Alternative to Rainbow chemicals

[dandagreer]

I think it's time to try out the squeegee attachment that came with my newly-acquired Rainbow E2 Gold 2-Speed. I've finally figured out from an old post here how to use it. Fill a 1/2 gallon container with diluted soap solution, pour on the floor, scrub, vacuum up, and when you're out of clean solution, empty the Rainbow.

I'm going to order some Rainbow solution, but in the mean time, is there a common, store-bought soap I can use that won't foam in the Rainbow bowl when I squeegee it up? I thought of using a small amount of Tide HE since it's meant to not foam. Seems I've also read that vinegar or even salt are natural anti-foaming agents. Can this be added to the Rainbow bowl to prevent foaming?

 

[mark40511]

Be careful

Even the GREEN bottle of Rexair Deodorizer tends to foam more than it should in my Rainbow and I have hard water...But the small bottles of scent don't foam at all..Oddly enough, I have a Sirena too, and I can't use the Sirena scents or big bottle of Oceanbreeze in my Rainbow, because it foams like crazy in my Rainbow, but not in my Sirena....

I can speak of soap for the floor, but I can tell you can can guy essential oil and use that perfectly fine. That's what I use and it doesn't foam the least bit and smells awesome....and it's gotta be healthier than the Rexair chemicals, even though some of that Rexair stuff smells great.

I'm not sure what you could try to clean your floors though.....but I at least wanted to comment about the scents. Perhaps someone here will know if there's something else you can use.

 

[dandagreer]

Scents

Thanks, Mark. I def want to try some tea tree oil or lemon essential oil in my bowl for a nice clean scent, and antimicrobial reasons. Like you said, that has to be better than any chemical agent.

 

[dysonman1]

Dollar General sells a floor cleaner called "Spic 'N Span", it's orange, and works like a dream. Mix two tablespoons to a gallon of water. Once the floor is scrubbed, the water extracted is dirty - so the floor cleaner doesn't tend to foam. Fabric Softener (liquid) tends to deflate suds, I know many people who use one tablespoon of Downey in their basin to cut suds during wet pickup (you can also use a few drops for a nice scent as well while cleaning).

 

[joerwheeler]

Non-foaming cleansers

I have used Fabuloso, which is lavender scented (also comes in other scents) for floors because it cleans well and leaves no residue, and won't foam. Simple Green cleans stubborn floors, but I don't like the smell and you have to rinse. I have used both of these at full strength on carpets with a Rug Doctor X-3, so I am certain they do not produce foam. Both are very inexpensive to use btw. Cheers!

 

[dandagreer]

No foam soap

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I will try both the Spic and Span and Fabuloso! I have used both in the past so I like the smell of both.

I used Tide HE tonight just to give it a try. I used too much I think. I think only a drop or two would do in 1/2 gallon of water. The floor was sudsy after scrubbing. I did put 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in the empty basin before I started. It did foam, but not enough to overcome the machine. I think it was just because I used too much soap.

I'm really happy with the results though. The squeegee is a pretty cool addition to the arsenal. I can see where the Rainjet with the new system would be super effective since it squirts the soap for you. And the single hose for both would be nice too. I def need to get that 15 ft wet/dry hose!!

 

[fantomlightning]

Just a note...

Smell the Fabuloso before you buy. Normally I'm not a person bothered by strongly scented products, but Fabuloso was noxiously overpowering to me. Your experience may differ though.

 

[fantomlightning]

Sorry...

Just noticed you saying you like both...

 

[luxlife]

Choose your essential oils carefully

Most citrus oils and tea tree oil can discolor plastic on the Rainbow. Oils I've used without a problem are:
peppermint, spearmint, lavender, geranium, sage.

 

[mark40511]

I tried a small amount of Fab Softener

once in my Rainbow, and it foamed like CRAZY, so I never did it again. I didn't really care because, to me, the essential oils smell much better anyway. You wouldn't think fab softener would foam, and this was the cheap generic blue liquid that tends to be more watered down than brand names, and even still it foamed. I mean, foamed to the point where the machine started shaking and I had to quickly turn it off.

 

[tolivac]

When I read the Rainbow instruction book they specified use of Non Rainbow products in the water bin could invalidate the machines warrantee.I use ONLY the Rainbow products sold at the Rainbow dealer.They have plenty of deodorizer scents to use.

 

[countryguy]

I have used a few drops of Downy in my model D and never had a problem.

Gary

 

[luxlife]

Rainbow scents

I couldn't use these because they smelled too synthetic. We're surrounded by fragranced products containing ingredients that we shouldn't be inhaling.

I'd love it if Rainbow came out with a fragrance line using all natural ingredients.

 

[dandagreer]

Oils

I've been using Lavender essential oil for a week or so in my Rainbow on low speed 24-hrs per day. I vacuumed/dusted the whole place last night and when I cleaned out the water bin, it had an oily residue, which I'm assuming was from the lavender I'd been adding? I did try the fabric softener route and it seemed to work well, but I agree with previous posters....just don't know how much I like the idea of breathing the chemicals in that all the time.

Hmmm.... guess I just need to break down and fork over the cash for some Rainbow scents....

 

[mark40511]

My warranty is out on my Rainbow

I bought it in 2006. The machines are built like a rock. If you buy them new, I doubt you would need the warranty anyway, but there's always that chance. The rainbow fragrances leave oil as well. I actually LOVE the way the rainbow scents smell. Especially spice and pine and orange (OMG!). When you squirt it in the basin, you can see the oil float to the top. Using a few drops of essential oil may void the warranty, but it's not hurting the machine in any way. There is no risk of foaming at all with essential oil and they smell great. I wonder how they would even know what you used in your basin?

 

[vacyume]

This is a topic I'm very passionate about, fragrances!

I've tried adding several different brands and scents of essential oils to my rainbow bowl, but none of them work. I can smell them when I empty bowl but they don't fill the air when I'm vacuuming like the rainbow frags do.

Unfortunately, a lot of the rainbow frags have a cheap synthetic laundry musk smell. I pretty much just use eucalyptus and juniper lavender, they smell the most natural to me, the later is kind of weak too- I have to use a lot to make it scent the air.

I thought about adding the essential oil to propylene glycol first, because with personal frags you have to combine the oil with a carrier to project the scent. But I just gave up and never tried it. I may have to revisit that idea.

 

[luxlife]

Try adding more drops.......

When I use an essential oil, I add at least 10 - 15 drops. I don't think you'd need the propylene glycol if you use enough e.o.

 

[super-sweeper]

Spic and Span!

Gotta love the stuff!


 

 

[floor-a-matic]

I use lemon scent Mr. Clean with the AquaMate for washing floors