Eco-friendly Cleaning: Seventh Generation healthy home starter kit giveaway
I have a lot to say about cleaning; bear with me.
I made the switch over to green cleaning supplies a few years ago, admittedly without really understanding why it was important. I didn’t really care; I trusted the marketeers and revamped my cleaning cabinet to non-nefarious shades of green and white and orange. Back then I also shopped mostly at Whole Foods and they don’t sell anything else, a forced switch which fit with my color-coded consumption track.
“I can’t afford it”
Since I no longer have a full-time job (and commensurate salary), I decided to take a closer look at cleaning supplies. I’ve come to realize that saving money doesn’t necessarily mean buying inexpensive products.
A few weeks ago my neighbor and I were chatting while I was spraying aphids off my tomato plants with a dishsoap and water mixture. She asked me (in reference to my dishsoap), “You use that organic stuff, right? Mine’s just regular; we can’t really afford that fancy stuff.”
In the quest to save money, making the switch back to the majority of the synthetically-derived, toxic and considerably cheaper products was never an option. (I’ve since come to understand why I use non-toxic cleaning supplies.) Instead, I turned to vinegar, baking soda and borax to cut costs in the cleaning supply aisle. I buy only a few pre-made cleaning supplies now-a-days including laundry detergent, dishsoap, and a thyme oil-derived disinfectant spray (with the same disinfecting capabilities as chlorine bleach, but without the toxins).
Cleaning supplies should be considered along the same lines as the food you buy. If you’re buying mostly organic foods but then spraying EPA-registered-pesticides all over your house (which linger for periods much longer than food in your system), you’re probably not doing yourself any favors.
“Do eco-friendly cleaners really work?”
The hype surrounding these more expensive versions of cleaning supplies is not really “organic” and natural ingredients, because they do actually contain chemicals, the key is how and when these chemicals break down when released back into nature (i.e. washed down your drains). Products clean things primarily because of things called surfactants, or surface-active agents. They contain polarized ions that both attract and repel water molecules, loosening and suspending dirt and germs until they’re washed away from clothes, counters, floors and dishes. Green cleaners contain surfactants too, but rather than featuring petroleum-based surfactants, they’re derived from plants (and they break down faster and have a lesser impact on ecosystems).
The gist
Seventh Generation is a company on the right track; they should be the norm, not the exception in modern industry. Their values remain consistent at all levels of the chain (including algae and plankton), and their CEO goes by Chief Inspired Protagonist (rather than CEO) and writes books on corporate social responsibility. These folks make it easy for people to make the switch. I also have a slight crush on The Science Man; he answers all kinds of questions about green and DIY cleaning supplies in a non-advertisement kind of way, plus he cites his sources.
I’m hosting this giveaway to spur you into action. I believe in this company (I asked them if I could host this giveaway) and I believe in you to make better choices. Switch to better products for you, for the environment, for future generations who will inevitably want to drink water.
Just sayin’
Seventh Generation isn’t the only great brand out there, and please do feel free to explore your options. Honestly, you really don’t need any of these products to actually clean your house. I’m writing a couple chapters into my book with effective DIY options for you to explore at your leisure.
Asking someone to go cold turkey on cleaning supplies is a little unreasonable. Even when you’re on the vinegar wagon, you’ll still want to buy laundry detergent and dishsoap at the very least. Think of the rest of the eco-friendly cleaners featured here as training wheels for your DIY cleaning supplies adventures and know that this company is doing good things in the world.
The takeaway
It’s important for me to know that the cleaners I buy are safe for anyone in my house, including the kids I don’t have yet and the hairy orange pets (who will inhale or ingest the majority of toxic chemicals you use regularly since much of it settles in dust on the floor). Exercise your ability to choose.
Without further ado…
One lucky person will receive all of the following full-sized cleaning products:
Seventh Generation Healthy Home Starter Kit
- All-Purpose Cleaner - Free and Clear
- Glass Cleaner - Free and Clear
- Shower Cleaner - Green Mandarin and Leaf (this one uses hydrogen peroxide as a bleaching agent, so those of you who remember my recent obsession with hydrogen peroxide and mildew removal will like this one, though, I must say, a borax paste left on overnight did as much, maybe more bleaching than this product)
- Toilet Cleaner - Emerald Cypress and Fir
- Tub & Tile Bathroom Cleaner - Emerald Cypress and Fir
- Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner
- Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner
- Disinfecting Wipes - 35 ct.
- One Roll Natural Paper Towels
- Seventh Gen Recycled, Reusable Grocery Bag
Enter by August 19, 2010 at midnight by leaving a comment below answering one or both of the following questions:
Why is greening your cleaning supplies cabinet important to you?
OR
What is your fave DIY cleaning supplies trick?
Please don’t forget to include your email address in the slot on the comment form or I won’t be able to let you know you won!
Kate
Congratulations to Susan from Iowa! I really loved her response, “I live in Iowa, a very agricultural state and am surrounded by pesticides, insecticides, and other chemicals going into our water. I am a geologist and worry about what this is doing to our environment. Green cleaning products are my small way of not contributing to the problem.”
Cleaning, Giveaways, Green Living
Reader Comments (49)
I love Seventh Generation! It's the only dish soap I use. Greening my cleaning supplies cabinet is important to me because I really want to reduce the amount of unnecessary and harmful chemicals I am exposed to. If I have the choice of using products that do the same (if not better) job and is better for both me and the environment, why not? :)
Greening my cleaning supplies is a "no sacrifice" kind of thing. I'm not giving up anything to lessen my environmental footprint. To me, that's the easiest kind of switch to make!
I have two kids and I want to keep them away from as many chemicals as I can at home since I have little to no control over what happens to them outside of the house. Green cleaning is very important to us.
What is your fave DIY cleaning supplies trick?
Seventh generation has these great Rosemary and thyme disinfectant wipes. I love the wipe function, so I was pumped to find a replacement for the Lysol ones I used to get at Costco in three huge jars for $8 (still missing that price)....
In any case, after running out of the wipes themselves, I once stuck a couple paper towels (7th gen of course) in the bottom of the jar to soak up the liquid left and was able to get 5 more wipes out of the jar! Not so much DIY, but more making things last till the very last drop!
I'm kind of terrified of the cumulative effect of all the chemicals we are exposed to in our lives. I have two young boys, and I worry about the parabens and the phlalates and the BPA and the PVC... the list goes on and on. And while in some places I feel hopeless, like there aren't any options, at least I feel I can make a difference with my choice of cleaning products. I usually use Method products and Seventh Generation, and I hope that by choosing more natural cleaners I'm keeping a few more chemicals out of my family's life!
Thanks for the post and the giveaway!
I have started using green products after reading about the dangers of bleach fumes. Now I buy concentrates and water them down, or use vinegar. I would love to try Seventh Gen. products.
Using green cleaners is largely a values-decision for us, but there are other factors. On the values side, we want to protect our health and our water quality, we want to support companies that use nontoxic chemicals, and I hate the smell of bleach (too many jobs working in food service.) In addition, there's the practical side of using green cleaners - vinegar, Castile oil soap, baking soda are all very inexpensive and are almost always on hand. And finally, the economic side - using toxic cleaners is harmful to our septic system, which we had to replace when we bought our home 2 years ago. A new septic system doesn't come cheap, so spending a bit more on commercial green cleaning products (especially "eco-bleach") makes long-term economic sense.
I prefer to use good ole elbow grease and avoid cleaning products if possible. If necessary, a product must be unscented or naturally scented and not smell like ammonia or alcohol.
Using green cleaning products really just goes hand-in-hand with many of my lifestyle choices - constant striving for healthier, less-toxic, more natural products. Using local foods is part of this as well. It seems simple enough - these are good choices for my family's health and my kids' future.
Although we try to live as sustainably as possible, cooking close to home, the main reason I use green cleaning products is that they often smell and feel nicer to use, and so I clean more often. I'm not a naturally clean person, so need all the help I can get.
Also, my 4 year old loves ro help clean and will empty a bottle of cleaning solution at a time if I'd let her- we give her a bottle of vinegar and water and let her go to town on the windows. Cheap, safe, and no one cares If she uses it all in a go.
greening my cleaning supplies cabinet is important to me. i like knowing that the products i use are eco-friendly, and don't do more harm than good. my favorite eco-friendly cleaning trick is to not use papertowels (instead old cut-up tanktops work well).
Greener cleaning is important to me since I see firsthand how much of the floor my toddler daughter can "mop" with her little self during any given day. Little hands and feet go in little mouths, inevitably, but I don't want them to transport harmful chemicals from cleaning supplies or other household products. Would love to win the Seventh Generation green cleaning kit!
Why is greening your cleaning supplies cabinet important to you?
I know that I can feel safe in my home and that my family won't be faced with the dangers and risks of having a clean home using these modern chemicals. We can be clean AND free from fear of the price modern chemicals make you pay.
I am a mom, for starters. I also want safe, effective products whose empty containers can biodegrade or be recycled, safely. I want these things for the safety & health of my family and the earth, and I want them at affordable prices, at every store that sells cleaning supplies, not just some stores.
As far as DIY goes, I love using baking soda, peroxide, and vinegar to clean and disinfect. There was a university study which showed that peroxide and vinegar sprayed on surfaces cleaned as good, or better, than bleach, so I've been doing that whenever i can. You have to keep them in separate bottles, preferably spray bottles.
Finally, I became very sensitive to chemicals about five years ago, and my daughter developed an unexplained cough. While it did not just happen at home, that spurred me on to find the safest products possible.
I live in Iowa, a very agricultural state and am surrounding by pesticides, insecticides, and other chemicals going into our water. I am a geologist and worry about what this is doing to our environment. Green cleaning products are my small way of not contributing to the problem.
I have a spray bottle with a vinegar and water mixture (2 parts water to 1 part vinegar) for easy use cleaning glass, mirrors, counter tops. For scrubbing I sprinkle baking soda on a surface (such as a sink or shower) and then spray it with the vinegar solution and scrub. I love that these very simple products work so well. I also love making and doing things myself so even cleaning brings me joy when I use simple and healthy products. I am looking forward to making my own laundry detergent soon.
My favorite all natural cleaning supply is a mixture of 1 part Eucalyptus to 3 parts water in a spray bottle. I spray this after we shower on the tiles to stop the growth of mildew, it always smells like a spa in our bathroom. Once a week I clean the tiles with water and vinegar as well and it is as clean as ever. I also use this mixture on our furniture and dog beds, we heard it helps prevent dust mites but generally just like the smell.
It's important to me because I want what I use to be safe for my son, plus green supplies are much better :)
Since becoming a mother, I am now more diligent than ever about making sure we use only environmentally friendly, non-toxic products in our home. My favorite DIY cleaner is good old apple cider vinegar and water! Thanks for this wonderful offer :)
I'm all about the vinegar and lemon juice! Baking soda and borax also figure in. I've been looking into making my own laundry detergent, but haven't gotten there yet. Dish detergent is pretty important with all the amount of dishes I make. My trick? No tricks, just a spray bottle of lemon juice, vinegar and a little dish detergent (7th Gen, of course). I'd love to try their bathroom tile cleaners. That's always a sore spot.
Greening my cleaning supplies are important to me by keeping everything that goes down my drain biodegradable and less likely to kill frogs. I will soon be moving in with my parents to birth my child. They need a serious 'cleaner makeover'! I plan on sneaking greener products in and showing my parents they do work... then get them hooked. Plus, now that a little one will be around it even more important not to have/use harsh chemicals!! Not that I'll let the munchkin suck on green cleaner!!
White vinegar is fast becoming one of my favorite cleaners. My cat peed on my futon: I poured white vinegar all over it and let it dry. then sprinkled baking soda on and covered it with a mixture of peroxide & dish soap. Let it dry. I was amazed when some parts of the baking soda turned brown. Vaccummed up the mess and no more cat pee smell... it was female cat urine.
My favorite trick: Put a wet wash cloth over half a lemon and microwave it for a minute or so. Be careful because it will be very hot! When it cools down a little, wipe down the inside of your lemony fresh microwave. The steam will have loosened everything up and it will wipe right off and smell good. I am slightly ashamed to say I learned that from Martha Stewart!
Green cleaning is one way that I can make a difference on a small scale. Most people don't think that they can make a huge change but of we each did a little - we would have alot! I love the idea of making my own cleaners and being environmentally safe at the same time, it makes me feel empowered as a woman, as a homemaker and as a human being. Live long and go green:)
Greening my cabinet is important for many reasons, my husband's health, my health, our longevity (recently I have become very paranoid about chemicals shortening our lifespan). I have cats and you cannot corral cats so I want them to be able to walk around while I clean. It is also important, I realize I might sound crazy, because I think that we will end up doing ourselves in as a species by overexposure to anti-bacterial chemical driven products.
I would love to win. I recently fell in love with Seventh's Eucalyptus laundry detergent. Just smelling it makes me happy.