Green Living Product Review: Quickie Ultimate Green Cleaning Summer Package

You might wish some occasions lasted longer, such as a summer afternoon with family and friends around the grill. There are many events, on the other hand, that you wish would zip past. For example, getting your house ready for guests - dusting, sweeping, mopping and the likes - is probably not your idea of a good time. Many products available promise to scrub, scour and shine your home in a jiffy. You worry, though, about the effects the chemicals in those products might have on your family and your pets. Fortunately, there are more green cleaning products on the market than ever, and Quickie is a brand of which to take notice.

The Quickie Ultimate Green Cleaning Summer Package is an arsenal of tools that make it easy to keep your home spotless while minimizing the need for harsh and potentially harmful chemical products. The package includes a Green Cleaning Microfiber Mini Blind Duster, a Green Cleaning Microfiber Hardwood Floor Mop, a Green Cleaning Microfiber Kitchen Sponge Multi-Pack, a Green Cleaning Microfiber Glass and Window Cloth, a Green Cleaning Microfiber Chenille Dusting Mit, a Home Pro EZ® Glide Bucket on Wheels and a Green Cleaning Kitchen Sponge Multi-Pack.

These seven cleaning tools - each of which you can purchase independently, as well - that promise to help you clean up quick and get back to summer fun.

The Green Cleaning Microfiber Mini Blind Duster is a small, hand-held tool with three prongs that fit easily between mini-blinds. Removable microfiber covers the prongs, which are curved to fit to the contour of the blinds. Running the duster over the blinds takes mere minutes. When you are done, simply slide the microfiber cover off and toss it in the laundry.

The Green Cleaning Microfiber Hardwood Floor Mop is a must for anyone with tile or hardwood floors. Like the mini-blind duster, the mop has a removable, washable microfiber cover that picks up almost anything. Compared to both a standard broom and a vacuum cleaner, this mop picked up exceedingly more pet hair, dust and crumbs when tested in a home with all tile flooring and a dog that never ceases to shed. The mop resembles a large push broom and easy to maneuver through the house and under furniture. You can dampen it to use it as a wet mop and it even has those puckered holes on each corner so that you can sweep or mop with disposable wet or dry dusters, although why you would want to is beyond me. This mop works beautifully as is.

After using these microfiber cloths and sponges, you will be reluctant to go back to dust rags and dishcloths. The cloths are color-coded in a practical manner, so you do not have to worry about mixing them up. The brown cloth is for dusting and polishing furniture, for example, and the gray cloth for stainless steel. Most of these work amazingly with no help from cleaning products at all, while others function best with just a little water. Of course, you can use green cleaning products from your own kitchen, such as vinegar and baking soda.

These green cleaning tools are affordable, as well. The sponges, cloths and mits cost between $2.99 and $5.99. Even the mops and buckets are not much more than $10. Look for the Quickie Ultimate Green Cleaning Summer Package or individual Quickie green cleaning products at your favorite home improvement, grocery and hardware stores. You can find out more at the Quickie website or Facebook page.