Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent Review and LIVE Giveaway!

Did you know that the laundry detergent you may be using could contain little-known chemicals called optical brighteners? According to scientific research, these can cause allergic reactions, are toxic to small fish and other aquatic life, and can pollute your waterways.

When ultraviolet light hits optical brighteners coating your clothing, the brighteners convert UV rays into visible light to create an optical illusion. This tricks the eye into thinking the clothing is whiter and brighter, and therefore cleaner than it really is.

So how can you avoid these optical brighteners? Seventh Generation makes it easy because their laundry detergents are not only free of optical brighteners, but they’re also non-toxic . In addition, because Seventh Generation liquid laundry detergents are both hypo-allergenic and biodegradable, you can rest easy knowing you made a considerate choice for your family and the environment.

When washed in a conventional laundry detergent that contains optical brighteners, clothes appear to glow under a black light. When you use Seventh Generation liquid laundry products, you won’t see the same glow on your clothing.

Take a look at the experiment in this photo below. Two identical organic cotton shirts were washed; one was washed in a conventional laundry detergent that contains optical brighteners and the other in Seventh Generation laundry detergent which does not use optical brighteners!

My daughter has sensitive skin, and if I switch detergent she usually breaks out in hives. Even some of those "clear" detergents don't work with her skin. I love Seventh Generation Laundry detergent because it not only cleans clothes well, but it doesn't make her break out in hives. Even the dryer sheets are great for her sensitive skin.

Right now, you can get a jump start on our LIVE giveaway tonight between 8-9pm EST on TWITTER and Facebook. We will be taking all entries received and announcing the giveaway winner at the end of the hour.

So, spread the word by tweeting this below and get your entries started!

Plz R/T: Join the party & Enter to WIN a @SeventhGen Laundry Prize Pack from 8-9pm EST TONIGHT with www.4BabyAndMom.com through #myblogspark

For more information about Seventh Generation laundry products, please visit www.seventhgeneration.com/no-glow, or sign up for their newsletter at http://www.seventhgeneration.com/community. Be sure to visit Seventh Generation on Facebook and on Twitter to “Like” and “Follow”, so that you can keep up with the latest news from Seventh Generation. Additionally, you can click here to save $1 on the purchase of any Seventh Generation Laundry Product.


The prize packs and information were all given to us from Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark.

Read more...

Seventh Generation "Back to School" Disinfecting Kit *Review + Giveaway*

'Back to School' brings more than just the return of pencils and books, unfortunately it also marks the return of all things icky. Schools are a hub for runny noses, cough, sneezes, and germs up the wazoo. Help your child pick up only the ABC's this year and hand your child's teacher some disinfecting wipes from Seventh Generation during orientation.

From Seventh Generation:

With nearly 22 million school days lost each year due to the common cold and flu (CDC) and as many as 2.7 million bacterial found per square inch on common school surfaces (NSF International), it´s no wonder that 82 percent of parents with kids in grades K-5 fret about the germs in their children´s classrooms (according to a survey conducted by Seventh Generation).

This school year, Seventh Generation is sharing tips from best-selling author and pediatrician, Dr. Alan Greene, to help parents protect their child´s health during back-to-school season. Dr. Greene suggests taking the following precautions:

Optimize the immune system:
Reap the benefits of probiotics like those found in yogurt. A recent study showed that children who received enough probiotics daily throughout the cold and flu season had a significant reduction in the number of illnesses they had and, when they did get sick, the symptoms were both milder and didn't last as long.

Be sure your child is getting plenty of vitamin D from the sun, from food, or from a supplement.

Build a strong foundation. Good food, good sleep, and good physical activity all help the immune system to flourish.

Be wise about reducing unnecessary exposure to harmful germs
Teach children the key times to clean their hands in the classroom. The most important times include after sneezing, coughing or using the restroom, upon leaving "high-risk" places (recess, naptime, play stations) and before meals or snacks.

Sixty percent of teachers surveyed said that they request that parents donate disinfecting wipes to the classroom. Seventh Generation´s disinfecting wipes kill 99.99% of germs* naturally using the active ingredient thyme, a component of thyme oil which is derived from the herb thyme.


Stress the importance of not touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

Demonstrate to your children how to cover their mouth and nose for every cough and sneeze. This simple maneuver has spectacular results in decreasing the spread of viruses and bacteria floating about the room, waiting to be inhaled.
*Refer to disinfecting product labels for full details

Thanks to MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generation, I was able to review a "Back to School Kit" that included a Seventh Generation backpack, two canisters of Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes (one for home and one to donate to your child´s classroom), disinfecting multi-surface spray cleaner, facial tissue and paper towels. The arrival of these products came at the most opportune time- right after I was starting to get over a horrible case of strep throat! I put the disinfecting products to great use, going over any surface I could think of where germs are easily spread.

I love the fact that Seventh Generation products are natural cleaning products, and that it's safe for me to have the kids help me disinfect, without exposing them to harsh chemicals. The both of the kids didn't particularly care for the scent, but they both have learned that when they smell Seventh Generation cleaners, mommy's 'killing bad germs'.

According to the label, the disinfecting wipes and multi-surface cleaner kills over 99.9% of household germs, specifically Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Influenza A on hard, nonporous surfaces.

Teachers could really benefit from having the disinfecting line of products from Seventh Generation in the classroom to help kill the flu dead in it's tracks. Along with the tissues and baby wipes, pencils and crayons, this year we'll be including some Seventh Generation disinfecting products in our 'Back to School' supplies.

Our friends at Seventh Generation have offered one lucky reader their chance to win the same Back to School Disinfecting kit for their home or school!

This giveaway is open to residents of the US. This giveaway will end on August 22, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org, and all winner information will be posted on our WINNERS PAGE and on this post. Any unclaimed prizes will be redrawn accordingly and at the discretion of 4BabyAndMom. Special thanks to Seventh Generation and MyBlogSpark for allowing us to write about this promotion. The prize pack above was given to me at no cost to evaluate and to thank me for posting this review. As always, what you have read is strictly the opinion of 4BabyAndMom. Your opinions may differ.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER!

Please refer to our WINNERS PAGE for more information on how to claim your prize.

Read more...

Seventh Generation Review + Giveaway

Thanks to MyBlogSpark, the 4BabyAndMom team was given the opportunity to try the new Seventh Generation Disinfecting Cleaning Kit. The cleaning caddy came packed with Multi-Surface Disinfecting Spray, Wipes, Bathroom Cleaner, two rolls of recycled paper towels, and the book,The Conscious Kitchen.

Seventh Generation is a 20 year old company based out of Burlington, Vermont that is notorious for their all natural non-toxic cleaning products. They not only give back to their planet, but they give back to their community.

I hate to clean, but with two kids and a dog, I find myself cleaning almost all of the time. The choices I make reflect on my household, and recently I've been trying to take the steps to a "greener" home. Choices that are healthy and safe for my family and my pet. One of the struggles I've had is finding products that kill germs, because my kids touch everything, and tend to have their fingers or hands in their mouths often.

Seventh Generation has created a line of naturally disinfecting product recognized by the EPA using the oil from thyme, Tymol, to kill germs that lead to common colds,influenza, salmonella, H1N1, and more. They disinfect as you clean, and leave no harmful residue on any surface germs can get to.

Most "green" cleaners say they cut grease and grime just as good as the products our mother's used, but I can honestly say that I was very impressed with the quality of clean left behind. The Multi-Surface cleaner I abused all over the kitchen, and the wipes were heaven-sent. The bathroom cleaner was great on the tiles in the tub. I liked the paper towels because of the fact that they were made from 100% recycled paper, and that they were unbleached. They worked relatively well for cleaning, but weren't tough enough for my kids spills or dog accidents- which is the major use of regular paper towels in my home.

The scent is very strong in this line of products. For me, it wasn't unbearable,  but for Marissa it was completely different. It has a very strong "ben-gay" style scent, which she found very overwhelming. I used my products in moderation and spread out, so I wasn't overwhelmed, but I could definitely smell it. We both would prefer trying other scents if made available.

The book, The Conscious Kitchen by Alexandra Zissu gives great tips to be good to both the earth and your body. This book covers topics like cutting energy bills, avoiding pesticides in food, and recipes for tasty, healthy meals.

From the book & MyBlogSpark:

• 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.

*Refer to product labels for full details 

Our friends at MyBlogSpark is giving one of our lucky readers the opportunity to win a prize pack of their own!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER!

This giveaway is open to residents of the US. This giveaway will end on April 25, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org, and all winner information will be posted on our WINNERS PAGE and on this post. Any unclaimed prizes will be redrawn accordingly and at the discretion of 4BabyAndMom. Disclosure: I received this product to review at no cost from MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generations to review and share my own opinions on. I received no monetary compensation for this review, and any opinions expressed are 100% my own. Your experience with this product and company may differ.

Read more...