Kids are disgusting. Let’s just go ahead and get that out of the way. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I adore my children, but they create messes 24-7. The only thing grosser than one child is more children; It’s a nonlinear gross function. As a mom, I am always looking for a solution to the mess, which is why I’m excited to tell you about Force of Nature, a nontoxic all-purpose cleaner that works.
I have three children, which means someone is literally always vomiting, peeing themselves, or tracking in mud, sweat, turf, and grass. And since throwing the kids away and starting from scratch isn’t an option (I checked), I have made it my mission to find cleaners that truly work. Over the years I have tried it all, slowly transitioning away from conventional products to nontoxic cleaners. There is just one problem, my husband and I often wanted some messes to be doused in bleach. And there really isn’t anything wrong with that (I’m not over here trying to pretend to be perfect)… but I’ve found something even better.
Back in April, I reached out to Force of Nature, and they graciously sent me a starter kit to try out. But you know the drill, all opinions are always my own.
Force of Nature
So let me introduce you to Force of Nature. Force of Nature was created so that families interested in using nontoxic cleaning products wouldn’t have to compromise on effectiveness. If you follow my Instagram stories, you’ve heard me talk about the powers of a little Apple Cider Vinegar, but there are some things vinegar alone just can’t handle.
Here is where Force of Nature comes in. Force of Nature is the only natural cleaning product that starts with only three ingredients – water, salt & vinegar. There are no additives, fragrances, preservatives, surfactants or toxic chemicals, and it’s hypoallergenic. Force of Nature is a small appliance; we call ours “the FONz,” that turns tap water plus a capsule of salt, water & vinegar into a cleaner & deodorizer that has some serious muscle. This solution is effective at cleaning grease, sticky messes, soap scum & odors as effectively as bleach. Yup, you read that right. And they have the 3rd party independent lab research to back it up.
The interesting thing about the Force of Nature technology is that the chemical formulation is quite simple, and has been used in the industrialized space for ages. I’ve worked in hospitals that use electrolyzed water as a nontoxic, non-reactive disinfectant. It’s highly effective, but as you might imagine, the machines are massive (like 100+ pounds). Force of Nature has simply taken the simple science and scaled it down for household use. Pretty innovative, huh?
The Science
By now, you all know that I’m a total nerd. I have a background in chemistry and experience working with this product in a hospital setting. Needless to say, I geeked out when I learned about a brand making this product more commercially available. I may or may not have squealed, to which my husband came running into the room and then promptly rolled his eyes when I explained that all the excitement was about simple chemistry-driven cleaning.
Force of Nature uses electricity to transform the contents of the capsule (salt, vinegar, and water) into the electrolyzed water cleaner. Electrolyzed water is composed of two ingredients: sodium hydroxide and hypochlorous acid. The NaCl + H2O + electricity = NaOH + HClO. Tada! I mean, isn’t science magical? Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) acts as a detergent and easily cuts through grease. Hypochlorous acid (HClO) acts as a cleaner which is as effective as bleach but is absolutely nontoxic.
And if you aren’t a bio-chem nerd that’s ok. I love that Force of nature sends a kid-friendly card that breaks everything down. I enjoyed walking my 8yr old through the science and then feeling confident that he could safely help make more solution when it was needed.
Why Force of Nature
Well, like most things it’s a personal preference. I’ve used a lot of natural products, and they typically fall into one of two categories. The first includes cleaners that are “all natural” but still contain ingredients like methylisothiazolinone, a toxic preservative linked to allergies, lung, neurological and organ toxicity. The second category of products are ones that meet my strict ingredient standards but don’t fill me with confidence that they are effective when it comes to serious jobs, like disinfecting post stomach flu. These types of products are all well and good for wiping off relatively clean countertops or tidying up, but I never reach for them when the job requires stopping bacteria in its tracks.
For me, Force of Nature was a no-brainer because it checks all the boxes. It has been given the highest safety rating by SkinSafe, the Mayo Clinic’s rating system for product safety for skin allergies, and it is so safe that it can be used directly on surfaces used for food without requiring rinsing. And after you let your kiddo help you whip up a batch, it’s effective enough it can be used to disinfect toilets and cutting boards. Jackpot.
Multi-Purpose, like for real
Honestly, I was sold on the science. However, I remained skeptical that Force of Nature would solve all my cleaning problems. After two months of use, I have put it through the paces, and I can tell you that without a doubt this solution is multi-purpose AF. I was most impressed with how it not only deodorized my sons’ bathroom; which is no easy feat as we have young boys which basically means pee everywhere; but also my 8-year-old’s soccer cleats. Once I realized I could use it to deodorize fabrics, I went on a cleaning rampage. I was most impressed when I used it on my 4-year-old’s boots that he wears to his forest preschool.
You may recall that Jeremiah attends a preschool that follows the forest school model. We absolutely love this environment and our son has flourished, but a huge aspect of this style of educational curriculum is they spend a lot of time outdoors. This means puddle jumping, creek splashing, and rolling down muddy hills are all par for the course. When my son came home with completely soaked boots during the final weeks of the semester, I was scratching my head on what to use. I didn’t want to put them in the washing machine, but I kinda wanted to kill the creek water vibe before allowing them to air dry. You do not understand the sense of satisfaction that I experienced when I realized I had something just right for the job.
A mom-life game changer
Another mind-blowing Force of Nature win came when my husband was out of town. My 4-year-old had a terrible little stomach bug. You know the type where you go to sleep fine, and you wake up out of your sleep vomiting. Yeah… the worst. What you might not know if you don’t have children, is that they are apparently incapable of staying still when they are vomiting. So my son left a trail of vomit from his bed down the hallway before I finally realized what was happening and yelled up the stairs for him to stop moving. After cleaning him up I was faced with the task of cleaning the trail of bile.
I am not ashamed to say that I almost always leave vomit cleanup to my husband. I’ve been incredibly lucky that it almost always happens when he’s home. But with a sick 4yr old, an infant being clingy and a husband who was out of town, I was anxious that we’d end up with stains because I couldn’t get to the scrubbing right away. I decided to throw a hail mary. I put my daughter down for 5mins while she screamed at me, cleaned the bulk and then saturated the area with Force of Nature. 30mins later I came back after putting my daughter down for a nap and used a paper towel to blot up the mess. You guys… “the FONz” destroyed the red bile stains. Destroyed. My carpet was without stains or lingering vomit odor.
The bottom line
The second this product cleaned up vomit without leaving a trace I was sold. But honestly, after using it throughout my home for about two months, I can say that this product does it all.
Other uses I can attest to:
- Glass
- Soap Scum
- Grease/Oil
- Odors on Rugs
- Sports Equipment
- Sippy Cups, straws, and water bottles
- Pet (or kid) stains
And that’s just to name a few. Here’s a list of even more uses.
TL; DR – It has a forever home on my countertop.
If you want to give Force of Nature a try, you can get $40 off a Starter Kit & FREE shipping with code GIMME40 – let me know if you give it a try. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
**Update, this code is expired.**
Xo, Kimberly Fe'Lix
