Earth Day Review and Giveaway: Activeion CLOSED

Thank you to Activeion for their participation in the Goodie Goodie Gumdrops Earth Week Event!

Over the past few months, I've had the opportunity to try a vast assortment of "green" cleaners. Some were marginal but most managed to exceed my expectations. I thought I had found my newest favorites when I discovered the the greenest of them all. The king of eco-friendly. The granddaddy of eco-conscious cleaning. What if I told you that you could clean and sanitize with just tap water? Yes, I realize April Fool's was three weeks ago. Believe me, I'm not pulling your leg.

Activeion Cleaning Solutions began with an adorable chinchilla named Chili. When the inventor of Activeion technology purchased Chili as a pet for his family, he quickly learned that traditional cleaners were deadly to the sensitive creatures. So, he set out to create a way to clean his chincilla's cage without chemicals. The rest is history.

Activeion offers versatile, on-demand cleaning and sanitizing tools that activate and convert tap water into ionized water, a dirt-removing, bacteria-killing cleaner. Their all-purpose, daily-use appliances are effective, killing even the 2009 H1N1 virus. They can be used on just about anything - from mirrors, marbles, granite and stainless steel to carpet and fabric. And because it's simply ionized water, it leaves behind ZERO residue. Activeion Cleaning Solutions make chemical cleaners obsolete, reducing your ongoing cleaning expenses.

So, how exactly does the technology work?

Activeion ionators use the same technology that has been used for decades in food-processing plants, restaurants and hotels, except it has been miniaturized and made more affordable for household use.

First, a water cell applies a slight electrical charge to the tap water. Next, the charged water passes through an ion exchange membrane, creating and oxygen-rich mixture of positive and negative nano-bubbles. Lastly, the ionized water attracts dirt and lifts it from the surface, enabling it to be easily wiped away.

Here, Bill Nye the Science Guy explains the science behind Activeion:



I'm no scientist but the concept sounded pretty groovy. Almost too good to be true. When Activeion sent me the ionator HOM to review, I couldn't wait to see if it lived up to the hype.

Upon opening the package, I was intrigued by its mod design. It looked like a futuristic spray bottle out of the year 3010. Or maybe a Storm Trooper weapon. I definitely wasn't ashamed to display this on my countertop. Even more impressive was its ease of use. I had to charge the unit for several hours to activate it, but once it was fully charged, all I had to do was remove the reservoir, fill it with tap water and snap it back into the base. Squeezing the trigger releases a fine mist of ionized water and reveals a green glow to demonstrate the appliance is working correctly. (A red glow means the built-in battery needs to be recharged or that the water is not being ionized properly, in which case service is needed).




I first tried my ionator HOM on our stovetop. My husband is a messy cook, to say the least, and even chemical cleaners can struggle with the crud. But the ionator HOM cut through it with hardly any elbow grease. I was amazed at the transformation after just a good once over:



The ionator HOM also did wonders on my stainless steel and glass. Our stainless steel is notoriously troublesome to clean. Many cleaners leave streaks or need lots of buffing to get rid of prints. But I was able to receive just as good of results - if not better - with water alone. Simply amazing.





Being that I was on such a high from the fantastic results, I was on a cleaning mission and decided to tackle our hardest rooms: the bathrooms. We have well water, which equals hard water. So, we have unfortunate yellow stains in our tubs, toilets and sinks from the mineral deposits. The ionator HOM did lighten the stains slightly but even after some intense scrubbing, I wasn't able to fully remove it. In all fairness, not much besides bleach has been able to make a dent in this grime. But if I want a natural option for tub and tile, I will have to stick with Seventh Generation.



Overall, I was quite pleased with the ionator HOM. I couldn't wrap my brain around the fact that I could clean and sanitize my surfaces with only water. Unbelievable! While I was a bit disappointed that it couldn't take care of my hard water situation, I couldn't ignore its versatility. I love having one appliance that can clean most hard surfaces in addition to cloth, carpet and fabric. I've since used my ionator to clean milk stains on my couch from leaky sippy cups. I've even used it to remove grease and food stains without damaging our painted kitchen backsplash. I like that I can use this product anywhere water is safe.

The only turnoff to the ionator HOM is the initial investment. At $169, it is more steep than cheap. However, if you factor in your annual costs of cleaning supplies (all-purpose cleaner, stainless steel cleaner, window and glass cleaner, etc.), it definitely pays for itself well before its 5 year life span. Think about it: disposable wipes (Clorox/Lysol) cost about $4/tub. I know in my heyday I could go through an entire container in 2 weeks. That amounts to $96/year. On the other hand, the ionator HOM only costs about $48/annually. Not to mention the plastic you won't be sending to the landfill and the space you'll be saving under your sink. No more last-minute outings to the store when you run out of such-and-such. All you have to do is turn on your faucet for a safe, clean environment - inside and out. Priceless!

Bottom line: If you want to clean your home the safest way possible without sacrificing performance, the Activeion ionator HOM is as green as it gets. I love that I don't have to worry about Poison Control. And it's so pretty that it actually makes me want to go on a cleaning spree.

BUY IT: You can purchase the ionator HOM and other Activeion products online at Amazon.com or directly from www.activeion.com (ARV $169).

WIN IT: Activeion is generously offering one lucky reader their own ionator HOM!

MAIN COURSE (MANDATORY ENTRY): Visit Activeion and tell me something you learned about the technology or why you want the ionator HOM. 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 @Active_ion on Twitter and tweet about this contest. You can do this daily! You may use the following tweet of come up with one of your own:

Clean and sanitize your home using only H2O with the @Active_ion ionator HOM! #Win one @kris10chumley (a $169 value) http://bit.ly/bv4cR3

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

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

4.) Leave a comment on the wall of the Activeion Facebook page telling them you were sent by this blog and how you would use the ionator HOM to clean your messes. (2 entries!)

5.) Add my blog button and/or event button to your site and leave a comment with the link to where I can find it. (1 entry/each)

Giveaway will end on May 15, 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: As noted above, I received an ionator HOM from Amber with Activeion in exchange for my candid review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post. The thoughts and opinions expressed in my review and mine and mine alone. Your experience may differ.