Do you ever wish you had one cleaning agent that did it all without any harsh or health compromising ingredients? Yeah, me too. Well, I’m just going to cut to the chase and lay it all out on the line because I got a huge upgrade the day I started using Force of Nature and I’m convinced you will too.

By: Lisa Fennessy

This post is generously sponsored by Force of Nature, an ethical, hospital-grade disinfectant that is third-party tested, approved for use by the EPA, nontoxic and planet-friendly. As always, The New Knew only works with brands who we trust are making the world a better place.

IN THIS POST:

• 24 Ways to Use Force of Nature: Does It Really Work?
• Baby Gear
• Kids’ Serveware
• Sports Gear
• Rugs & Furniture
• Makeup Brushes
• Backpacks & Lunchboxes
• Thermoses, Straw Cups and Sippy Cups
• Yoga Mats
• Reusable Bags
• Fresh-Cut Flowers
• Patio Furniture
• Camping Gear
• Diaper Bags
• Front-Load Washers
• Cloth Diapers
• Toothbrushes
• Children’s Toys
• Sponges
• Bath Toys
• Pets
• Car
• Fridge
• Humidifiers
• High-Touch Surfaces

Here’s why it’s special: Force of Nature uses electricity to turn salt, water and vinegar into a multi-purpose cleaner, deodorizer and EPA-registered disinfectant that kills 99.9% of germs, including Salmonella, Norovirus, Listeria, STAPH, MRSA, Pseudomonas & Influenza A. It’s even on the EPA’s List of Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. 

I love it because it not only cleans but DISINFECTS (think: pee-stained floors and projectile-puke moments), plus it works as a deodorizer (think: stinky sports equipment, fart-saturated spaces and stale rooms) and it cleans like a boss (think: kitchen counters, toilet bowls and sticky finger residue). AND it’s fantastic on the go for freshening up rogue hotel rooms, sanitizing restaurant tables and as an on-the-fly hand sanitizer. And I’m just scratching the surface here! 

If you are like, wait a min, hold up, WHAT?, you can read more about what Force of Nature is including how it actually works, plus my around-the-house before and after pics here.

Now that we’ve been using this all-purpose cleaner for several years, we can fully report on the 24 ways Force of Nature recommends using this powerful disinfectant. This is what worked for us and this is what didn’t. 

RELATED: My Top Nontoxic Cleaning Picks and My Review of HoldOn Compostable Bags (they really do work!)

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We Tried It: 24 Ways to Use Force of Nature Cleaner

1. Baby gear like strollers, highchairs and carseats

One thing I didn’t know before I started using all these things is, whether I liked it or not, food and dirt and crap (literally) would be smooshed into every crevice of this equipment. Wish I had something like FoN back then to help disinfect, clean and deodorize.  

2. Kids serveware & utensils

I was scratching my head at this one, but the FoN blog says, “You definitely don’t want to be washing a lot of this stuff in the dishwasher (learn why here). Instead, wipe and rinse off any remaining food, then spray with Force of Nature; let sit for 10 minutes and let dry naturally.” (I learned something new today!) 

3. Sports gear

Yes to deodorizing sports gear with Force of Nature because my kids’ cleats and sweaty pads smell like rodents, day-old spinach and an expired pint of half and half crawled up inside all of it to rot. I spray their equipment down until it’s soaked once a month for a deep treatment and then I just spray lightly after almost every use. 

4. Rugs and furniture

Force of Nature isn’t great at treating stains, in my experience. It’s not really designed to do that. BUT it is great at deodorizing and I love freshening up our upholstered couches and chairs with it. Especially the couch in our basement that doesn’t ever get a lot of fresh air. IYKYK.

5. Makeup brushes

FoN recommends “rinse off any makeup gunked on your brushes with water, then spray them thoroughly with Force of Nature every few days.” Ummmm….no. No amount of water is going to “rinse the gunk” off my makeup brushes. I need to use a brush cleaner or some soap to get that job done. But if you spray your brushes with FoN after each use, it will keep them free from bacteria which might be a great hack for someone with acne-prone skin. It’s also great for travel. Nicolle took FoN with her to Italy and used it on her makeup brushes to help prevent bacteria growth while traveling and she highly recommends it.

6. Backpacks & lunch boxes

I don’t do this but now that I think about it…I should probably spray down their fabric lunchboxes daily…I mean why not?! 

7. Thermoses, straw cups and sippy cups

I only let my kids fill their water bottles with WATER. And it’s not because I’m trying to control their juice intake, but you put juice in a water bottle one time…YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! I also don’t use FoN on their water bottles, but now I’m thinking it would be great to disassemble their water bottle parts weekly and do a deep soak to sanitize. (I typically toss them in the dishwasher.) Writing that on the to-do list now.

Nicolle also says she uses FoN to deep clean her hard-water-stained thermos (her city is notorious for having some of the hardest water in the country) and it works like a charm—removes the stains and disinfects. 

8. Yoga mats

Yes, yes and YASSSSS. I mean, Force of Nature should really rebrand as a hospital-grade Yoga Mat Spray. After sweating it all out on the mat, there is nothing better than wiping said mat down with FoN that not only cleans but also disinfects—but also deodorizes so the next time you bust out your mat, it’s so fresh and so clean. 

9. Reusable bags

I’ve never sprayed down a reusable bag but Nicolle says she uses FoN on her reusable bags weekly. “With the pandemic still an issue, taking my bags anywhere outside my home gives me a tiny bit of anxiety, so I spray them down after I use them at Target or the grocery store. Makes me feel better and eliminates any weird odors.”

10. Fresh cut flowers

This is one of the most fun ways to use FoN. Add a little bit of FoN to any vase and it helps prolong the life of your fresh cut flowers. I’ve tried this a million times and it really works! 

11. Patio furniture

1,0000 times, yes. Love this for our outdoor table and chairs. I feel good about spraying down our tables with this before eating on them too. Also great for picking up any dander, pollen, dirt and freshening up + treating moldy cushions. 

12. Camping gear

What’s camping? Nicolle agrees—someone want to enlighten us? 🤣

13. Diaper bags

Wish I had FoN for this back in the day. You only need to smell sour-milk stains once to know you never want to smell that again in your entire life. 

14. Front load washers

Gurrrrl. Front loaders have been all the rage for a majority of my adult lifetime. Been there, done that and…ditched it. That mold and that mold smell are inevitable. Once it gets into the rubber gasket, there is no turning back. I even ordered a replacement rubber gasket at one point, but then I couldn’t find someone to install it for me.

All of this to say, spraying FoN on a moldy front loader is not going to remedy the issue. You just can’t get to all the nooks. I’ve tried. (This is the washer I have and L❤️VE). 

15. Cloth diapers

Is now the time to play “Never Have I Ever”? 

16. Toothbrushes

Last time I visited my Dad, he was telling me how he still cleans his toothbrush daily like how they taught him in the military. And I was like…1. The military teaches you how to clean your toothbrush? And 2. Woops, I don’t clean my toothbrush daily. But I have cleaned my toothbrush with FoN before and it gets the job done. I mean let’s be honest, mouths are bacteria central. (Note to self: clean toothbrush more often.)

17. Children’s toys

Am I the only one who never really cleaned their children’s toys? I can’t remember wiping down a Baby Einstein Activity Center or VTech Sit-to-Stand to save my life. But also, I think I blacked out during most of the toddler/baby years due to a lack of sleep, so it could have happened.

Nicolle adds, she doesn’t have kids but she has a dog, which is a different version of babies, and she does spray down his toys regularly (see more about pets below).

18. Sponges

I have nothing to say about this except I can’t even get past the word “sponge”—gag. Sponges are so disgusting to me, I hate the sogginess of them, the smell, the feel, the sensation of holding them while cleaning, the thought of what’s lingering in them…I just can’t do it. So nothing to add here except also don’t say the word “moist” or “panties” around me either. Heebs! 

19. Bath toys

Okay, first a PSA. Don’t ever buy those bath toys that suck in the water and then you can squeeze it out “for fun.” These get so moldy and disgusting. One time, I cut one of them open to look at the inside and almost died. However, absolutely yes to cleaning non-orifice bath toys with Force of Nature.   

20. Dirty/stinky pets & their habitats

I don’t have a pet but Nicolle does and she says: “Force of Nature is actually my holy grail when it comes to my standard poodle Sam. I spray down our hardwood floors after he’s tracked in mud; I spritz the air around his bed, which somehow always smells like wet dog even when he hasn’t been wet in weeks; when he pukes (which is more often than I’d like), I use it to disinfect.

Also, Sam used to have a dog tent in our living room (he’s a rescue and poor guy was too scared to be out in the open for the first 18 months we had him) and Force of Nature was a literal LIFE SAVER. That tent was full of bits of food, dirt, bodily fluids and more—and the small space seemed to cocoon over all the unpleasant scents. Since it was hard to, like, hose down the tent, I sprayed FoN inside a few times a week to stop the stench. Worked like a little miracle in a bottle. 13/10 would recommend.” 

21. Cars

100% yes to cars + Force of Nature. This is fantastic for freshening up the inside of a car. Old food wrappers, that rogue banana peel and your kids’ pads don’t stand a chance. Plus it’s great for dusting the dash, wiping down leather interiors or freshening up cloth interiors.

Nicolle: “I need to tell my husband about this—he’s a clean-car freak.”

22. The fridge 

Yup. I do this weekly before restocking the fridge with new food. It’s great for cleaning up sticky spots and such but it’s also good for neutralizing any odours like from that rogue ¼ onion in the way back or the spinach that has already turned. 

Nicolle: “I do it too! Just yesterday I spritzed the fridge and freezer and now they don’t smell like moldy tomatoes.”

23. Humidifiers

Living in Atlanta, I don’t use a humidifier on the reg, so this is not a top pick for me BUT there is nothing worse than introducing mold into your living sitch. (We all saw that black mold scene in Maid!) FoN cleans mold and fungus as effectively as bleach and prevents it from returning so YES to this!

Nicolle: “I live in MN, so I have to have a humidifier in the winter or my skin literally cracks. I’ve run FoN through it a few times and it’s like a deodorizer + cleaner in one. I say it works!”

RELATED: Read our 9 ways to make your home smell good for the holidays (including using Force of Nature along with a diffuser.

24. High-touch surface cleaning

This is the #1 way I use FoN. I would say 95% of the time I am wiping down tables and toilets with it. I also use it for walls, countertops, bathroom counters…pretty much any type of surface area that gets in my way and I’m like *SPISH SPISH*! And it’s not just for at home use. Love using the travel size FoN on shopping cart handles, airplane tray tables and even my kids’ hands. 

What do you think of our tests? Have you tried Force of Nature?