I could be totally off base here, but I feel like we’re a pretty normal American family.
And I’m a pretty normal American mom. Meaning, we live life, we do hard things, I try my best, I want more for my kids, and I want to be intentional in what I do for my family and how we exist.
Basically, that’s a fancy way of saying that in theory I want to buy organic, free range, BPA free, homemade, natural ALL THE THINGS.
In theory.
But, at least in These Parts, money doesn’t grow on trees, and for as much as I really do want to be au natural, it’s not the cheapest gig. I have to balance cost and time into the Natural equation.
We’ve joined a CSA and even started juicing. Lest you think we’re uber healthy, I will inform you that my kids had dinosaur chicken nuggets, canned corn, and a Hawaiian sweet roll for dinner last night. Everything was beige. And processed. Tonight we’ll have locally grown, organic brussel sprouts. This is the dichotomy of my life.
I try but….Life, you know?
In fact, if you’ve read my blog for a while, you know that I make my own laundry detergent, and I’ve even been known to make my own cleaning products. It’s easy and inexpensive and fairly quick. Fairly.
I’ve been great about making my own detergent (I haven’t bought laundry soap in almost two years!), but the cleaning products often escape me. It may or may not have something to do with the husband, four kids, two dogs, cat, four chickens (did I mention we got chickens?), and of course, Abraham. Who, incidentally, is still NOT DEAD.
When I was offered the opportunity to review some of the natural cleaning products by The Honest Company I was really intrigued. I like things clean. CLEAN. But, the thought of all those chemicals and harsh ingredients kinda creep me out. In fact, I ordered a few extra items beyond my shop credit because I genuinely wanted to try this stuff out.
I placed my order, and within a day or two, the cutest packaging showed up on my doorstep: bathroom cleaner, floor cleaner, multi-surface cleaner, fruit and veggie wash, hair detangler, and a cute little brush.
It’s a little bit pathetic how excited I was to use them all.
Multi-surface cleaners are this funny paradox for me. On the one hand, I want things to be CLEAN. Disinfected. I mean, I have four kids and I cook just about every day. BUT…hello this is where our FOOD is prepared!!! Kinda gross to think that in the quest to clean my counter tops, I end up slathering it with all kinds of crazy chemicals.
I’ve used this everyday and love, love, love it. One of the things I noticed the most about Honest products were the scents. They are great. In this case, white grapefruit is this light, clean, almost breezy scent (if a smell can be breezy, that is)…in fact, I wish the scent was a little more powerful because it wasn’t that noticeable, but when I took a deep breath, it was lovely. (Yes, I just said lovely…but it was.) I rarely wish something smelled stronger, but this is a case where it would be nice.
I even used it to clean my stove top…which had crusted on nastiness from a few day’s before (yes, days…get over it). At first, I reached for my standard bleach laden cleaner assuming that there was no way this cute little bottle of natural would get it clean…but you know, I was supposed to be reviewing it…and I’ll be darned if it didn’t clean it right up without a hitch! (One would think I would have taken photos of this process. One would think.)
Eucalyptus mint will you marry me?
I’m not going to say that cleaning my bathroom was fun like a trip to Hawaii or a JT concert fun, but there was something about the fresh scent of the mint that put a little pep in my toilet cleaning step. I had the windows and doors of the house wide open, it was a beautiful spring day, and I kinda loved cleaning my bathroom.
Aromatherapy while I get rid of that boy smell. Brilliant. I’m a convert. Put in an order for a case of these, will ya?
I have the same qualms about cleaning floors as I do counter tops. My kids crawl around, roll, play, push cars and trucks…and all of my kids suck their fingers to sleep. I want it clean…but not chemical-y. This should fit the bill.
But, of all of the cleaners, this one was my least favorite. The citrus rosemary smelled kinda medicinal to me. It cleaned great, my floors looked pretty…but since I had just used it on my entire first floor, I have to admit that the scent was enough to make me not really want to try it again. It’s not an awful scent…just not as fun and light as the others. I’d totally buy this again and again if it came in a different smell. My floors were shiny and happy. I’m sure the company will jump right on that because I said so, right?
I’ve been meaning to try out a fruit and veggie spray now that we’ve been eating lots more produce, so this was a perfect opportunity. Now, I don’t know if it really cleans my veggies better than just water since I didn’t exactly bust out a petri dish and do a homeschool experiment ..but I will say that the packaging is cute enough that I can leave this out on my counter and it doesn’t look ugly and therefore drive me batty.
It doesn’t take much to make me happy.
The brush is cute. It brushes. It has aqua on it. Win.
Now remember when I said I’m a pretty typical mom? Well, this is one of those examples. Hair detangler for my two girls is a MUST. We go through it like crazy (and yes they use conditioning shampoo in the shower). This conditioning mist worked like a charm and the sweet orange vanilla scent? ORANGE CREAMSICLES. Best. Ever.
But…it’s a little bottle, and costs $5.95. Compared to the store brand bottle I buy normally, it’s literally 7 times more ounce per ounce. For as much as I truly want to incorporate as many natural products into our family routine, and I’m even willing to spend a little more for it…this probably isn’t going to happen. Loved the product. Just wish it was a little more affordable.
OKAY BUT WAIT…it’s my favorite part in all the land!!!!
So, you know, the truth is that anytime you buy things that are not mass produced on a global scale, it’s going to cost more money. And, you know, my bank account only has so many dollars in it, so I can’t always just buy whatever (see: conditioning mist)…but…
When you tell me that not only am I buying products that are natural…but they also support a great charity????
Now spending a few extra dollars doesn’t seem nearly as bad. I love how The Honest Company puts it:
We created this company because we care passionately about helping families – ALL families – and we believe that through ordinary purchases people can make a difference in this world.
As we fight to lower our prices without compromising the health and sustainability of our design, we realize there are still many families who cannot afford The Honest Company experience.
That’s not cool with us.
That’s why with every product you purchase, The Honest Company donates product, money, time, and effort to addressing critical health & social issues affecting children and families.
THIS THIS THIS. Times a million.
The sad truth is that as I hem and haw about spending $6 on hair detangler, there are so many moms who don’t have the luxury to devote even one iota of brain space to thinking of that. And frankly, why shouldn’t they??? Shouldn’t they be able to not fill their homes with crazy chemicals too?
It gets me really upset just thinking about the deep chasm between even the lower middle class and those living below the poverty line. Every. single. detail of life is affected. Even down to what we spray all over our counter tops. I know it sounds like minutae in the big scheme of things, but it isn’t. And it is all at the same time. I just love that The Honest Company believes that it matters. That non-toxic shouldn’t be a luxury.
The cool thing about these blogging opportunities is that it exposes me to companies and products I may not have otherwise ever tried. And I can genuinely say that I’m a fan of The Honest Company and there will be at least a few of their products in my cupboards from now on.
And, they even have FREE trials you can sign up for!
You can sign up for a free trial of their diapers and wipes, and/or for a free trial of cleaning products.
{Update: more information on the free trials…“With your free Trial Kit you will become enrolled as a MEMBER of The Honest Company. You have 7 days following receipt of your Trial Kit to cancel your membership at any time, for any reason. We will remind you about your membership options. If you choose to not cancel your membership, you will be charged $79.95 plus shipping and handling for your monthly supply of Diapers & Wipes, or $35.95 plus shipping and handling for your monthly supply of Family Essentials. We guarantee your complete satisfaction!” I still think it’s a great way to check out the product without committing to full sized bottles, but in the spirit of full disclosure, I wanted to include it here.}
In fact, in addition to your free trial, you can get $10 off a $40 purchase at The Honest Company using code Pollinate10off40. (Limited to first time customers and one use per customer. Expires 4/26/2013).
Will you be trying out The Honest Company? Tell me! I’d love to know!
You can learn more about The Honest Company on Twitter, Facebook, and they even have a cute blog!
“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and The Honest Company but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #NaturallyHonest http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.”
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As nice as the products sound, I can’t imagine spending $40 a month on cleaning supplies.
Agreed. I don’t think I could spend that much monthly either. But replacing as I need them is a good option for our family. :)
You can change your “monthly” subscription to every 6 weeks or even every 8 weeks if you don’t need them every month but they have so many products beyond just cleaning you might want to get. I have used them for a few months now and get a delivery every 6 weeks instead each month and have loved everything I’ve used so far!
I started on a monthly order, using the opportunity to stock up a bit on laundry detergent and hand soaps. Then I did a month or two of other stuff (floor and bathroom cleaner, multi-surface cleaner, the dish brush, shampoo, etc) and now we’re on an every 8 week delivery, mainly to replenish the hand soaps.
I’d love Honest to offer soap refills so we’re not ordering new pump bottles all the time. They said they’re researching the idea since it’s a popular one, but until then, I’m saving most of those empty bottles for other uses. :)
I felt the same way, but then I really paid attention to how often I go through my supplies. I switched it to an every 2 month cycle. :) They let you do that! Now for laundry detergent…lol I just buy better choices at the store. :)
We use a lot of Seventh Generation products. Off to check these out. Thanks for sharing.
I feel I must mention the catch to this “free trail”. The free trial actually costs $5.95 for shipping and you are automatically enrolled in their monthly service. Of course you can cancel within 7 days of receipt of your trial kit. But if you forget…you will be charged monthly “$79.95 plus shipping and handling for your monthly supply of Diapers & Wipes, or $35.95 plus shipping and handling for your monthly supply of Family Essentials” until you cancel.”
If you are like me, I have a tendency to forget to cancel this kind of stuff, because I have too much other stuff to remember. But. Hey. If you can remember to cancel if you don’t like it, it’s a great deal.
Hmmm…I didn’t realize that (although it doesn’t necessarily surprise me!).
A couple of notes: I tend to forget stuff like that too…but putting a reminder into my phone helps a TON.
Also, I just poked around and they do say “We will remind you about your membership options.” So it does sound like they’ll help you not forget. If that’s the case, I’m glad for it. No need to trick consumers, you know?
You know, I’m gonna update the post with this info. I wish I had realized the fine print or I would have included it from the outset. Although even still, it’s still a great way to try out the products before committing to full sized bottles. :)
I completely agree. This is a GREAT way to try these products! I didn’t mean to sound negative, but was just surprised that the free trial had fine print. But what doesn’t these days. :)
And honestly, I personally have issues with paying for shipping for anything. And that’s my problem. But $5.95 for liquids, which I’m sure is heavy, actually sounds reasonable to me. So if I could trust myself to cancel if I wanted to cancel (which I don’t even with a reminder) I would order this trial in a heartbeat.
oh, I don’t think you were being negative. But I was kicking myself that I didn’t look into it a little deeper to have the full disclosure. I don’t like readers to think I was trying to trick them…and $5.95 for shipping isn’t really free after all in my opinion either. A good deal yes. But not free. (And I hate paying for shipping too…so I totally get you.)
I signed up last spring and remember getting that reminder but I was ready to buy my first real order well before that 7 days was up. They also remind me in advance that I’m due for a shipment so I can switch out products if I want.
Samantha LeVan´s last blog post ..Samantha’s Dry Skin Routine
I use Dr. Bronners soap to clean just about everything in my house. The only thing I use heavy chemicals for is the soap scum in the shower. That calls for some bleach. I like the scents they have used.
seriously sassy mama´s last blog post ..Before And After… The Tale Of An Armoire.
Have you tried the vinegar and blue Dawn trick for the soap scum. Seriously works better than any harsh chemicals I’ve tried. Heat up a cup of vinegar to near boiling. Put a cup of blue Dawn in a spray bottle. Pour the hot vinegar into the bottle (use a funnel). Cap and gently shake/swish. Spray on the shower and leave on for a few hours to overnight. Wipes clean.
I just ordered! I can’t wait to try them and if I like them I will continue with the monthly plan. I have been looking for some great products for some time now!
Stephanie´s last blog post ..back from vacation land
I love using natural products, but honestly, they all smell weird. I am definitely more inclined to try these now that I hear they smell good. It’s such a shame that you have to pay more for less chemicals and I am really hoping that this starts to change soon
I have had this type of conversation/fight in my head plenty of times. I really want the best for my family and to expose them to as little chemicals as possible. Yet I find it so hard to find a balance. Every time I turn around there’s some new documentary or article how this is bad for you or that is actually good for you. Right now I’m in a battle whether my kids really need milk, with all the hormones put it in.
I consider my family to be lower middle class and we just can’t afford to buy organic all the time. I try my best to read labels and get things that are high fructose corn syrup free or lower in sodium or sugar free, but I feel like my hands are tied because of the financial expense. I’ve even tried making my own dish soap and laundry detergent, but the truth be told both adventures turned out horribly.
That being said, whenever I can get a great deal on some organic cleaning products or food, I’m all over it. And this free trial actually sounds pretty awesome. I also hate paying shipping for anything, but 5.95 doesn’t sound too bad. I think I’ll have to try it out. Thanks for the all the info. :)
I’ve been considering this company for a while….so I just signed up for the trial on the cleaning stuff. Since I don’t know if I’m having a boy or girl, I decided to hold off the diapers for now – but I want to try those too. I put a reminder in my phone too since I suck at remembering to cancel stuff…LOL
Kirsten´s last blog post ..Quick Update…
Ugh I wanted their products to be different but I read the ingredients and it’s the same old same old chemicals. Putting coconut after an ingredient doesn’t mean it’s a naturally occurring ingredient. It seems to be all processed chemicals.
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The ingredients in The Honest Co.’s products are actually quite mild compared to many other household cleaners. There’s a great website that I use to compare ingredients- Skin Deep. They are unbiased and rate most Honest products as a 1-3 on their scale- which is very good.
I’ve used these products for a year and mostly love them. I don’t use the cleaning products, just the body products, and I’ve been very happy with them.
kelli´s last blog post ..word-less wednesday.
You made a brief comment about the fruit and veggie wash and whether it really made a difference over plain water. I never thought I would need such a product, either, until I bought a bag of apples one day. Until about six months ago, we rarely bought fresh produce — it was all canned, dried, or frozen. However, my teenage girls and I wanted to make an apple pie from scratch so I bought a bag of apples. Imagine my surprise when I opened the bag and found the apples to be weirdly greasy like a piece of wax fruit you would find in a centerpiece on someone’s table. It turns out they were coated with food-grade wax, and water was not getting that off! Now I understand why my late mother-in-law, who never spent an extra penny for anything, had fruit and veggie wash on her kitchen counter.
Dani in NC´s last blog post ..No summer school for me
I like what Jessica Alba and her company is doing their part for the environment. However, organic, non-toxic products don’t have to be expensive. I use Shaklee Basic H2 and it is the least expensive, most effective non-toxic cleaning product I have ever used. This one product is safe enough to clean your fruits and veggies, but also cleans your windows, kitchen counters, floors, etc.
Renee Sullivan´s last blog post ..Banana for Breakfast Anyone?
Your blog is really helpful for me. As you know that my son is just six months old, and I want to know that I am using diapers to my son, but with that he is suffering from rashes and all. Now I don’t know that what should I do… But after visiting your blog, I really got great tips. I will definitely use these tips to him. Thanks a lot.
Really nice post. I just now stumbled upon a person’s website and also needed to express that I’ve got truly experienced browsing a person’s web site content. All things considered I will be opt-in for the supply i i do hope you publish yet again as soon as possible!
These products are really awesome. I really want to use these products. Thanks a ton for sharing such great honest company reviews with us.
honest company reviews´s last blog post ..Daily Deal: Only $30 Shipped for a Crane Ultrasonic Humidifier (Duck) and $275 for Stork Craft 3-in-1 Convertible Crib!
Want to make a bigger difference? Make your own homemade cleaners for a fraction of the cost, and reuse the same plastic containers over and over again – with no shipping. I don’t see how a monthly pile of plastic, cardboard, and fossil fuels for shipping are eco-friendly. Don’t get me wrong, I fell victim to pretty little flowers and the do-gooder ideology too. As a former customer, I can “Honestly” say that the products and company are not worth the money. Unless you can call customer service during their 8-5 work hours (my work schedule on a busy hospital floor doesn’t allow) , then you cannot adjust your membership online now in email. And don’t try to change your credit card information to prevent future shipments, b/c they will just use your old information and charge you anyway. Honest, hahaha.
I think you have missed the entire mission of the company and the customer base. The Honest Co. isn’t about minimizing the impact on the environment. It’s about minimizing the amount of chemicals we come in contact with every day. Sure, making my own concoctions would be ideal, but there are many people who don’t have the time to do it or would rather purchase a product than experiment themselves. The Honest Co.’s ingredients are quite mild in comparison to many other products out there. Sure the packaging is pretty, but it’s really about so much more.
You can adjust your membership by email. YOu have the option to adjust the ship date by selecting a date on the calendar and you can also set your shipments to either 4, 6, or 8 weeks apart. You do have to call to cancel (which I agree should be possible to do online). With all due respect though- It’s hard to believe that your work schedule is so busy that you can’t call during business hours. Do you not have a lunch break? I think it’s silly to fault a company because they don’t work 24/7 to be at your beck and call.
Correction- I didn’t mean to say you can update your membership by email. I meant you can update it online. :)
Honestly, speaking as a chemically-sensitive person, I would like to see some third-party testing organization look into what is in these products. Merely opening one and sniffing it has made me ill for over an hour. Clean your house with vinegar, baking soda and peroxide, folks. It’s cheap as dirt and truly nontoxic. I’m very very skeptical about the hype on these product now. Granted, my needs are more stringent than other people. But this hand soap is not even in the safe products ballpark.
What product made you sick? I’ve done a ton of research and these products seem to be mild compared to most. I have found the light fragrances to be refreshing, especially in comparison to the products they have replaced. I have mostly used the Honest bath/body products though. The only cleaning product I have tried so far is the laundry detergent– which I love.
hand soap
I found the lemon hand soap to be horrible! It smells like lemon Pledge. I do like the lavender hand soap though. It’s much more mild.
Jenna´s last blog post ..InstaFriday
\\(O) // <3
I’ve been using all of the Honest products (home/bath/body/baby) since the first part of the year and am still so smitten with them. I’m like a kid on Christmas morning when my packages arrive. Customer service has been top-notch and the products work fantastically well without irritating my allergy prone children or my crazy sensitive skin. They reformulated the shampoo and I don’t like the new version, but like that they did it to change ingredients customers weren’t keen on. The diapers are more absorbent than Huggies or Pampers, break down better and are non toxic…Translation: they’re an awesome alternative for when I can’t use cloth and for overnight. My son has yet to have a single blowout with them! I still use good ol baking soda, peroxide, vinegar and essential oils daily as well, but Honest products will have a permanent place in our home!
Thanks for some other amazing report. Wherever different might any individual obtain that form of facts such an excellent means of crafting? I’ve a presentation next 1 week, with this particular on the search for such information.
owany nagłą Dobra budowa. niemocą, tudzież
przecież wiedział, budowa [Jeffry] że owo suma ściema.
Że owe tenże ciul klejnoty rodzinne samemu
czyni.
Noc tudzież strugi deszczu, W mokrej ciemności majaczy aramidowy hełm.
Lśnią wilgocią
nitki torów, które giną w bruku, docierać okrzyki tudzież wrzaski, Skąd
ja owo znam?
Przeżyłem, w zeszłym przebywaniu? Winno posiadamy owe nuże w genach, pamięć
pokoleń.
Zebrał wszelkie powagi, pochylony.
Jeffry´s last blog post ..Jeffry
It’s an amazing deal. I am living alone in the city and I have to save money for my studies. After reading your post I got an idea which helps me in saving money which I spend on purchasing cleaning disinfectant earlier. Thanks for sharing with us…
Many of today’s youth fish in maryland think of fish as a breaded rectangle
that is a must. Gazed at the river and have many other places ideal for angling but are not made popular
to the public. Fishing has been decent despite the warm weather.
http://ii.ca/1417a´s last blog post ..http://ii.ca/1417a
We looked for safer wipes online for our son to avoid all the bad Parabens and Phenoxyethanol. We discovered this company and were actually seduced by their products and mission statement.
We ordered the Honest “FREE” sample package for $5.95 shipping to get a better idea of what to order in their entire catalogue.
Not only the diapers did not work better than the brand we were using before but they even created a terrible rash on our 16-month old son (or are these their wipes?).
The wipes are dry and stick to each other which must be pretty annoying on the long run.
So we decided not to go that route and look for another brand that would satisfy us and our son better.
Now the worst part begins !!!! What they call a “free trial” ends up being a monthly service where they stuff you for over $160 worth of products before you can even react and cancel it.
There is no actual way to cancel and manage your orders/subscriptions on their website, they force you to call their Customer Service(even an e-mail is not accepted).
We had to stay for 25 minutes on the line before talking to an operator who ended up offering a 15% discount on the bundles !!!
Seriously ??!!!?? You shoveled those products we never ordered down our throats and you don’t accept them back ?
Those $5.95 did cost us over $160 because we did not go and read the fine prints at the very bottom of the page and we are now sitting with all those products that are not suitable for our son.
OUTRAGED !
We even discovered after the fact that their wipes (maybe some other products as well, to be verified) were manufactured in CHINA!!!… How green is that?!?
And they call themselves the HONEST company… that’s ironic !
I totally understand being upset about a rash or sensitivity to a gentle product. Unfortunately, not everyone is sensitive to the same ingredients and so companies tend to create products for as much the majority as possible. That means there’s plenty of people who still can’t use them.
The bundle issue is pretty clear that it’s a subscription and they send you an email warning well before anything ships. Even if you don’t have time to cancel immediately, you can change your delivery schedule anytime, giving you up to 8 weeks to call and deal with it. Yes, I’d say it would be WAY easier if they’d let you cancel online, but they’re a business who wants to make a profit, so like any subscription service, they make you make the effort. I’m not defending it, because I tend not to sign up for services that require a subscription just because I fear what happens if I want to cancel.
Always read what you’re agreeing to when you buy something that’s a subscription service online. With the free deal, they give you warning before you sign up, after you’ve signed up, and before they ship anything.
Samantha LeVan´s last blog post ..Dr. Teal’s Foaming Bath Review
38 windows and 19 ladder climbs after the fact I see that most of my work has been in
vain. ll need a cleaning solution of a capful of ammonia mixed in two
gallons of water. Just because you don’t have someone renting out the property, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have it maintains, and it doesn’t mean
that you shouldn’t have the windows cleaned on a regular
basis.
window cleaning kits´s last blog post ..window cleaning kits