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Simple Steps…Green Your Clean! *Giveaway*

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

It was a blustery Saturday in Edinburgh and we were prepping to move out of our flat.  I took on the bathrooms, my husband the kitchen.  We didn’t know about toxic cleaners at the time.  Thankfully, hormones and intuition took over.  The smell was nauseating…I not only left the room…I left the flat to take a walk around the city.  It was the first time in my 20-something years of life that the smell of bleach and oven cleaner sickened me.  I remember growing up with the belief that the house wasn’t clean unless bleach and Pine Sol wafted into my bedroom.  My children are 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 months…and they’ve never smelled bleach, oven cleaner, or any other toxic cleaner.

As an eco-minded mom, I’ve spent a lot of time trying out different cleaning products to find the ones that best fit our family.  While I do use a product here or there from another company, I always come back to Seventh Generation’s cleaning products.  I started using them long before I started blogging…and I still use them to this day.  I’d really love to be able to make my own cleaning products.  I’ve even written articles on the topic. But I don’t have the time or the energy to do that.  So I opt for Seventh Generation’s cleaning products.

Seventh Generation has been a leader in effecting environmental change.  If you remember, I recently attended Expo West as their guest.  I had an opportunity to sit in on a Seventh Generation GIVE (Generation Inspiration via Education) session and learned a bit more about their new disinfectants which include a multi-surface cleaning spray, bathroom cleaning spray, and wipes.  If there are two areas I’d love to keep perpetually disinfected, it would be the kitchen and the bathrooms.  Seventh Generation uses thymol (derived from the herb thymne in this new line of products to kill germs naturally.  Thymol can kill over 99.99% germs naturally and is effective against Influenza A virus (including H1N1).  If you’ve ever used CleanWell hand sanitizers, Seventh Generation’s cleaners smell just like them.

I’ve always been impressed with how well the company’s cleaning products work.  Most importantly, I don’t have to have the entire family leave the house when I clean and I don’t have to wear a mask (something I used to do with conventional cleaners).  I always keep cleaning products up in a shelf in our garage, away from our children. But I know that they would not cause the kind of harm conventional cleaners would inflict if accidentally gotten into.

Seventh Generation partnered with eco-lifestyle consultant and author Alexandra Zissu.  Her book, The Conscious Kitchen, details what’s good for your health and the planet.  The book is incredibly resourceful and answers questions like, What is a GMO?, What seafood should I eat?, How might I differentiate between products deemed “natural,” and Which plastics should I avoid?  Here are some of her kitchen tips:

Avoid cleaning products with VOCs (volatile organic compounds)

Avoid cleaning products that must be sprayed onto surfaces unless they don’t require a “rinse” step

Use a product with a natural, EPA-registered disinfectant (particularly in places like the bathroom)

Use rags in place of paper towels unless they’re recycled and unbleached

Use a sponge without antimicrobial pesticides.  Be sure to clean it regularly (2 minutes in the microwave or 3 minutes in boiling water)

Wash your hands

For more information on Seventh Generation’s new line of botanical disinfectants, just visit their website.

One of you will win a Seventh Generation Disinfecting Cleaning Kit which includes a Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner, Bathroom Cleaner, Wipes, 2 rolls of 100% recycled unbleached paper towels, The Conscious Kitchen, and a cleaning caddy made from recycled plastic.  Simply leave me a comment with one way you keep your family safe from chemicals OR the best thing you’ve done for the environment this year.  Comments will close on April 24, 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.

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.

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.  A product sample was supplied for review and giveaway via MyBlogSpark.

Caryn Bailey
Latest posts by Caryn Bailey (see all)

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185 Responses to Simple Steps…Green Your Clean! *Giveaway*

  6. The best thing I’ve done for the environment this year was to choose organic cloth diapers over disposables for my newborn.

    Reply

  16. i have tried to switch to greener chemicals this yr…but i also try to keep my son safe from chemicals, by cleaning the bathrooms at night when he is asleep…i always feel that the smell in cleaning a bathroom can be noxious
    [email protected]

    Reply

  24. Bought the whole family stainless steel bottles to stop the plastic bottle abuse
    tvollowitz at aol dot com

    Reply

  28. I got an Activeion Ionator recently. It uses ionized water molecules to clean–without any chemicals at all. The thing is amazing and I love that I don’t have to use (or buy!) so many expensive and harmful chemical-laden products.

    Reply

  33. I have been switching my cleaning products over to “green” products. I use a lot of vinegar and backing soda to clean with

    Reply

  42. The best thing I’ve done for the environment this year is to have our family quit using the plastic water bottles.

    Reply

  47. I keep my family away from harsh chemicals by using as many natural cleaning aids I can….I use baking soda instead of a comet type cleaner…I use vinegar instead of window cleaners.

    Thank you. 🙂

    Reply

  50. I only use nasty chemical free products to clean my home. I feel a lot better about keeping these harmful chemicals out of my home PLUS I find that the new products I have been using actually work BETTER and smell ten times better!

    Reply

  52. The best thing I did this year was to sell my car. I now share with my daughter, and bike to many errands. No carbon footprint any more, at least not as much.

    Reply

  56. I keep my family safe from chemicals by keeping them up high and locked well out of the way of little fingers!

    Reply

  57. I buy organic when possible and I use only green cleaners. I even got a new vacuum with the UV light to kill germs without chemicals.

    Reply

  58. The best thing you’ve done for the environment this year is to recycle newspapers. jgs0925 at gmail dot com

    Reply

  60. i have started to make the switch to organic foods… i buy as much as i can afford within my budget
    oheeyore at hotmail dot com

    Reply

  63. I recycle weekly. Including taking items from my families homes who do not have the pick up service available to them.

    Reply

  69. the best thing I do for the environment is recycle and use all natural cleaners when I can afford to buy them.

    Reply

  74. I keep my home safer by making almost all my own cleaners. This year we made the biggest impact to the environment by stopping the use of disposable paper products. No more napkins, paper towels, or swiffers. We use reusable everything.

    Reply

  82. I’ve almost completely gone to more natural cleaners – make my own with vinegar, lemon juice (from my own lemon tree), baking soda… and use elbow grease with cut up t-shirts!

    I think my best contribution to the environment this year has been the expansion of the holding capacity of my rainwater harvesting system! I can now capture up to 3400 gallons! And, if I use the water for my garden between storms, even more over the course of the year!

    Reply

  84. Best thing I’ve done for the environment is recycle nearly everything. I separate my trash and almost throw away nothing but food waste (that’s compostable).

    Reply

  88. The best thing I’ve done for the environment this year is to cut our weekly trash down to one small bag by using reusable shopping bags and recycling everything possible.

    Reply

  89. The best thing I’ve done for the environment this year is I participated in a local beach clean up with some of my friends…we had fun talking, it was a healthy day out, and best of all the beach was spotless for the afternoon once everyone was done!

    Reply

  90. Best thing I have done for the environment this year: knitted a set of 7 dishcloths for myself. I use one every day and toss it in the wash. It has cut down on my use of paper towels tremendously.

    nupur.kittur AT gmail DOT com

    Reply

  91. I try to use reusable, bpa-free water bottles, and reusable grocery bags. I also clean with soap, vinegar, and baking soda primarily.

    knitmomma (at) gmail (dot) com

    Reply

  93. Our town’s recycling motto for paper: “If you can rip it, you can recycle it.” I follow it to the letter as best I can!

    Also, I recycle all items #1-7 with recycle triangles, I use hand towels whenever I can at home, I turn the water off when I brush my teeth, I turn out lights when I leave a room for more than 30 seconds (when I can), I am working towards taking shorter showers, working towards using my car less often for errands in same area (when I can just walk), using reusable food tote, reusable bags, reusable thermos for coffee/tea, reusable containers to bring my own food to work, using healthier cleaning products, more plants in my house.

    If I think of more, I will let you know.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    Lisa
    [email protected]

    Reply

  97. We’ve been using more biodegradable cleansers and switched over to CFLs. I like finding new cleansers that allow me to actually breathe while cleaning!

    Reply

  99. We have a big yard, and I think it’s worth paying for the organic (no or minimal chemicals) lawn care to keep that nasty stuff away from the bodies of the little ones who roll around in the grass.

    Thanks for the chance to win!

    Reply

  101. I try my best, when it’s within my budget, to buy green and eco-friendly. I also am more intentional with recycling.

    Reply

  103. The best thing I did for the enviroment this year is installing water timers in the showers, it helps conserve water.
    tamben7996(at)aol(dot)com

    Reply

  105. The best thing I’ve done for the environment is becoming a SAHM. I used to drive an hour to work each way. *sigh* Glad that’s over for the environment and myself!
    jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply

  107. We do a lot for the earth – recycle, compost, grow organic veggies, hang our laundry, open the windows and turn off the ac on cool days, buy organic food/clothes, use earth friendly cleaners, etc. It’s really, really important to me to set a good example for my daughter.

    Reply

  108. We started recycling this year..it’s super easy and amounts to about half our garbage being recycled now!

    Reply

  110. We’ve been switching our household cleaning products over to natural alternatives, driving less, and growing our own organic veggies and fruits.

    Reply

  118. The best things I did for the environment this year are: learned to recycle when we lived in Oregon for 6 months and now own stainless steel water bottles. Would love to try Seventh Generation products. Thanks.

    otterfishy2 (at) yahoo (dot) com

    Reply

  120. We bought bikes for everyone in the family so that we could ride all over our small town instead of driving.

    Reply

  122. The best thing I do for the environment is talking to the public as a volunteer docent at the zoo. We emphasize environmental issues.

    Reply

  130. We recently purchased a rain barrel to use this summer for watering our plants and garden.
    Thank you so much for the chance to win.

    jweezie43[at]aol[dot]com

    Reply

  132. The best thing I have done for the environment this year is to participate in a local beach clean up day!

    Reply

  136. I try to buy natural cleaners instead of the regular commercial kind. Recently, I have been experimenting with my own recipes like cleaning out a clogged sink with vinegar and baking soda down the drains, followed by boiling water.

    Reply

  139. The best thing I’ve done for the environment this year is recycle almost everything! We have more recyclable items on trash day than actual garbage. I’m sure our recyclable pickup crew appreciates us too as we don’t put out dirty recyclables, glass we wash and rinse out bottles and aluminum. No bad odors coming from my trash.

    Reply

  155. We have tried to replace our use of disposable items with ones that are reusable…..such as cloth towels and napkins instead of paper ones for example. Also, our son is doing his Eagle Scout project in May and will be planting 300 saplings! Thanks so much!

    Reply

  167. Best ting we have done for the enviroment is recycle our plastic, glass and tin and using tote bags.

    Reply

  181. I keep my family safe from chemicals by using natural products in my house
    and the chemicals I do have are stored safely away

    Reply

  184. The best thing I’ve done for the environment this year is switch my traditional light bulbs for CFL ones.

    Reply

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