Review: Planet All-Purpose Spray

Continuing right along with Green Cleaning Week, I bring to you a company whose very name represents what they're all about: Planet.

Planet was founded in 1989 by a commercial fisherman who became gravely concerned about the pollution of his local waters and soil. Working closely with an environmental chemist, he developed Planet, a line of non-polluting household cleaning products. Planet was one of the first companies to work with Scientific Certification Systems to ensure their products met the highest standards of excellence. While it has grown tremendously since its introduction, Planet remains true to its roots: a small company on a mission.

At Planet, we believe that we all have a responsibility for the preservation of the earth, not just as individuals, but as companies and government bodies as well. That is why Planet is committed to the concept that companies must become part of the environmental solution. We do our part by practicing such things as producing environmentally friendly products, recycling, reducing resource consumption, reusing materials and using recyclable packaging with our products. We believe that other companies should practice such things as well, even if profits are a little lower as a result. It's all part of being socially responsible!

I was given the opportunity to review Planet's All-Purpose Spray. This all-purpose cleaner is non-fuming and unscented, so if traditional cleaners leave you with a headache, sore throat or the like, you need not look any further! The spray is safe to use on most household surfaces, contains no abrasive ingredients and will not scratch polished surfaces.

I put Planet to the test first in my kitchen. After my husband's pan-fried pork fiasco, I needed something with some grease-cutting power. Planet definitely did the trick. Just two sprays and a few wipes and the grease was gone. No smearing or film left behind. Just a clean stove!



I prefer my all-purpose cleaners to have a scent, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about a fragrance-free one. But I must admit I pick up this spray more often than I thought I would. My husband is not always a fan of the "frou-frou" scents I choose. Sometimes, I have a headache and the smells I typically love start to agitate me. Or maybe I want to use a particular air freshener and I don't want my cleaning scents to compete. Either way, if you are sensitive to smell, this is the perfect cleaner for you. I personally prefer the scent of my beloved Mrs. Meyers for my kitchen countertops so I tend to use Planet mostly for greasy messes on my stove.

There are just a few disadvantages I've noticed with Planet. First, it streaks when you use it on windows. Not a huge deal since I have my Ultimate Cloth and other eco-friendly glass cleaners. But in my mind, an "all-purpose" cleaner should be able to also clean my mirrors and windows. Secondly, I have noticed that, over time, it has eaten away a bit of the varnish on one of my stove caps. At least I suspect it has since this is the only product I've been using aside from good 'ole soap and water. I checked their website and found that Planet can be a problem with non-urethane varnishes (not sure if this is what we have or not). Not too happy about this but seeing as though we have black appliances, it's not terribly noticeable. Since then, I've diluted it a bit with distilled water and I haven't seen any further damage. I would HIGHLY recommend testing Planet in an inconspicuous area first to make sure it won't alter your finish.

Bottom line: I would recommend Planet - with caution. It's a great environmentally-friendly option if you are sensitive to smells or prefer an unscented cleaner. But it can be too powerful for its own good, so its best to test it out or dilute it before going hog wild with it.

BUY IT: You can find Planet products at grocery and health food stores nationwide, or purchase a case online at Amazon.com (ARV $4).

Disclaimer: I received a bottle of Planet All-Purpose Cleaner from Kiwi Magazine to facilitate my candid review. I was in no other way compensated for this post. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review and solely mine and your experience may differ.