Sunday, September 10, 2017

Force of Nature Review

THIS BLOG POST IS MANAGED AND UPDATED BY A THIRD PARTY ADMIN
Force of Nature
If you find this review helpful and want to own your own kit, please click on any Force of Nature Link throughout the review to purchase your own system. 

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During the past year, I've made friends in many places around the world. We have a little-known glue that holds us together. Allergic contact dermatitis. We or one of our children have allergic reactions when we touch things. Many of us are allergic to MI (methylisothiazolinone) or other preservatives as I've noted in previous posts. Many are allergic to fragrances including both synthetic and natural scents. Essential oils are our enemies. Some are allergic to coconut based products. Some are allergic to metals like cobalt, nickle and gold. Cleaning supplies are a constant struggle because companies aren't required to disclose their full ingredient list, hiding small amounts of our allergens in "fragrance" or "surfactant" and since there are no laws requiring disclosure of what we put on our counters, we find ourselves needing emotional support just from the anger we feel when we get responses from companies that use words like proprietary. (Though laws are changing as we speak!) Even companies like Seventh Generation and Norwex add unsafe chemicals to their "all natural" products and it's like pulling teeth to get companies to disclose ingredients. Many general practitioner doctors and nurses don't take the allergy seriously because painful cracking skin is not as dangerous as anaphylaxis, (even when it lands your child in the hospital because a paper cut has become cellulitis). We are a passionate group trying to educate each other and the world to recognize allergic dermatitis as a real problem.

That said, one of my new friends posted about a newer company that is trying to help people who are concerned with what we're cleaning with. Most people wouldn't ask for cleaning supplies for Christmas, but I asked my husband for this new system and I was giddy when I opened my gift! (I told him that it was the ONLY thing I wanted and he would ruin my Christmas if he didn't buy it for me - manipulation at it's finest!) It ended up being a cheap gift for him to go purchase!

I couldn't be happier with it. It's truly non toxic, contains zero allergens and is as gentle to the skin as water. It doesn't magically erase everything, but it is a great cleaner for most basic cleaning. It kills germs, deodorizes, and cleans windows better than anything else you can buy in a bottle. I don't know of any one cleaner that cleans by itself. Cleaning takes work. I will say that there are some real magical qualities about it. Here is a simple advertisement that describes the basics of it:

Here's a short video on the basics of the science behind the cleaner:

This is not new technology or a new cleaner. It's been around for years and it really does kill germs. (verified independently by the good people of my daughter's school district) There are other companies who sell large scale systems to be used in hotels, universities, sports arenas and theme parks. Medical supply manufacturers are using this to disinfect and clean and because it's environmentally safe, is hypoallergenic, completely non-toxic and poses almost no risk of pathogens developing a resistance to it.

Here's my mostly unbiased review of Force of Nature Cleaning system. I say "mostly" because I love it so much that I'm no longer truly unbiased. But I am honest about what it can and cannot do. I sing its praises as I've found something that actually removes the pee smell from the bathroom where most cleaners try to cover the smell with perfumes and end up making it more intense. That alone makes it worth the very reasonable startup cost!

Surface Cleaning.  In my tests below, I used a freshly bleached white cotton floursack towel to clean the surfaces. Though I usually use a microfiber cloth to clean, I did not want the type of cloth to affect my test results. On a 5-star scale with 5 at the top, here is what I found:

Glass and mirrors:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars

The first set of pictures shows greasy finger prints. The second picture shows half of the mirror cleaned. It's hard to get a good picture of a clean mirror) I guess that's why most catalogues just gray out the reflection), so you'll have to take my word for it.  This particular mirror in my house shows every streak and smudge all the time because of the way the sun shines into the room.  Even my Norwex kit leaves streaks on this mirror. I don't know why the rest of the mirrors and windows seem to be immune to streaking, but this one was cleaned well with FofN and a very clean cloth. It cleaned easier when I used a dry Norwex or eCloth glass cloth.  You have to make sure you're using a dry cloth or paper towel to buff it clean. A squeegee will not render desired results.

NOTE: One friend said she found glass to be a little more finicky to clean than regular Windex because she has to make sure she fully dries the mirror or window to ensure no streaks. It makes a difference if you use a very clean bleached cloth. If there is any dryer sheet or fabric softener residue on the cloth, it won't wipe to a streak free shine. I usually end up using my Norwex or eCloth window cloth to wipe it down after I spray it.



Bathroom sink soap scum.
⭐⭐2 stars on existing soap scum.
⭐⭐⭐⭐4 stars on frequent cleaning and keeping soap scum from building up.
To be fair, the company doesn't claim FofN will cut through soap scum, so I didn't expect much. We use Kiss My Face olive oil bar soap which tends to leave a bit more soap residue compared to liquid cleansers.  The picture below shows the before shot after 2 weeks of normal use, but without more than a wipe down (don't judge me!), the next is FofN, then a simple wipe down with a microfiber cloth, and finally after using a mild abrasive, Bon Ami, which is what I use to scrub the buildup in my toilet bowls and shower floors. The Bon Ami did the best, but for frequent cleaning, I use FofN with a microfiber cloth and it does fine.  I probably use the abrasive cleaner once every 3 weeks or so (or when I have guests at my house) to get a good shine.

Toilet.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 stars on outer bowl. I usually wipe everything down once because I don't like getting pee on my rags. I spray down the pee sprinkles with FofN and then wipe it down with toilet paper. Then, after I clean the bowl out, I spray the whole throne down and wipe it down with a dry rag.  If you use a wet cloth, you'll probably get streaks because this product doesn't contain drying agents like alcohol.
⭐⭐2 stars on inside the bowl water ring buildup. I get rings around my bowl if I don't clean it every day or two. And who cleans the inner bowl every day? After having kids, I clean the seat and under-seat daily because, well, I don't want to sit on their pee. I use Bon Ami (others have told me they use baking powder) to clean the inside of the bowl. After I get the ring scrubbed out, I spray the whole thing down with FofN to deodorize and finish it off.

Stainless Steel. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 stars
I thought FofN did a good job. I had to rub at it, but it worked as easily as any commercial stainless cleaner.  Since this test, I've been pairing the cleaner with a microfiber glass cloth and find it a very good combination with the least amount of work.

Car upholstery. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars.
Easily took basic dirt spots off of the upholstery and carpet. 



My sister reported that FofN cleaned the leather seats in her SUV. After several months of driving, the leather seat had picked up some of the dye from her denim jeans. She accidentally sprayed the seat and noticed that the dye was lifting from the leather, so she wiped it off with a cloth and she said that it came off like magic without damaging the leather at all.

Grease. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars.
I give it 4 of 5 stars simply because I had to spray and wipe it twice. It did a nice job with just a plain cotton cloth, but when paired with a microfiber cloth, it worked perfectly on the first spray. I think paired with wiping up with a wet microfiber kitchen cloth first. (My new favorite microfiber is eCloth by the way - way cheaper and better size than Norwex)

General surfaces.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars.
Basic spills and dirt. 

Pencil, Pen, Crayon. ⭐ 1 Star.
Not many basic cleaners can take crayon, pencil and marker off of a wall without some abrasive or scrubbing. This didn't surprise me as I already knew that electrolyzed water does not typically do well with petroleum based oils or waxes.





Carpet and Pet/human stains. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars
(disclaimer, I don't have a pet)
To be honest, I can't rate on actual pet stains, but I did have an incident where a child wet all over carpet.  Most moms have had this experience. Most recently, I soaked up the excess urine with a large rag, then doused the area with FofN cleaner and soaked up the area with another towel. No residue, no perfume covered pee smell. No smell at all. It was the easiest accident to clean up. I also used this as a spot treatment for the house carpet for basic spots.  I haven't tried it on wine or juice mostly because we only allow water on carpeted areas, but if I could make a couple gallons at a time, I'd put in in my carpet cleaner and use it that way.

Bathroom and kitchen. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars.
This is the best bathroom and kitchen cleaner I have ever used. It cleans floor to ceiling. Countertops, toilets, floors, stainless, refrigerator, table, chairs, you name it. I love it. I usually use a wet cloth to remove dust or crumbs, then spray the surface down and wipe it off with a dry or lightly damp cloth.

Deodorizing. Just spray and let dry.


Bathroom/Toilet. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars.
-The only thing I've used that actually gets rid of the pee smell in the bathroom around the toilet. As I stated before, this alone is worth the cost.
-I poured about 3 tablespoons into my shower drain.  Got rid of the nasty drain smell that seems to arise from the depths without warning.
-The bathroom, after cleaning smells like nothing. Just clean. LOVE it!

Sports Equipment. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars.
- Sprayed stinky gym bag.  Odor free in 5 minutes
- Sprayed a smelly shirt, shoes, shin guards, socks.

Car. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars.  
- Sprayed a mist into the air and upholstery.  Got rid of the spoiled milk smell that had leaked out of a sippy cup
- Sprayed into the vents. Fresher air

Refrigerator.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars.
- Cleaned and removed all the nasty refrigerator and freezer smell. I had previously used bleach water which was messy and I had to change into work clothes in case I dripped bleach. FofN is much easier and works just as well.

The system.  Ease of use, appearance, etc.

Ease of use. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars.
My child can read the quick guide and easily work it. You just empty the little salt and vinegar packet into a bottle, press a button and after 4-6 minutes, it's ready to pour into your spray bottle.

Spray bottles. ⭐⭐ 2 Stars.
The 3rd generation of spray bottles has finally arrived and it seemed at first that they finally got it right. Easy to spray, less fragile if you drop it. The spray nozzle twists to control spray and stream functions. The problem is that I've had to replace the sprayer on all 3 of my bottles. One I've replaced twice. The mechanism just doesn't last. The good news, the company stands behind even the sprayer and will send you a new spray top for your bottle. 

The original sprayer created a fine mist and with a pumping action so you could achieve a continuous mist. While it was great for covering a large surface like a shower wall or tub, the pump was stiff and unreliable. The second generation sprayer was a more basic spray bottle, but it also failed in function after about 6 months.

Appearance. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars.
I like it. The company asked me if I liked the color and display. Because of the high traffic area I have my system in, I don't keep it on the counter regularly.  I told them that if I did have it in the kitchen or displayed somewhere, I think I'd rather have a gray base and bottle cap, but this is really not my biggest concern.

Price/Value. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars.
I was actually really surprised that the start-up cost was so reasonable. After researching some of the electrolyzed water systems out there, I was expecting to pay several hundred dollars at best.  Some of the smaller industrial systems are several thousands of dollars, so to see the system retail for less than $100, it was an easy decision to give it a try.  The salt/vinegar packets are reasonable too making the cost of use after purchasing the startup package pennies per bottle of cleaner. I'd love to just have the recipe because I'm cheap, but it sure is easy to use a pre-measured packet. They will sign you up for automatic shipments when you purchase the kit, but this is easy to adjust or cancel depending upon your volume of use.

Customer Service/Support. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 10 Stars out of 5. I've communicated several times with the Force of Nature Cleaning company from asking how the product works, how it can be used, what it works on and eventually begging to be a salesperson because I'm such a fan. They have replaced defective items in a very timely manner. They are incredibly responsive and friendly and helpful. I honestly can't think of any negative aspect of their service and support.

Other notes and observations.
Because the efficacy of the cleaner and deodorizing power of hypochlorous acid is so unstable, the solution only lasts a couple weeks. This may turn some people off, but I have never had a bottle last more than a week or so. The batches are smaller than a normal sized bottle of cleaner you'd buy at the grocery store. I usually use a bottle and a half to clean my entire house and then I use the other half throughout the week for basic cleanups (countertops, doorknobs, etc).

I highly recommend the system and if you buy it directly from the company, you can almost always get a $30 off coupon, and around holidays, they offer even better deals. You can buy or check out the system by clicking anywhere on this page that says "Force of Nature" or "FoN" or click the logo below:
I've been using it for well over a year now, so I know more about it than I did when I first started using it. I can answer questions about what it does and does not work on. I'll even test the product on a cleaning task for you if you want to know about a specific task I did not address above. Feel free to ask questions about my experiences or share your own experiences with Force of Nature below!