Dear Readers

I wish to share with you the exciting afternoon of discovery I had yesterday. No, I did not climb to the top of Mount Warren or scale the Sydney Bridge, but I did discover a cleaning product that doesn’t leave me gasping for breath as if I had just completed a momentous climb.

For years I’ve approached the cleaning aisle with all the enthusiasm of someone volunteering for root canal treatment. One squirt of some of those chemical concoctions and my eyes begin watering, my chest starts wheezing like an elderly accordion, and I won’t even mention what it does to the skin on my hands. I have often wondered whether I was actually chemically fumigating my bathroom rather than cleaning it.

So, when I came across Euclove, a new plant-based cleaning range, I was a little intrigued to say the least. And it’s a product of Australia – I do like buying Australian – one does have to play our part in supporting our economy!

I did have a little perusal of the brochure before I began my cleaning regime and discovered that Euclove is inspired by the ancient principles of Ayurveda, a 5000-year-old traditional holistic healing system in India – how marvellous!  How wonderful to create a cleaning range that actually smells as though nature has been invited indoors, rather than a laboratory having exploded in the laundry.

Now, anyone who knows me will tell you I have a particular fondness for clove oil. It’s warm, comforting and gloriously nostalgic. It reminds me of spice cupboards, Christmas puddings and sensible grandmothers who could cure almost anything with whatever was growing in the garden. Happily, clove oil is one of Euclove’s star ingredients, paired with Australian eucalyptus and other botanical oils that clean beautifully without assaulting the senses.

I’ve been working my way through the range and have yet to find a dud. The Bathroom Cleaner tackles soap scum and mould without the eye-watering bleach fumes I’ve spent years trying to avoid. The Kitchen Cleaner deals admirably with greasy fingerprints and cooking splatters while leaving behind a fresh whiff of clove scent rather than that sharp chemical smell that lingers long after you’ve finished wiping.

The Glass & Mirror Cleaner deserves special applause. It leaves mirrors sparkling without ammonia, which means I can actually admire my wrinkles in crystal-clear detail without coughing halfway through. I must confess I did accidentally pick up the wrong bottle and sprayed the stainless-steel cleaner on my mirrors – happy to report it worked wonderfully well on glass too.

And of course, the Stainless-Steel Cleaner performed admirably on stainless-steel, removing fingerprints without leaving greasy residue or requiring one to hold one’s breath. The Floor Cleaner leaves hard floors gleaming with a subtle freshness instead of that overpowering perfume that usually announces to the neighbourhood you’ve been mopping.

The toilet cleaners are equally impressive. One soft scented spray for the seat cover and rim and another deep cleaning gel for the more stubborn stains, and neither requires you to vacate the bathroom while your lungs negotiate terms with the fumes.

As someone who firmly believes that no rabbit, mouse or unsuspecting guinea pig should suffer so I can have a shiny benchtop, I was especially pleased to learn the entire range is vegan and certified cruelty-free. Better still, the bottles are made from 70 percent recycled plastic, and you can purchase refills rather than adding more plastic bottles to our already overflowing plastic fueled world.

What I particularly admire is the story behind the brand. It began when the founders searched for gentler alternatives after seeing conventional cleaning products affect their son’s respiratory sensitivities. That sort of practical motivation often produces the best ideas, and in this case, it’s resulted in products that clean every bit as effectively as their harsher competitors – only without making the user feel like collateral damage.

These days we’re all becoming a little more ingredient-conscious, whether it’s what we eat, wear or spray around our homes. Euclove proves that you don’t need clouds of synthetic fragrance, ammonia or bleach to convince yourself something is clean. Sometimes eucalyptus, clove and a little common sense do the job rather splendidly.

As for the price range, it is more than you will pay, for your usual supermarket culprits but Euclove is made from botanical oils, not ammonia, bleach and other toxic chemicals. The products come in 500ml dispensers and retail for around $14.50 mark. One litre refills come in at around $23. But don’t let me talk you into it – try Euclove for yourself and see how grateful your lungs are, not to mention your eyes – oh and the delightful smell of cloves and eucalyptus.

My home smells delightfully fresh. And, perhaps most importantly, I can finally clean the bathroom without sounding like an asthmatic steam engine.

Now that’s what I call progress.

Until next week dears x