Better Life’s mission from the onset has been to create natural household cleaning and personal care products which are of a great value to you on many levels. Unmatched in safety and unbeatable in performance are first and foremost. Tim and Kevin, have developed plant derived products without compromise – the mission is simple, yet not easy to duplicate. All Better Life products are safe for people and pets, safe for the surfaces in your home and safe for the environment. We never release a product unless it can meet or exceed the performance standards set by the conventional equivalent. Better Life’s best measure of value is delivering on our promises and exceeding your expectations with every use.

Yet, it’s not as simple as an “apple-to-apple” comparison, we like to think of it as more of a “yuck (conventional products)-to-personal liberation (us, naturally)” comparison.

Product per use: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are prevalent in household cleaning products. VOCs, such as alcohol actually vaporize when they are dispensed from the product. Not only is this a health concern, but you are losing product (and dollars) into thin air as you are using it. Better Life products are made without the use of VOCs resulting in more product working harder for you.
Price per ounce: If you are inclined to take a walk on the analytical side of things, check out our price per ounce. When you factor in a larger than typical container, more product per use, as well as our amazing efficacy, Better Life clearly comes out on top.
Convenience: We know you are busy and don’t have time to fuss with products that don’t get the job done the first time around. We like to say that the only side-effect from our products is giving you a ‘Superhero Complex’.
Peace of Mind: Natural. Safe. Exceptional Performance. Enough said.
Truth About Green
It is true that having children changes everything, and for me that included my career. For the past 13 years, I have worked as a formulation chemist. My professional life has been dedicated to formulating exciting new products that are safe, effective, and innovative. For much of my career, I devoted my energy to developing skin care products. When Tiffany and I had children, our lives became exciting, challenging, wonderful and a bit exhausting, and well, so did my career.

Like any father, I want a safe and healthy environment for our kids. As soon as my children started to crawl and explore, I realized that oftentimes the biggest dangers exist inside our own homes. Under the kitchen sink and in bathroom cabinets – our homes are filled with harsh, toxic and deadly chemicals. As a scientist, I know that these chemicals pose a serious risk to us, our children and pets, every time we use them. As a parent, I wanted to get these toxins out of my house. I started using so called “green” cleaning products because the labels told me they were environmentally safe, non-toxic and effective. Yet it bothered me that warning and caution statements still remained on the label and these products contained many of the same harsh chemical ingredients found in the traditional products. Tim and I set out with a mission: to create a high performing cleaner that is completely safe. Our result is BETTER LIFE. It’s safe for our families and our planet. No warning labels necessary.

Below are a few questions I am often asked. If you still are looking for the facts on cleaning green, drop us a line at info@cleanhappens.com. Also, stop by our BLOG for more information, tips and articles.

Thanks for your interest in BETTER LIFE and our line of safe, natural and healthy cleaning products – Kevin Tibbs

DOES ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ALWAYS MEAN IT IS SAFE FOR PEOPLE AND PETS?
This is one of the most common misconceptions about “green” cleaning products. Just because a product biodegrades does not mean that it is safe around people and pets. I often use the example of Poison Ivy. Poison Ivy is a plant, it is natural, it is biodegradable and has no negative effects on marine life. However, I would not recommend bringing it in your home or having it contact your skin!

DISINFECTING – BE SURE TO READ THE SMALL PRINT (…Let sit on surface for 10 minutes. oh sure….)
The EPA regulates any cleaning product which makes a disinfection claim, and they classify them as a pesticide. This makes sense since they contain harsh chemicals designed to kill living organisms. Many of us have become convinced that we need antibacterial or disinfecting agents in our cleaning and personal care products. At Better Life we have made a conscious decision to keep these chemical pesticides out of our products. There are many reasons for this, but one of the most pragmatic reasons is that they do not work unless used as directed, and most of us do not use as directed. If you take a moment to read the back of a label, you will likely be surprised by what you find. Almost all products with a disinfecting /antibacterial agent in them have directions which read something to this effect: “Spray surface until thoroughly wet. Let stand 10 minutes, then wipe clean. Rinse thoroughly with water for surfaces that will come in contact with food or placed in mouth.” In essence you are having to clean the surface twice because now you must rinse with water to remove all the harmful residues. Also don’t forget that you will need to wash your hands before eating, chewing gum etc.

Who really leaves a product on your kitchen counter for ten minutes before wiping? No one I know, and the products simply do not meet the performance claims unless used as directed. Unless you are letting these pesticides sit on your surfaces for the directed amount of time you are dumping money (and a bunch of nasty chemicals) down the drain. At Better Life we have invested in the cleaning agents in our products vs. killing agents.

THE TRUTH ABOUT LABEL REGULATION IN CLEANING PRODUCTS
There is a growing concern about the safety of household cleaning products. However, because manufacturers are not required to list ingredients it makes it very difficult for the consumer to fully evaluate which products are the safest to use in their home. If the manufacturer does include an ingredient statement it is voluntary and in many cases this disclosure is inaccurate and incomplete. ****Under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, household cleaners are the only household products for which manufacturers are NOT required to list all ingredients.

ESSENTIAL OIL “BLENDS”
I love essential oils – they smell great and are naturally derived. A great deal of energy and expense has gone into using only essential oils in Better Life products as a replacement for synthetic fragrances. We create products that smell great, but are done so in a healthy responsible manner. One thing that does bother me though is seeing labels on products which claim to use essential oil blends while still containing synthetic fragrances. Be sure to look closely at the labels for words like fragrance, perfume, and fragrance oil blend. Most often these blends are largely composed of synthetic fragrances / perfumes and use a minimal amount of essential oils. They also still have that lingering fake smell that gives many people headaches and asthmatic reactions.

AREN’T HOMEMADE CLEANERS THE BEST CHOICE FOR MY FAMILY?
There are several things which you should consider when making your own cleaning products. These“homemade” cleaning products lack performance testing, safety testing and product directions. They have not been tested and approved compatible for specific surfaces to be cleaned. Homemade cleaners are often mixed with commercial cleaners (like dish soap or borax) which may not be compatible. Often these homemade remedies are inconvenient and ineffective causing you to work harder with fewer results. They are unstable and need to be used immediately after making them otherwise they will spoil (grow bacteria, yeasts and mold).

DOES ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MEAN SURFACE SAFE?
Not always. Many so called “green” cleaners incorporate aggressive solvents and other harsh chemicals which can cause serious damage to many of the high end surfaces in our homes. One example is alcohol, which is an ingredient commonly found in many of the “green” cleaners on the market. While alcohol is derived from plants we have purposefully avoided its use in Better Life products because it can damage surfaces such as treated windows, factory applied surface coatings, tinted automotive glass, LCD screens, and sealants used on stone and hardwood floors. Additionally, it evaporates quickly into the air inside your home and is considered a Volitale Organic Compound (VOC) by the Environmental Protection Agency.