I never really thought about the nasty chemicals in household cleaners until I became pregnant. I became ultra sensitive to what I was using and what was in the products I used. I try not to even think about the dollar amount, of cleaning products, that I threw away (while nesting of course) because I no longer felt they were safe to have around the house.
During my pregnancy, I also became more aware of the smell of the chemicals in the cleaning agents and began to wonder if they smell that bad, how good are they for your to touch, breath, or be around. So I did a little digging. Did you know that, according to the EPA, ethylene-based glycol, used commonly as a water-soluble solvent in cleaning agents is classified as a hazardous air pollutant? or that Diethylene glycol found in window cleaners depresses the nervous system. What about: Butyl cellosolve, common in all-purpose, window and other types of cleaners, damages bone marrow, the nervous system, kidneys and the liver.
If you answered no to any or all of the above questions, don't feel too bad, neither did I.
How can this be, you ask. It is because even though cleaners are the only household product regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission under the Federal Hazardous Substances Labeling Act, their sellers aren’t required to reveal these products’ ingredients because they are considered "trade secrets". There is no law requiring manufacturers of cleaning products to list ingredients on their labels or to test their products for safety.
Who is looking out for the consumer?
In my search for a more natural cleaning product I came across
Shaklee. The
Shaklee Corporation develops and sells environmentally friendly products ranging from vitamins an
d diet aids, to cleaning products, and they even have a line for children. For Earth Day 2007, Oprah featured Shaklee's Get Clean Kit as one of her "going green" products and the
Shaklee Get Clean Starter Kit made the her 2007 Favorite Things List.
The
Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate can be mixed at varying strengths to make cleaners for multiple household needs from Windows, to Counters, even floors, and barbecues. According to the Shaklee site, the 16 ounces bottle makes up to 48 gallons of super powerful cleaner when mixed with water. Shaklee claims that the Basic H2 Cleaner can cut through the most stubborn grease and grime leaving no smeary residue and that it can remove dirt, grease and grime from any washable surface inside and out.
To get the most use out of your Super concentrate, you should pair it with the
Get Clean Spray Bottles. These bottles come labeled with instructions for mixing Basic H
2 for All Purpose Cleaning, Glass Cleaning, and Degreasing.
If you are like me, you are also concerned about the chemicals in baby products. Did you know that a baby's skin is five times thinner than that of an adult, this allows chemicals to be more easily absorbed. Babies also have a greater ratio of skin surface to body weight and as a result have a harder time flushing chemicals out of their systems.
How safe is the soap you are using on your baby's sensitive skin? What hazard rating does the product you currently use receive from the
Cosmetics Safety Database ?
Shaklee's Baby Gentle Wash received a low hazard rating of 1. Compare that to the 7 that Johnson and Johnson's Cucumber Melon Baby Wash received. Shaklee Baby Gentle wash is 99% natural and contains 87% organic ingredients. It is tested by pediatricians and is hypoallergenic.
Which would you rather use on your precious baby?
Over Thirty Mommy's Thoughts:
Shaklee Baby Gentle Wash: Loved the baby wash, it smelled fantastic. Everyone loves that "baby" smell and I received more comments on how great Wiggle Bean Smelled after using the
Shaklee Baby Gentle Wash than ever before. I didn't notice that it cleaned her better but I felt more at ease that it is made from natural/organic ingredients and received a low hazard rating on the
Cosmetics Safety Database.
Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate: I found this to be easy to mix, the pre-labeled bottles were very helpful. I used it on the hardwood floors in the kitchen and it worked well on all the sticky spots. I also tried it on the over the range microwave and refrigerator. Both are black and I had no issues with streaking. I used the Window cleaner strength on the fridge and the degreaser on the microwave. The window strength worked well on the bathroom mirror, leaving no spots or streaks. What I liked most was the smell, or lack there of! The "chemical" cleaner smell was non-existent. I noticed no odors at all.
Where to Purchase
Shaklee products are sold through independent distributors. The distributor that I work with is Brandy over at www.livin-healthy.com.
WIN IT!!!
Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and fail to include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.
How to Enter
Mandatory entry: Please visit Shaklee, come back and leave a comment about which product you would most like to try.
You must complete the mandatory entry before doing any extra entries.
Extra Entries (1 each)
- Follow Over Thirty Mommy publicly (join followers on right-hand sidebar)
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- Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites
- Grab my Blog Button and add it to your blog (let me know in your comment where I can find it)
- Post a blog about the giveaway on your site and link back to Over Thirty Mommy. (leave a link to your post in comment)
- 10 bonus entries!!!!! Make any purchase from Shaklee (this distributor only). (orders will be checked.)
Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Please leave a valid email address for winning notification purposes or make sure your blogger profile is public. Good luck!
Winner will be chosen via Random Drawing. Winners that I am unable to contact or who does not claim their prize within 72 hours of being sent their winning email notification will forfeit their prize.
Giveaway ends midnight PST on 11/2.
**Disclaimer: I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. I did receive product listed above to keep for my testing purposes. This is solely the opinion of Over Thirty Mommy. Other people may have different experiences with the product.**
