Let's Talk: Green Clean
This post was made in partnership with Seventh Generation. As always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog, without them I wouldn't be able to do what I love!
Today in honour of Earth Month I wanted to talk a bit about a pretty major change I made in my home a few years ago, and that I'm still sticking with today... swapping out my household items for more green cleaning products and more specifically, Seventh Generation products.
Truth be told, I'd never thought much about the importance of plant-based household products until I brought Herman home about 7 years ago. I noticed that any time I'd clean the floors, Herman would have a little fit – sneezing and making strange noises. A quick internet search led me to the answer: the harsh chemicals in my cleaner were not good for him, especially as a little guy who's only 5 lbs!
I immediately went out and swapped out all of our household items; cleaners for our floors, washrooms, our dishes (hey, we wash Herman's dishes too!) and of course, our laundry products. Herman spends most of his time napping (usually in our bed) or cuddling on me, which means that he's always in contact with whatever we put in the laundry. I didn't want him to be in such close contact with any harsh chemicals. It took that moment to fully put into perspective that if I'm worried about chemicals affecting Herman, I should be worried about them for my own health and its impact on the environment too.
That's where Seventh Generation comes in. Seventh Generation was the first plant-based brand I ever tried and I've been using their products ever since. Seventh Generation products are created with a mindfulness that considers the next seven generations. From the development of their products, how they care for their employees, the use of recycled packaging to the plant-based ingredients such as essential oils and botanical extracts, Seventh Generation takes care at every step to create products that are effective, safe (when used as directed) and mindful. What's not to love about that?!
A few other reasons I love my Seventh Generation laundry detergent:
- It's easy to find! Seventh Generation plant-based solutions are available at select Real Canadian Super Store, Whole Foods, Metro, London Drugs and Save on Foods locations, and online at Amazon.ca and Well.ca.
- They're plant-based! Seventh Generation detergent is made with 97% plant-based ingredients with no dyes, optical brighteners or synthetic fragrances which is amazing!
- It's great for sensitive skin! James and I both have mildly sensitive skin (not to mention our sensitive little Herman) so for us the Free & Clear fragrance-free detergent is perfect! The fragrance-free detergent is also what we use to wash all of Herman's bedding and toys too.
-It works! Obviously the most important factor here is does the product actually work? Seventh Generation detergents have been tested on 60 of the toughest stains and from my own personal experience, using this product for years, we love it! We wash our clothes, towels, cushion covers, bedding and even Herman's toys using this detergent.
- Nothing is hidden! As consumers we have the right to know what's in the products we buy. I appreciate that you can see all of the ingredients used in Seventh Generation products right on the label. Yay for transparency!
-There are so many options! Whether you want to use regular liquid detergent, concentrated detergent, detergent pods or powders, there's a product for you! Check them out here
So the message here today, that I really want to get across is, learn about the products you're using in your home. When you think about it – our skin is our largest organ and everything we wear or wrap ourselves in or lay our heads on at night is coming into direct contact with a part of your body that affects your entire health. For me, that information alone was enough to kick start my continual quest to become more aware of the products I use in my day to day life. And Seventh Generation has become a totally accessible, effective and important part of my cleaning routine.
Are you a green clean fan? What about other areas of your life? Let me know in the comments below!
