As overlanders, I’d reckon most of us want to reduce the load in our rigs. We ensure that everything we carry has two or more applications to save space and increase efficiencies. And we look for ways to reduce our environmental ‘footprint’ as we travel the highways and byways.
So we were happy to find a general purpose cleaning concentrate that we could pack in the van knowing it would be useful for a whole range of tasks while we’re on the road, and that wouldn’t leave a heap of chemical residue in our wake. The product we found is good for washing dishes, removing water-based insecticides and chemicals off fruit and veggies, and for keeping upholstery, windows, kitchen and bathroom surfaces spotless. And if the fur-baby’s looking a little worse for wear after a day in the great outdoors, this cleaner can double as a pet wash too. Twenty-five mils of the concentrate in 10L of water should see you through.
Better still, the product is environmentally friendly. Dermatologically tested, it’s pH neutral, biodegradable (complying with Australian standard AS 4351-2), phosphate-free with no formaldehyde, chlorine, phenols, bleaches, disinfectants or animal derivatives. Instead of the usual nasties, the product’s main ingredients are plant derived from yucca extracts, coconut derivative cocamidopropyl and other non-synthetic components. Among other things, these help the cleanser to produce foam while repelling lint and dust.
And, why is all this important when we’re on the road? Well, this product won’t bugger up the environment as much as most off-the-shelf cleaners. Having said that, it’s still a man-made product and, like all detergents, it’s a pollutant. But this one breaks down quicker. So we shouldn’t get rid of waste water within 100 metres of a river or stream where it could encourage bacterial growth and reduce oxygen in the waterway. But, used sensibly, we reckon this cleanser is a much better option than comparable products. And every bit of environmental sensitivity counts.
So, what product are we talking about anyway – and where did we find out about it? Don’t laugh, but mum got us onto it. The product is NutriClean Original Lotion Concentrate which is a Nutrimetics product. And it’s now a permanent fixture in our camp setup. With a ‘wee dram’ in a spray bottle on the fridge-slide, this is our go-to product for hand cleaning, food prep and removing bugs smashed on the windscreen.
All up, handy non-toxic goodness. All you need to find now is your local Nutrimetics distributor. Available from Nutrimetics.
Price
RRP: $20 for 1L, $80 for a 5L bottle
Where: Local Nutrimetics distributor
The full product test appeared in Caravan World #571. Subscribe today for the latest caravan reviews and news every month!