Seventh Generation Review & Giveaway

“No, I will not clean my house with harsh chemicals that trigger my asthma and pollute the air my daughter breathes.” I made that pledge to myself and my family when I became pregnant with my daughter in 2007, and it has become increasingly easier to keep that pledge as more products come on the market made from natural, plant-based materials. And guess what – they work just as well as the harsh chemicals!

One of the leaders in environmentally-friendly cleaners and household products is Seventh Generation. Although I see its products everywhere, I have to admit I had never tried this brand. Seventh Generation was generous enough to send me a spring cleaning kit that included a Multi-Surface Cleaner, Bathroom Cleaner, Disinfecting Wipes, 2 rolls of paper towels, a cleaning supply caddy and a book “The Conscious Kitchen.”

The first test to me is always the smell test. While none of the products smell like roses…  I am happy to say they don’t have that harsh chemically smell that makes me gag and triggers my asthma problems. (All of the products I received have a Lemongrass & Thyme scent, but I could really only tell the wipes were scented.)

My one complaint about the products is the paper towels. I had high hopes for the paper towels, which are made of 100% recycled, unbleached paper. According to the package, “If every household in the U.S. replaced just one roll of 120 ct. virgin fiber paper towels with 100% recycled ones, we could save: 933,00 trees; 2.4 million cubic feet of landfill space, equal to 3,700 full garbage trucks; 305 million gallons of water, a year’s supply for 2,700 families of four; and avoid 59,600 tons of emissions.” All compelling reasons to switch. Unfortunately, as compelling as the packaging is – the actual towels were not. They don’t absorb water, and they shred with use. They give “green” products a bad name. The one positive feature to the towels, they last FOREVER. I don’t know why, maybe my husband was secretly using our standard towels somehow, but one roll has lasted a long time and we normally go through paper towels quick.

My favorite product was the wipes. I love the ease of disinfecting wipes, and I actually liked the light scent to these. I foresee more of these in our general supply. The next Seventh Generation product I want to try, the Automatic Dishwasher Detergent Pacs.

Oh, and of course, all Seventh Generation products are packaged in recyclable materials!

Buy it – You can buy Seventh Generation products at Babies R US, Toys R Us, Winn Dixie, Publix, Target and many more retailers. You can also buy them online on Amazon. If you are gonna buy, here is a link to lots of printable coupons. PLUS, right now there is a $5 rebate when you purchase any 3 Seventh Generation products.

Win it – Want to win your own Spring Cleaning pack from Seventh Generation? (Of course you do.)

Mandatory Entry – Leave a comment on this post tell me what you do to help make your home “green.”

More opportunities to win (leave a separate comment for each additional entry you do):

• Follow TheSuburbanMom on Twitter (@SuburbanMomClub) and tweet about this give away. “I just entered to win a Seventh Generation spring cleaning kit from TheSuburbanMom at http://wp.me/pQHaE-rd” (Or just use the retweet button)
• Become a fan of TheSuburbanMom on Facebook. (Already a fan, that counts too, just leave a comment.)
• Enter any of my other giveaways! (1 entry for this giveaway per entry on another giveaway – leave a comment for each.)
• Tell a friend! (I have to take your word on this one.) Tell a friend about TheSuburbanMom, this contest or to become a fan of my Facebook fan page and leave a comment telling me what you did to share. (1 entry only)

Sorry this giveaway is now closed, but feel free to enter any of my other current giveaways here.

Contest ends April 22, 2010 at 5 pm – EARTH DAY. Open to U.S. residents in the continental U.S. only. Winning comment will be chosen at random by Random.org and contacted for shipping information. Winner will have 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Discloser – I was given the spring cleaning kit from Seventh Generation to review for this post, all thoughts and opinions are expressly my own. No other compensation was received.