Thursday, March 4, 2010

Review and Giveaway: Seventh Generation CLOSED



As I've mentioned previously, one of the primary reasons I'm shifting to a more "green" lifestyle is to lessen my impact on the environment so future generations can enjoy clean air and fresh water. We live just a stone's throw away from the Chesapeake Bay and in seeing how polluted it has become over the years, we are growing more committed to preserving our precious wildlife and nature by polluting less. The other main reason, of course, is to rid our home of toxic chemicals with ingredients that could negatively affect our family's health. Who wants to knowingly use something which has the potential to alter your or your child's endocrine system?

With terms like "natural", "hypoallergenic" and "organic" being abused and overused, it's hard to find a company you can trust to be transparent with their intentions. But one such brand is Seventh Generation.

Seventh Generation is arguably one of the world's first, truly socially-responsible companies. Instead of focusing on traditional business principles, they encourage customers, staff and partners to express their idealism, passion and commitment to causes. One look at their website and you can plainly see that they are a dedicated community, promoting an open dialogue about health and environmental issues as well as sharing important resources and tips to assist you on your greener, cleaner journey. Seventh Generation dedicates 10% of its profits to nonprofit organizations working for positive change.

How did they get their unique name, you may ask? Why, it's from the Great Law of Iroquois that states, "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." How inspiring! If that doesn't move you to eradicate those toxic chemicals for your offspring, I don't know what will.

You've probably seen Seventh Generation products in your grocery or health food store, but in case you aren't familiar, they offer a tremendous variety of eco-friendly products including 100% recycled paper towels, nontoxic, phosphate-free cleaning and laundry products, recycled plastic trash bags, chlorine-free diapers, wipes and feminine care products.

Seventh Generation generously sent me a Healthy Home Starter Kit to review.



This kit includes:
  • Glass & Surface Cleaner - Ruby Grapefruit & Herb
  • Kitchen Cleaner - Wild Orange & Cedar Spice
  • All-Purpose Cleaner - Green Mandarin & Leaf
  • Shower Cleaner - Green Mandarin & Leaf
  • Toilet Bowl Cleaner - Emerald Cypress & Fir
  • Tub & Tile Cleaner - Emerald Cypress & Fir
  • (1) Roll of Natural Paper Towels
  • Reusable Tote Bag
I was so excited to put the tub and shower supplies to work. My regular bathroom cleaners have such awful fumes and my bathroom does not have the greatest ventilation, so I often have to run for cover in between scrubbing. Not fun. I surely don't want Nate in the bathroom with me when it reeks of toxicity to the point of suffocation.

The Tub and Tile Cleaner had a mild forest-y scent. Not strong or offensive at all and a relief from the harsh, standard cleaners. Because we have hard water and hence lots of mineral buildup in our showers, tubs, toilets and sinks, I wasn't sure if this would be powerful enough to get the job done. But I was really surprised. While I did have to use some muscle, it turned my shower from dingy and dirty to clean as a dream in under 10 minutes. And as I rinsed the water down the drain, I felt good knowing I was reducing my toxic waste. My stinky, foaming cleansers are a thing of the past. I will definitely be buying this again once my bottle is empty.



We've also been spritzing the Shower Cleaner onto our shower walls and curtain after every shower to keep things fresh. I was a tad disappointed that the scent was more "Leaf" than "Mandarin", as I was hoping for a nice citrus smell. But it isn't unpleasant and it seems to keep the dirt from building up as much so ultimately, that is what is most important.



I was also impressed with the Glass & Surface Cleaner. I was sent the unscented Free & Clear version (I'm assuming the Grapefruit was out of stock) and just like it's name implies, it was streak-free and removed the toothpaste stains from our bathroom mirror with ease. I typically use my Ultimate Cloth as an eco-friendly cleaner for my mirrors but if I need to wipe out some bacteria, I like that I now have this option.



To clean the mirrors and wipe up minor spills in the kitchen and bath, I used their recycled paper towels. Did you know that if every household in the U.S. replaced one roll of their regular paper towels with these 100% recycled ones, we could save 933,000 trees, 2.4 million cubic feet of landfill space, 350 million gallons of water and avoid 59,600 tons of emission? Pretty amazing, huh? All in all, I was quite pleased with them. They didn't leave a trail of lint and even though they weren't as soft and cushiony as Bounty, they were pretty absorbent. They also held up to some gentle scrubbing without falling apart.

I have to say I had mixed feelings about the Toilet Bowl Cleaner. I love the green fragrance as well as the flip-top nozzle design. And it cleaned "okay". It removed most of the residue in the bowl except one particularly stubborn ring. Overall, I didn't find it worked as well as my ecostore USA toilet cleaner. It may work fine for those with softer water but sadly, I don't think I would buy this one again.

I haven't really tested out the All-Purpose Cleaner or Kitchen Cleaner yet, as I'm still addicted to my Method and Mrs. Meyers sprays. But I can attest that they smell nice from sniffing the bottles. I love that I can store everything in my tote bag under the sink so it's ready whenever I need it.

Bottom line: Seventh Generation's Healthy Home Starter Kit includes everything you need to give up on those nasty toxins forever. Not only did I like the majority of their products, but out of all the "green" companies I've worked with thus far, I feel they are the most authentic, honest and real. That trust, for me, correlates to brand loyalty.

BUY IT: You can purchase the Healthy Home Starter Kit (ARV $38.99) and other Seventh Generation products at most grocery stores and major retailers or online. Just check out their handy dandy store locator to find the nearest vendor!

DELICIOUS DISCOUNT: Be sure to check out the website for valuable printable coupons for your favorite Seventh Generation products!

WIN IT: One lucky reader is going to win their very own Healthy Home Starter Kit! Yippee!

MAIN COURSE (MANDATORY ENTRY): Visit the Seventh Generation website and either tell me a factoid you learned NOT mentioned in my review or tell me a product you'd like to try. Remember to please leave your email address in your comment if it isn't visible on your profile to prevent disqualification!

SUGAR ON TOP (BONUS ENTRIES): To maximize your chances of winning, you may do any or all of the following. Be sure to complete the above mandatory entry or your bonus entries will not count! Remember to leave one comment per entry.

1.) Follow my blog and/or subscribe via reader or email. If you already follow and/or subscribe, that counts! (1 entry each)

2.) Follow me and Seventh Generation on Twitter and tweet about this contest. You can do this daily! You may use the tweet below or come up with one of your own:

RT @kris10chumley: Protect yourself and the future with a @SeventhGen Healthy Home Starter Kit (ARV $40)! Ends 3/19 http://bit.ly/aOb1qe


Just leave me a comment with your tweet link. (1 entry
max per day)

3.) Become a fan of Seventh Generation on Facebook. (1 entry)

4.) Sign up for the Seventh Generation newsletter (upper right of homepage). (1 entry)

5.) Add my blog button and leave a comment with the link to where I can find it. (1 entry)

Giveaway will end on March 19, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Open to U.S. only. Winners will be chosen via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to congratulatory email or prize will be forfeited and another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: I received the Living Home Starter Kit from Meghan at Seventh Generation to facilitate my candid review. I was in no other way compensated for this post. The thoughts and feelings expressed in this review are solely mine. Your experience may differ.

220 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 220 of 220   Newer›   Newest»
DEBIJOT said...

your blog follower

Kathy P said...

id love to try the Automatic Dishwasher Detergent Pacs

Kathy P said...

http://twitter.com/klp1965/status/10753281658

Kathy P said...

sg fan on facebook Kathy L Pease

Kathy P said...

sg email subscriber klp1965@myfairpoint.net

Judy B. said...

Tweet:
http://twitter.com/BBirdie2/status/10752140252

Brian E. said...

Thanks for the giveaway...I would like to try the new Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner.

senorpiero [at] yahoo [dot] com

Brian E. said...

Follow You and Seventh Generation on Twitter: @brianpiero

Tweeted: http://twitter.com/brianpiero/status/10755750734

senorpiero [at] yahoo [dot] com

Brian E. said...

...subscribed Seventh Generation newsletter:

senorpiero [at] yahoo [dot] com

Brian E. said...

...Seventh Generation Facebook Fan: "Bryan Eason"

senorpiero [at] yahoo [dot] com

Sand said...

I'd love to try the Free & Clear Automatic Dishwasher Powder.

tina reynolds said...

I would like to try their diapers and training pants thanks eaglesforjack@gmail.com

tina reynolds said...

i subscribe to your blog

Vanessa said...

I'd like to try the diapers!

jewelsntreasures (at) yahoo (dot) com

tina reynolds said...

i signed up for the seventh generation newsletter

tina reynolds said...

I am a fan of Seventh Generation on Facebook (mrstinareynolds)

cman said...

They have chlorine free diapers and wipes.

Charlene Kuser said...

I would love to try the Disinfecting Wipes

CharlieGurl57@aol.com

Charlene Kuser said...

Fan of Seventh Generation on Facebook
(Charlene Kuser)

CharlieGurl57@aol.com

Charlene Kuser said...

Signed up for the Seventh Generation newsletter

CharlieGurl57@aol.com

«Oldest ‹Older   201 – 220 of 220   Newer› Newest»
Blog Widget by LinkWithin