Review & Giveaway: Seventh Generation Cleaning Kit

Taking care of 2 toddlers, working two part time jobs and keeping up with housework all while pregnant with my third child wasn’t very successful for me.  Since quitting one of my jobs to stay home with my children, I’ve been on a mission to get my house back in order.  Since my first pregnancy I’ve been very interested in green cleaning.  I didn’t want to be around chemicals while growing a baby inside me, nor did I want that baby to be around chemicals after his birth.   I started using vinegar and water for the majority of my household cleaning tasks and found that it works quite well.  Through this blog, I have had the opportunity to try several different commercially produced green cleaning products.  I’ve always found them suitable but tend to go back to my vinegar.

Recently, I was able to try out a new line of botanical disinfectant cleaners made by Seventh Generation:  a multi-purpose cleaning spray, bathroom cleaning spray and wipes.  These products contain tymol, a component of the herb thyme and can be used on hard surfaces including counter tops, plastic cutting boards, highchair trays and children’s toys.  They kill over 99.99 percent of germs naturally- including Influenza A and H1N1!  Now that’s a potent herb!

While these products did a pretty good job of cleaning and I loved the convenience of the wipes, I didn’t care for the smell of them- “Thyme & Lemongrass”. The fragrance was quite strong and medicinal. Call me weird, but I still prefer vinegar. If you are wanting to go green with your cleaning products, I would definitely recommend trying Seventh Generation and any other brand that catches your eye. Removing chemicals from your cleaning regimen is a worthy goal, so find what works for you!

Seventh Generation has partnered with eco-lifestyle consultant and author, Alexandra Zissu, whose new book, The Conscious Kitchen, discusses what’s good for your health, what’s good for the planet and what tastes great. Her book also includes great tips on maintaining a green and healthy kitchen, including:

• Change is Good
  Choosing cleaning products without indoor air pollutants like volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, is a simple and effective way to reduce your indoor air pollution. If you’re not prepared to switch everything overnight, start by swapping out the one product you use the most, and moving forward from there.
• Think before you spray
  Residues from cleaning products can last on a surface for longer than we we’d like to know and travel to areas that we sometimes don’t intend them to. Don’t contaminate your food by prepping it on a surface that may contain harsh chemical residues – rinse cleaning products from food preparation surfaces carefully or use botanical disinfecting cleaners that do not require a rinse step.
• Home is Where the Clean Is
  Your standard cleaners are good for removing soils and dirt from kitchen surfaces, but to tackle germs you need a cleaner that is effective against microbes like bacteria and viruses. Many cleaners contain ingredients that have antimicrobial properties such as vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, but the germ killing power of these is not necessarily guaranteed. To be sure you are killing germs, use an EPA registered disinfectant. Seventh Generation tapped into the disinfecting power of the common garden herb thyme, to provide a disinfecting cleaner that kills germs* naturally.
• Make the Old New Again
  Think twice about the items that you’re using to clean and dry your kitchen equipment and dishes. Use rags (like old t-shirts and washcloths) instead of paper towels. If you aren’t prepared to kick your paper towel addiction just yet, use only recycled versions that are unbleached or haven’t been whitened with chemicals containing chlorine and see how long you can make a roll last.
• The Writing is on the … Sponge
  Be sure to read the fine print on sponges and only purchase those that do not contain antimicrobial pesticides. Remember to store sponges in a dry place and frequently clean them by popping plastic sponges wet in a microwave for two minutes or boiling sponges for three minutes in water.
• Mom Was Right, Wash Your Hands
  Wash your hands with soap and water before and after prepping food, and always before eating. So much of what can be potentially harmful in a kitchen can be reduced by this simple act that doesn’t require any harsh chemicals whatsoever.

Complimentary products, information, and prize pack have all been provided by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark for this review; however, all opinions expressed are our own. We were not compensated in any other way for this review. See Mommies with Cents disclosure policy for more details.

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