleaner, Delicate Laundry Liquid, Laundry Liquid, Bio & Non Bio Powders and the Bio Laundry Tablets. There are also traces of Coconut shell in the Heavy Duty Hand Cleaner.
Cut through grease and grime to leave your dishes sparkling using Ecover Washing-Up Liquid. The perfect combination of Camomile & Marigold makes it effective and also smell divine, whilst gentle milk whey is ideal for sensitive skin.
Dermatologically Tested - For Sensitive Skin
Hi lads these are quotes from the ecover website!
I just don’t get the spray bottle. I understand you want 100% strength solution and it would be contaminated by dipping your strip washer in the bucket. But even spraying it directly on the glass then scrubbing with the strip washer will contaminate it, correct? I can see my company switching over strictly to ECOVER for our solution, but not sure about using pure water and the pump sprayer? Not trying to say I don’t believe using pure water and sprayer will give me the best result. I’m just wondering how much better the results will be strictly switching soaps without changing anything else?
justin the pure water is soft so will need less detergent added to it, but if you are in a hard water area then more detergent would need to be added to get the same results!
And the contamination is about levels as well. With the sprayer your solution is the same strength from window to window. When you dip the strip washer into your bucket you actually are reducing it’s effectiveness w/ each dip. This will increase the streaking potential on the windows done near the end of the job.
Justin the spray bottle is a all about wetting down a surface of glass… ( and window sill )
now this is a must when glass / Sill is dirty . but please all try and understand what i am saying …
" you use glide in your detergent to help the squeegee glide "
" well i spray glass down with ONLY PURE WATER . tap water is also ok bit IMO not as good as pure water
to help :-
-
deliver clean water to the window
-
add extra water to the window
-
and to HELP THE WASHER GLIDE OVER THE GLASS.--------- Reducing fatigue and energy !
so helps the washer glide… GLIDING !!! NOT SOAPY DRY WORKING HARD
Also you need the appropriate Sprayer, i have one which is really good. takes seconds to spray down glass…
defo need another vid on this before i get bored of explaining LOL
Hi lads this is the orginal post that i put up on a uk forum!
This is the mix i have been experimenting with over the last few months!
And he presto! best mix i have ever used!
ecover washing up liquid because it leaves no residue and vinegar seems to help with better cleaning,
tried ecover on its own and was alright but not perfect, so added some vinegar and what a difference,
Results!
went round with the ecover/vinegar mix fist time was ok 2/3rd cleans were far better and made life so much easier, windows stay cleaner much longer as ecover leaves no residue behind so stay clean and on a par with wfp cleaning!
I wfp tops and trad bottoms and both stay clean the same length of time!
This last week or two has been heavy rain and battering winds and windows were filthy, using the above mix on the windows they cleaned up so easy, where as before sometimes i would have to go over some windows twice as normal cleaning liquid would leave marks! not anymore,
the reason is the dirt is only sitting on the glass because there is no residue left behind for it to stick to, where as before it just in ground itself to the glass,
With this mix it has other benefits the water in your bucket stays clean all day long, where as before if you was cleaning heavy soiled windows you bucket water was filthy in no time and were having to change it on a regular basis not anymore your bucket water will stay clear all day long as any dirt you put into the water sinks to the bottom of the bucket,
It leaves a very good long lasting shine on the windows as well,
Customers have commented that they have noticed the difference in the length of time the windows are staying clean,
Because of this it has made me much quicker on my round as the windows are so much easier to clean! a bit like wfp where the windows do still look clean after 6 weeks or so this ecover/vinegar mix is as good as wfp cleaning guaranteed!
The mix is 25ml ecover 150ml white vinegar 10ltrs hot water!
Asda sell a 568ml bottle of white vinegar which sells for around 40p you will need to add a 1/4 of this bottle into the bucket and that is it,
Believe me i have tried all sorts of cleaning liquids fairy etc and and this is by far the best mix i have ever used,
no smears drag lines nothing, it may take you a day or two to get used to it but trust me stick with it , i did not think much of the ecover when i first started using it, that could be because i was using this mix on windows that had been cleaned with a fairy mixture but as i say it could take 2/3 cleans to rid of all the old mixture from the glass then it becomes so easy!
For me using wfp and this trad mix makes for such a easy day!
Now the thing with the vinegar added is that i used it to start off with as it seemed to get rid of the soap residue from the old detergent that i was using on the windows! once it did that then i just started using ecover on its own,
however i do use it on shorefront houses as it dissolves salt and is easier to clean plus a little in you solution somehow helps to keep the windows cleaner longer!
