Spring Into Action *Giveaway*

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by!  The winner is Maja Meza #132.  Congrats!

The weather is warming up, the days are getting a bit longer, and Spring is in full swing!  Last year we “flipped for fall.”  Now it’s time to Spring Into Action with Aller-Ease and The Motherhood!  Stay tuned!  This weekend I’ll be posting a video that will tell you everything you want to know about sprucing up your home this spring.

As a veteran allergy sufferer, I’ve found that certain seasons tend to exacerbate the symptoms.  Spring happens to be one of those seasons.  After months of being indoors with the windows mostly shut, allergens have had an opportunity to proliferate.  This spring, I’m organizing, decluttering, and deep cleaning the most trafficked parts of our home to elminate those triggers.

I use protective bedding and pillows from Aller-Ease year round to elminate some of the most abundant allergens in our home.  Since a large portion of our life is spent in bed sleeping (nearly a third of our lifetime), it’s important to do what I can to elminate things like dust mites.  Here is a scary fact:

Lying beneath the cleanest, most luxurious linens and inside the fluffiest pillows lurk microscopic allergy and asthma triggers, including dust mite droppings, pollen, fungal and mold spores, and pet dander. The average bed can contain up to 10 million dust mites and mattresses can double in weight every 10 years due to microscopic allergens that accumulate inside.

Since we covered up most of our mattresses and pillows over the last several months, I’ve noticed an overall decrease in all of our allergy symptoms (although I have to admit that this year’s cold and flu season was the worst ever!).  Aller-Ease‘s protective bedding systems utilize “innovative fabric innovative fabric engineering techniques to provide a range of allergen-filtration bedding products, including a breathable, cotton product that filters up to 95% of all particles at the one-micron size.”

What I like about their products is that they’re easy to use, affordable, and comfortable.  I’ve slept on the mattress and pillow protectors that are stiff, rough or noisy.  Aller-Ease‘s products conveniently fit into your lifestyle and soon become part of your routine.

Win It! One of you will win an Aller-Ease prize pack that will include 1 pillow, 2 pillow covers, and 1 queen mattress cover!  Simply leave me a comment with one fabulous Spring Cleaning tip!  Comments will close at 11:59 PM PST on April 12, 2010 (so HURRY!). But wait….there is MORE!   There are 15 bloggers on this campaign doing the exact same thing so you want to make your tip good.  Why?  Because there will be yet ANOTHER giveaway to 3 overall bloggers/readers (over all 15 sites) who provide the best tips (selected at random).  Don’t worry….you don’t have to enter separately.  You’ll automatically be entered by providing a tip here.  The prize packs will include the following:

-Basket Contents:
*    1 pillow
*    1 queen cotton mattress protector
*    2 queen cotton pillow protectors
*    Kleenex
*    Halls Cough drops
*    Clorox wipes
*    Various cleaning supplies
*    Spring linens (hand towels, etc.)

Here are my fellow bloggers:
Go Graham Go

The Divine Miss Mommy

A Family Completed

Plus Size Mommy

Something Snappy

Nickles-n-Dimes

Jolly Mom

My Four Monkeys

Pretty Pink Momma

The Mommy-Files

And Twins Make 5!

Tammy’s Two Cents

Robyn’s Online World

Icefairy’s Treasure Chest

US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Leave another Spring Cleaning tip (unlimited, as long as each tip is different)

Join the Spring Into Action Circle at The Motherhood. Be sure to include your username in your comment.

Follow Aller-Ease on Twitter and tweet about the contest using the hashtag #allerease (daily)

Enter the Aller-Ease contest on their website

Become a fan of Aller-Ease on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.  #allerease (daily)

Become a fan of Rockin’ Mama on Facebook (I’m right there…on the right!) : )

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

This is part of sponsored campaign with Aller-Ease and The Motherhood.

Spring Cleaning With Oreck *Giveaway*

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by. The winner is Jennifer P!  CONGRATS!

We still have at least 6 more weeks of winter, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek at my next series.  One of my New Year’s resolutions is to get the house clean and organized.  Over the weekend I hosted a party (which I’ll tell you more about very soon!).  My husband and I spent Saturday cleaning the downstairs area for the party and it looks fantastic.  Now if I can get motivated to finish the upstairs…

Amanda, Tanya, and I have joined forces once again to help you get clean and organized this year!  And maybe in the process MY house will be clean and organized!   This year, my series is not going to be as heavily focused on products, but rather practical ways to achieve your goals this spring.  And as a green mom, the products I do feature will be all-natural and safe enough to use around your children. The series doesn’t officially begin until March, however, I have a pre-series giveaway to get you excited about spring cleaning.

A vacuum is  a cleaning staple in any household.  One of the first things I look for in any vacuum is a HEPA (high efficiency particulate absorbing) filtration system.  Without one, the dust, dirt, and microbes simply get blown into the air. The Oreck XL Platinum Pilot vacuum has a HEPA filtration system that traps up to 99.9 percent of dust and allergens down to 0.3 microns.  My husband, son, and I all have allergies so this is an important feature for us.

I have to admit that when I did my research on the vacuum (before testing it out) and found out it uses a bag, I was a bit disappointed.  I remember my mom’s old vacuum and what a hassle it was for her to change the bags (it was messy for the most part). We have a bagless vacuum and I have to say that some of the dust particles do in fact get uplifted into the air when I empty it (which is why I do it outside or in the garage).  The Platinum Pilot actually uses self-sealing bags (a concept I’d never heard of before) which means you don’t have to be exposed to dirt, dust, and allergens.  While it is an added expense to purchase bags ($20-$35 for 8 bags), overall I think it’s a cleaner, healthier way to deal with the “stuff” that you vacuum up.  If you have pets, you definitely want self-sealing bags in order to help eliminate pet odors.  While I like to “see” what my vacuum has picked up, I’m more interested in keeping all of those microbes nicely packed away in a vacuum bag…to be disposed of!

Vacuums are heavy.  They also tend to be bulky which makes storing them a challenge.  At only 10 pounds, I can easily take the Platinum Pilot up and down the stairs to vacuum (I can even vacuum the stairs).  It has a slim design which makes it easy to store nicely in our closet downstairs.

I honestly didn’t realize the power behind this vacuum, especially considering how light and compact it is.  We have eco-friendly carpet with a bit of “shag” to it so it’s not the easiest to vacuum.  It traps dirt and dust which means it never really “looks” dirty.  But I know it gets dirty (we can fill up a bagless vacuum with one room).  The Platinum Pilot features a powerful, pile-lifting roller brush to help pull out embedded dirt, dust, allergens, dander, and pet hair. The vacuum also has an anti-microbial agent built into it (and on it) to inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria, mold, and mildew.

The vacuum handles well.  Not only is it extremely light in weight, it maneuvers well. The Platinum Pilot features 360° Glide technology (ball-joint and pivot connection) which means it tilts, twists, turns, and moves easily in hard to reach places (it even lies flat!).  The result is that I don’t have to spend nearly as much time going back to places I’ve missed with a handheld vacuum.

A vacuum is a big investment…one that needs careful consideration.  My personal feeling is that it should be effective at picking up and containing dirt, dust, etc., easy to use and maneuver, lightweight, and utilize HEPA filtration.

The Oreck XL Platinum Pilot Vacuum retails for $599 and also includes a lightweight handheld vacuum.  The company offers a 30-day risk-free trial period because they stand behind their products.  For additional information about the vacuum and it’s features, or to purchase the vacuum, simply visit their site.

Win It! One of you will win an Oreck XL Platinum Pilot Vacuum!  Simply check out their website, then come back and leave me a comment with a feature of the vacuum you like.  Comments will close on February 25, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Add the “Win an Oreck Platinum Pilot Vacuum” button to your sidebar.  Be sure it’s up for the duration of the giveaway.

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways. Please include this button:

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

I did not receive compensation for this post. I received a product, courtesy of the company, in order to facilitate this review.

X-14

I just finished a HUGE cleaning series so you’re probably wondering why I’m blogging about yet ANOTHER cleaning product.  AND, I assume you’re wondering why I’m blogging about a product that doesn’t seem to be very “green” (particularly considering it’s Earth Week).  I don’t know about you, but where we live (which is about 10 minutes or so from the beach) it gets humid.  In fact (not to freak you out) we had an exterminator come in a few weeks ago because we had some strange inhabitants in our kitchen (which apparently liked our kitchen because of it’s moisture and humidity).  Needless to say, no matter how much I think I’m airing the house out by opening windows, mildew seems to appear in the bathrooms and the kitchen.  I wish I could tell you that I clean all 3 bathrooms and the entire kitchen every day.  But since I’m not superwoman, days go by and mildew sets in.  The toughest areas for me are around the bases of the faucets.  

Thanks to Mom Central, I was offered an opportunity to try X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover.  I have tried product after product after product on the mildew stains in my bathroom and kitchen.  They do a good job at removing some of the stains, but they’re never completely gone.  And, they seem to come back rather quickly (which is probably because I don’t remove them entirely).  Now I don’t want to scare you (since that was my reaction when I googled “dangers of mold”), but mold has the potential to cause serious health effects.  I’m not going to mess around with mold and mildew.  I wanted it gone from my house which was why I decided to try x-14.  Here is a little more information about the product from the site:

X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover works without scrubbing, and it’s been proven to remove mold and mildew stains faster and more completely than competitors.  

I want to start by saying that this is a very strong cleaning solution.  I recommend saving this project for when the children are outside of the house.  The active ingredient is sodium hypochlorite or bleach and that’s exactly what it smells like.  I made sure to open the windows first before using the product.  The great thing is that all you really have to do is spray the cleaner, leave, and let it sit for a few minutes while it works to remove stains.  Come back, rinse and the smell will dissipate.  If I had to sit and scrub, inhaling the product, I probably wouldn’t use it.  But because I can spray and walk away while it works, I think it’s brilliant.  I don’t like to clean, especially something as icky as mold and mildew.  X-14 just does the work for me.  The stains I used the product on were not heavy or thick, but I imagine this would work just as well on thicker, heavier stains.  Another nice thing about the product is that it claims to keep mildew stains away for 2 weeks.  Now, why can’t all of my cleaning products have that guarantee?  I’d have so much more extra time!  

You can use X-14 Mold and Mildew Stain Remover on a variety of surfaces.  I highly recommend checking out the site, including the FAQs as they are highly informative.  It retails for $7.99 and is available at retailers nationwide.

Profuse thanks to Mom Central for this review opportunity.  

Scotch Brite’s Greener Clean Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Mary D.  Congratulations!

Last week I told you about Scotch Brite’s brand new line of eco-friendly wipes, sponges, scrubbers, soap pads, and wipes called Greener Clean.  Now, thanks to Scotch Brite, one of you will get a chance to win products from this line.

Win It! One of you will win one of each of the following:  Biodegradable Absorbent Sponges, Biodegradable Expanding Soft Sponges, Natural Fiber Non-Scratch Scour Pads, Natural Fiber Non-Scratch Scrub Sponges, and Soap Loaded Scrubbers.  Simply head on over to the site and take a look around.  Come back here and leave me a comment with our favorite and how you’re going green!  Comments will close on April 28, 2009 at 10 PM PST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Place my button on your site. If you have difficulty, please let me know.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

Scotch Brite…A Greener Clean

My series on spring cleaning is wrapping up this week and I have a few more products to help you out with your cleaning and organizational endeavors.  If you read my blog, then you know I’m always looking for greener alternatives to conventional products.  I am thrilled to share with you the latest on Scotch Brite’s new line of eco-friendly wipes, sponges, scrubbers, soap pads, and wipes called Greener Clean.

You may not know this, but many sponges are made from plastic and laden with chemicals such as Triclosan (an antibacterial and antifungal), which has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a pesticide (Green Living Tips).  In contrast, the entire product line is made from natural, recycled materials.  All eight products fall into one of five categories:  biodegradable/compostable, renewable content, recyclable, reusable, and recyled material. Here is a little more information from the site:

The Greener Clean collection of reusable cleaning products combines superior cleaning power with eco-conscious natural and recycled materials. That means there’s no need to spend extra money on disposable cleaning products like paper towels and cleaning wipes.

The products are designed to be reused, which will help reduce your use of disposable paper towels and cleaning wipes.   The entire line is derived from substances like bamboo, agave fibers, recycled plastic bottles, corn, and recycled paper.  I had an opportunity to test out the Expanding Soft Sponge, Soap Loaded Scrubbers, Absorbent Sponges, Non-Scratch Scour Pads, and Non-Scratch Scrub Sponge.  The sponges are soft but clean really well. I have a ton of stainless steel pots and pans that can’t be washed in our dishwasher and I am always careful about the type of sponge I use so as not to scratch the pans.  I used the scrub side of the Non-Scratch Scrub Sponges and fortunately did not scratch the pans when I washed them.  The Expanding Soft Sponges are great for storing since they don’t take up a lot of space.  The Soap Loaded Scrubbers are ingenious and the soap is biodegradable and phosphorus free.  Most of the products retail for $2-$4 with products as low as $1.59 and as high as $6.19.

To learn more about each of the individual products listed above, including their components, uses, and effectiveness, head on over to the site.  You can purchase Scotch Brite Greener Clean products at Walmart and Target.

Get Organized With Fellowes!

As a nurse and a parent, I’ve accumulated more papers than I can keep track of.  I clip magazine articles from nursing and parenting magazines, save all of my old nursing files, and generally just have a lot of paper clutter that must vacate my house! When I started my cleaning spree at the beginning of March, one of my goals was to reduce the paper clutter in my house.  Piles of paper bring dust, germs, and bugs (particularly spiders in my part of the country) so it’s definitely time to declutter!

The threat of having your identity stolen is real.  Unfortunately, we live in a time where people must take measures to safeguard themselves against identity theft.  Last year, 9.9 million Americans were victims of identity theft.  Before I had a shredder, I would tear up any important piece of paper with my hands.  You can imagine how time-consuming and ineffective that process is.  The most effective way to shred important documents is to use a shredder that is capable of  cross-cut shredding.  You may not know this, but someone who is very determined could piece together and reconstruct any document.  When you shred using the cross-cut mechanism, this makes the process tedious, thereby deterring would-be identity thieves.  When a shredder is capable of cross-cut shredding, it cuts the paper both vertically and horizontally into pieces that look like confetti.

I recently received a Fellowes PS-79Ci 100% Jam Proof Cross-Cut Shredder to review. Here is a little more information about the shredder from the site:

The Fellowes PS-79Ci 100% Jam Proof Cross-Cut Shredder provides the following features:

• Superior paper jam prevention for personal shredder use
• Shreds 12 sheets per pass into 5/32” x 1-1/2” cross cut particles
• 100% Jam Proof System eliminates paper jams by preventing overloads and powering through misfeeds
• SilentShred™ offers ultra-quiet shredder performance for shared workspaces
• Enhanced shredder safety – patented SafeSense® Technology stops shredder immediately when hands are too close
• Sleek, modern design with easy-empty pull-out wastebasket

You may be thinking…a shredder is a shredder right?  Wrong!  Check out this video review I did of the shredder in action!

As you saw on the video, this shredder is capable of shredding CDs and DVDs.  I have a ton of CD-ROM’s from my days as a nursing clinical instructor that I have gathering dust in a box because I didn’t know what to do with them.  They have important information on them so I can’t just throw them away.  Now I can shred them easily!

As a parent, I do my best to watch my son all the time, but there is the rare occasion where I’ve turned my back and found him getting into something he shouldn’t. The SafeSense feature is important, since I’d like to keep all of our fingers intact!  If you have children in the house, I highly recommend obtaining a shredder with this function.

If you’re looking for a product to help you get organized this spring, you may just want to check out Fellowes‘ entire line of personal and professional shredders.  If you’re not sure which shredder is right for you, check out their Shredder Selector resource on the site.  I’ll leave you with a few simple tips that will help you clean up your home office to increase productivity and prevent identity theft (courtesy of Fellowes):

1. Sort through the piles of paperwork on your desk and in your office drawers.  Place them into two categories: ‘save’ and ‘shred.’

2. Organize the ‘save’ pile into labeled folders and be sure to put anything confidential in a fire-proof lock box. The ‘shred’ pile should be properly disposed using a cross-cut shredder, such as Fellowes PS-79Ci with Jam Proof technology, to avoid identity theft.

3. Clean your office and get rid of dust and germs that easily build up on office equipment such as keyboards, telephones and cabinets.

4. Refresh your home office computer by deleting files you no longer use, backing-up any important data onto an external hard drive. Clean out your inbox and change all passwords.

5. Plan ahead by purchasing organizational tools for your desk, such as computer risers and file folder holders. This will clear clutter from your desktop while keeping things within arms reach.

Profuse thanks to Fellowes for this review opportunity and the important tips they provided on getting organized and preventing identity theft!

Just When You Thought Spring Cleaning Was Over…A Seventh Generation Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Kate.  Congrats!

Yes…it’s true.  Our Spring Cleaning Event has ended.  April Fools!  I have a few more cleaning/organization posts for products that were added in at the last moment.   So, on Rockin’ Mama we’ll have one more week of encore posts and giveaways before the big event that is coming up very soon (more deets to come soon!).  Right now,  there are giveaways open for entries and winners will be chosen by the weekend (I have to tally all of your extra credit entries and verify with Tanya and Amanda).

I couldn’t very well end this event without sharing with you one of my favorite companies that will help you get your entire home clean naturally.  I have had the pleasure of working with Seventh Generation in the past, but even before we started working together, I was using their products.  That is because, first and foremost, I identify with their philosophy:

Seventh Generation is committed to becoming the world’s most trusted brand of authentic, safe, and environmentally-responsible products for a healthy home.  The company derives its name from the Great Law of the Iroquois that states, “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”

One of the core characteristics of Seventh Generation is it’s transparency.  The company is committed to helping consumers like you and I, make informed choices.  If you have a question, you can expect to find the answer on the bottle or package, on their site, in their 7Gen News, or in their printed material.  They don’t use words like “natural” or “hypoallergenic” without backing those statements with fact.  They go so far as to list their Material Safety Data Sheets on their website.  How is that for transparency?

Evey product that I’ve used from the company has been effective and safe for both my family and the environment.  You may recall that I blogged about how I came across Seventh Generation when my son was suffering from horrible diaper rashes.  Seventh Generation was my last resort before going to cloth diapers (which there is nothing wrong with but doesn’t fit with our lifestyle).  Within about a week his diaper rashes were getting better and better until they just went away.  But I’m not here to talk to you about diapers am I?

I had the pleasure of reviewing the company’s entire line of cleaning products in their Living Home Starter Kit including the following:

• Natural Glass and Surface cleaner
• Natural All Purpose Cleaner
• Toilet Bowl Cleaner
• Shower Cleaner
• Tub & Tile Cleaner
• Kitchen Cleaner
• (2) Natural Paper Towels – 120 Count
• Seventh Generation Reusable Tote Bag

The products are amazing.  They’re safe and effective and I love that I can clean with my son in the same room.  I love that I don’t have to sacrifice effectiveness for safety.  I love that I don’t have to ventilate, wear a mask, don gloves, or otherwise suit up for a cleaning venture.  The cleaning agents are plant-derived, non-toxic, and biodegradable.  Many are also hypoallergenic.  If you’re looking for a “natural clean,” I highly recommend Seventh Generation.  I feel good about using products that were created by a company who strives to save natural resources, reduce pollution, and overall make the world (and our homes) a safer place.  If you would like specific information on how any of the above products work, just leave me a comment and I’ll answer your questions!  Maybe you want to know which is best for soap scum or mold or windows…I’d love to share my thoughts and experiences with you.

Win It! One of you very very lucky readers is going to win a Seventh Generation Living Home Starter Kit which includes each of the products listed above.  Again…I’m going to make you work just a little for this one!  First, head on over to the site and look around.  Then come back and leave a two-part comment indicating something you learned on the site that I didn’t mention in my review AND how you’re going green this spring!  Comments will close on April 15, 2009 at 10 PM PST.  One comment per person, please. US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

IF you added the Spring Cleaning button to your sidebar BEFORE MARCH 31, then you will receive two extra entries (but please comment on this post so I can keep track of who is to receive two extra entries.  If you comment here that you’ve placed the button, it won’t count…this is for my sanity!).  Here is the code since it’s not working from the other post:

<a href=”http://rockinmama.net/search/label/Spring%20Cleaning%202009” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f214/MommyMandy/130width.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”” /></a>

Enter Tanya and Amanda’s giveaways.

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Place my button on your site. If you have difficulty, please let me know.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

Weiman Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Nancy V.  Congrats!

Last year I had an opportunity to review Weiman’s Perfect Planet line of green cleaning products for my floors and found them to be very effective! Weiman is a company that has been helping families clean their homes for over sixty years.  Here is a little recap of the company from the site:

Quality, convenience and innovation define each and every Weiman product. Weiman is the most recognized, trusted brand in premium surface care and the #1 choice of consumers who value preserving, protecting and beautifying their homes.

Win It! One of you will win a gift basket which will include assorted Weiman cleaning products. Simply head on over to the site and take a look around.  Come back here and leave me a comment with something you learned, not mentioned in my previous review.  Comments will close on April 14, 2009 at 10 PM PST.  One comment per person, please. US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Add the Spring Cleaning button to your sidebar and obtain two extra entries (but please comment on this post so I can keep track of who is to receive two extra entries.  If you comment here that you’ve placed the button, it won’t count…this is for my sanity!).  Here is the code since it’s not working from the other post:

<a href=”http://rockinmama.net/search/label/Spring%20Cleaning%202009” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f214/MommyMandy/130width.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”” /></a>

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Place my button on your site. If you have difficulty, please let me know.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

The Most Natural Clean! (Giveaway Added!)

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Valerie.  Congrats!

If I told you that I could use plain water and a microfiber cloth to get everything from my son’s high chair to our stainless steel refrigerator clean, you’d probably either laugh and think I’m crazy, or lift an eyebrow with intrigue. I hope you’re doing the latter!  I don’t like a lot of chemicals in my home and I prefer to clean as naturally as possible.  There are a ton of all-natural, chemical-free cleaners on the market and I’m not opposed to using them.  But given the option to clean with plain water, I’d choose that over products for daily clean-ups and spills.

I recently tried out E-Cloth, an innovative way to clean without the use of chemicals.  Here is a little more information from the site:

Each E-cloth has an extraordinary 480,000 strands per square centimetre, with each microfibre 1/100th the width of a human hair.  It is this, together with the wedge shape of each individual fibre, that gives the cloths their remarkable cleaning capability and their high absorbency.  As you draw an E-cloth across a surface, the fibres clean by breaking up, trapping and absorbing dirt AND grease into the material.  All this with just water.

I was a little wary of how well this was going to work, but I was surprised at how much dirt it picked up.  It cleaned off the dried food from my son’s highchair tray and removed the spots and dirt from my refrigerator. Take a look at the video I shot of E-Cloth in action:

I received a Kitchen Pack to review which includes a General Purpose and a Glass & Polishing cloth, and a Water Spray bottle.  The General Purpose cloth is good for cleaning up thick dirt, grease, and spills.  It’s definitely a kitchen mainstay.  Use it damp or wet (for tough messes) on all hard surfaces.  The Glass & Polishing Cloth is effective on any shiny surface including windows and stainless steel appliances.  This is a cloth for light cleaning and it left my stainless steel refrigerator shiny and smudge-free.  Just spray your surface with water and wipe away dirt and grime.

Each cloth works differently and I encourage you to check out their website to find the product that will work the best for your cleaning needs.  With 300 guaranteed washes, you’ll save money by reducing the amount of chemicals used in your home to clean.

Win It! One of you will win a Kitchen Pack, courtesty of E-Cloth.  Simply head on over to the site and take a look around.  Come back here and leave me a comment with an interesting fact about E-Cloth that wasn’t mentioned in my review.  Comments will close on April 14, 2009 at 10 PM PST.  One comment per person, please. US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Add the Spring Cleaning button to your sidebar and obtain two extra entries (but please comment on this post so I can keep track of who is to receive two extra entries.  If you comment here that you’ve placed the button, it won’t count…this is for my sanity!).  Here is the code since it’s not working from the other post:

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Your Dishes Are Going to Sparkle!

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winners are: Treasia, Michelle, Jesslyn, Theresa C, and Sara E.  Congrats!

Every spring I try to take inventory of what needs to be cleaned and organized.  But do you ever stop to think about the “daily clean?”  Dishes and laundry fall into that category for me.  We purchased a new dishwasher a few months ago and up until about a week ago, we hadn’t found a detergent and drying agent that we were satisfied with.  We were using a generic-brand, eco-friendly detergent that left this white residue.  The drying agent we were using left spots that drove my husband crazy.  And while it was labeled as “eco-friendly” it just didn’t get my dishes as clean as I would have liked.

I recently tried out two fabulous dishwashing products from Finish (formerly Electrasol) that you’re absolutely going to love.  When I load my dishwasher, I don’t want to have to “clean” them, before they get “cleaned” in the dishwasher.  I want to be able to rinse, load, and let the dishwasher and detergent do their job.  When I take my dishes out, I want them to look and smell clean (sparkling is good too!).  I don’t want white residues or spots…just clean dishes.  I’ve tried the gels and powders and tablets and I haven’t found anything that really works well consistently until I tried Finish Quantum capsules.  Here is a little more information from the site:

FINISH QUANTUM has a revolutionary multi-chamber technology with powerful enzymes to remove stuck-on food, POWERMAX bleach to attack tough stains, and JET-DRY gel for an amazing shine.

This little capsule is fabulous!  All three components are packaged into one, pre-measured capsule, which means there is no measuring or mess.  You simply pop it into the chamber and run the dishwasher like normal.  I have pots with white soapy residues that I have not been able to remove.  I used this several times over the last week and I am so impressed with how shiny those pots are.  My glasses don’t have spots on them, my coffee cups don’t have brown coffee/tea stains on them, and when I take my dishes out….they’re DRY thanks to Finish’s Jet-Dry Turbo Dry that I used with the Quantum capsules.  Here is a little more information about Jet-Dry Turbo Dry from the site:

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