Organic Needle

I Take Back Anything Nice I Have Ever Said About 7th Generation Cleaning Products

Posted by organicneedle in green cleaning, product review

Which hasn’t been a whole lot to begin with. A few weeks back I reviewed their dishwasher detergent and gave them a generous…doesn’t completely suck. Ahhhh…what a naive fool I was. It, in fact, does completely suck. I may be saving the world from phosphates but I am certainly not saving any energy or water. I often have to run the machine 2x…or simply hand wash everything because the detergent doesn’t dissolve…meaning many dishes are coming out dirtier than going in. I have used the vinegar rinse…no difference. I have tried not over crowding…no difference. Not for nothing…but when I was using the old toxic brand Electrasol I could put things in there with entire meals caked on and they would come out spotless…no pre-rinse, no rinse agent, no after washing. Now I don’t plan on going back to a phosphate brand but this is ridiculous. I am using at least 2x the water and energy if not more. There must be a better alternative!

While I am sharing my warm fuzzies about 7th Generation, let me share with you a little discovery…Planet. I was using 7th’s liquid soap for hand washing dishes but this stuff is soooooo much better. It actually cuts grease. Who would’ve thunk a green cleaner could do it? (Planet’s auto dish detergent doesn’t get such rave reviews.)

Don’t even get me started on 7th generation laundry products. Trust me, you don’t have that kind of time. Nor have I mastered enough profane vocabulary to express my feelings fully. (I really do need to go back to teaching middle school so I can bank up on the bad words for just such a review.) Planet does make a well reviewed powder detergent that I will be investigating soon. I’ll keep you posted.

So… yes…while I will still allow 7th to produce wipe for my who-diddly-whos…that is about all they will be doing in this house. But that in and of itself is quite an honor, no?

Why Yes…I am Peppermint Scented from Head to Toe: Burt’s Peppermint Shower Soap Review

Posted by organicneedle in green cleaning, plastic, product review

But….why are you sniffing my toes Strange Man on subway? A few months back we discovered the very cool Burt’s Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar . Well…it has completely replaced the big ol’ plastic shampoo bottle in our house with surprisingly no complaints from the family, unlike my recent dental care swaps. (Yes, my husband actually took the time to go out and buy his own tube of Colgate. Some husbands cheat, gamble, dress up like Cher. Mine squirrels away conventional toiletries. Such a bad ass, no?) Yes, yes, there is an actual review coming. Loooove it. I smell minty. And it has little gritty bits to buff… everything. At $4.89 a bar it is not the cheapest…but not insane. Packaging couldn’t be better: paper box with NO plastic wrapper inside or out. The only real problem is that it is exactly the same color as my shampoo bar. After a few washes the carved letters indicating which is which go bye bye. I’m sure I will be able to think of some complicated system for keeping them straight- like two separate soap dishes. Certainly don’t want to be washing my head with my hiney soap. Although…now they are equally as minty.

Oh…and the Failure Continues.

Posted by organicneedle in family, green cleaning, recycling

The hubby has revolted. Now Mr. Needle is fair game for most of my ideas…for a time. And some he has even grown to love…like the Burt’s shampoo bar. Others…are facing a dim future. Yesterday he informed me that after a week of the 7th Generation paper…he was feeling a need to go back to the good stuff. (Meanwhile there is an entire case of 7th is sitting in the hall closet…shhhhhhhhh.) I really thought I would crack first. After going through natural childbirth twice I kinda felt like my nether regions should be pampered forever, carried about on a silk pillow by several attendants….and yet I have not been crying at the bowl. I must have developed that infamous perineal callus of the eco wipers. Obviously I still have a case…literally a case to work with. Maybe he too will develop a quality ass scab.

*Oh and did I mention he went out and bought like 10 Scotchbrit sponges! He claims the avocado netting isn’t working. Good thing he is cute or the worms might be getting a little protein in their bin.

When Going Green Goes Stinky

Posted by organicneedle in green cleaning

Do you ever get tired of everyone touting their eco successes? Ooooooo….look at me…I’ve managed to reduce my footprint ever so effortlessly…and made a pie while I was at it. If instead, you would love to hear about the utter failures, the sorrow, the misery…well today is your lucky day.

I have tried, sincerely tried, to increase the amount of clothes that I dry outside the dryer to both reduce energy waste and extend the clothes lifetime. Well…that effort is almost totally in the can for the rest of the summer. For those of you not fortunate enough to live in NYC, I have a little secret for you… NYC summers are F***ING MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGY. Is 113% humidity even possible? NOTHING dries and therefore ends up with a fate worse than death in my book…milllllllllldew. Nothing more pleasurable than a nice refreshing shower topped off with a nice rub down with a reeking towel.

So yes…I will pull out the bras and bathing suits…but beyond that…sorry Earth…you are SOL. If you want me to stop using the dryer you had better find a way of sucking some of this moisture out of the city. Deal? My people will be waiting to hear from your people.

Keeping My Face Out of the Big Book of British Smiles

Posted by organicneedle in family, green cleaning

Still working on updating that ol’ medicine cabinet. We, well I, switched to Preserve toothbrushes awhile back. (The hubby has since gone back to Oral B. I am waaaaaay to much of a lady to make any Freudian connections there…but you feel free.) We have yet to address the toothpaste..until now. So here is what we have tried so far….

Tom’s of Maine Natural Activity Fluoride Toothpaste For Kids Orange Mango 4oz 3.59… Recommend…Three big positives for this product are taste, lack of saccharine, and packaging. My kids both really like the taste. I have seen a new zeal for brushing. I’ve actually been using it too when my little ones aren’t looking. Price is on par with others. The packaging is also better than conventional toothpaste, aluminum recyclable tube. There is the plastic cap, but since it takes my kids about 6 months to a year to use one up, it is livable. The only down side is the husband. He seems to think there is something inherently unholy about non-minty paste.

I also tried the Lavender Mint, also by Tom’s, which came as a free sample. To be kind to Tom’s, if it got you all hot and bothered as a kid when your mama shoved a bar of soap in your mouth…well then run don’t walk to get this fine product. If you don’t happen to a sick bastard,…stick with the mango.

So unless you want your picture The Big Book of British Smiles…go brush your teeth!

Another Glamorous Tale from a Scrub Woman

Posted by organicneedle in green cleaning, plastic, random rants, recycling

We all have our issues. Yes…you do. Admit it. Well….mine is a mildew issue. The slightest whiff and I want to gag. So….I am a VERY wasteful sponge user. Well….I am a recovering wasteful sponge user. I switched to Caldrea sponges which are 100% natural and biodegradable. So at least my pile in the landfill will actually breakdown without contaminating its heap. (Actually…I am starting a worm bin…to be described later in the week…that may just eat the little sponges!) Plastic savings? Huge. First…the packaging. Because these are dried to playing card depth, ten fit into the same size plastic package that one of the ol’ Scotch-brites would fit into. Then, of course, the sponge itself is made from plants verses the chemical concoction conventional sponges are made.

The one drawback to my feeble steps towards a green sponge recovery? The scrubber side. Now…I didn’t realize how much I relied on the scrubber until I burned a few eggs on my precious stainless steal. Would this high pressure situation drive me back to my unholy sponge? Maybe…if it weren’t for the pure genius of a commenter on another blog…who at this point I can’t remember…nor can I remember the blog…so if it was you feel free to claim your brainchild. [Thanks to Green Bean I now know that Chile is the amazing smarty. No surprise.] This amazing smarty mentioned using the plastic netting used on produce for a pot scrubber. Hmmmmmm. Could something so simple work? So practical and so free? I rolled up my avocado bag and went to town. (For those of you currently judging me for having avocado netting in the first place…take it up with Trader Joe’s who currently are the only ones I can find who even carry organic avocados.) I won’t leave you in suspense any longer. It worked like a dream. Not a flake of egg remained and not even a tiny scratch to my pans. After gazing lovingly at my new found friend, I gently unrolled it’s little green body and gave it a good rinse….placed it over a bottle and it dried completely. No mildew. Not a whiff. I now have a special little jar, okay an old couscous tuppy, on the shelf to hold my avocado netting….I mean my dream scrubbies.

Now I must go rethink my life that I am so thrilled about scrubbing a pot.

Product Review: Tom’s of Maine Soap…Unscented?

Posted by organicneedle in green cleaning, plastic, product review

Tom’s of Maine Natural Moisturizing Body Bar Soap Unscented 1 bar 3.19…Not Recommended…Big difference in price. I usually use Olay’s Moisturizing Soap which works out to be about 1.25 a bar in the multipack. The Tom’s soap wasn’t very lathery and had a weird feel, like wet wax. My husband swears it has a bad smell. Not so sure what exactly he is sniffing, but he is not a fan. The packaging is a wash because the multipack I buy usually has a plastic binder wrapper around the paper boxes but no inner plastic. The Tom’s has no outer plastic, a little deceiving, but the bar itself is in a plastic bag. Not sure why. (Kinda felt tricked. Like some exec at Tom’s is cackling going, “Moohhahahha slipped another bag by one of those sniveling greenies. Tom’s exec one…environment zero.” Okay…maybe watching a tad too much Captain Planet with my 4 year old.) Anyhow, I’m sure there are better natural soaps out there…probably for a better price too. I’ll take suggestions from the audience on this one. (Just for you toddlerless people out there, probably sleeping past 6AM, my little friend today is Verminous Skumm, voiced by Jeff Goldblum, eco-villain, …the rat-not Jeff. Attractive, no?)

Caldrea Sponges Product Review…Definitely Sponge Worthy

Posted by organicneedle in green cleaning, plastic, product review

I have to say one of my favorite parts of greening up the house is trying out new products.I am finding it a tremendously authentic teaching opportunity for myself and my little ones. The whole house seems to take interest in the smallest details that would otherwise go completely unnoticed. What does it come in? What is it made of? How does it smell? Does it work? And best of all, can I try to clean with that? I am a clever clever gal. So here it is….
Caldrea Pop Up Sponges, 10 count $10...Recommend… Very cool looking. The kids, and maybe even the spouse, will be fighting over who gets to “inflate” the next sponge. The package of ten is only about the depth of a deck of cards. These are made from cellulose and cotton, completely biodegradable. I wonder if they can go in the compost? They do come in a plastic wrapper, but because they are able to fit ten in the space of one, it is about…well…ten times less then our usual Scotchbrites. They definitely feel like any other sponge. It could be just me, but they seem to dry faster too, meaning less stink. The only big potential drawback is that they do not have a scrubby side. This isn’t a huge deal for us because we mostly only wash our stainless steal pots by hand and the scrubber isn’t the best for them anyway. Replacing sponges with something more earth friendly would be a huge step in our house. I confess. I am an anti-spongite. I have a serious skeeve issue with anything used for multiple cleanings and throw them out at the slightest whiff of mildewiness. And yet…I like these. So…dirty up some dishes and get yourself a pack.

Something new… The Husband Haiku Review

profile grows and grows
and yet the footprint smaller
smiles grow and grow too

Whole Foods and 7th Generation Get Dirty in the Shower? (And not in the fun way.)

Posted by organicneedle in green cleaning, product review, random rants

This week Consumerist.com reported on the testing of so called organic and natural soaps for a contaminant called 1,4-Dioxane, a potential carcinogen. Some big names showed up as not so squeaky clean. Among the biggest disappointments, Whole Foods and 7th Generation both contain the very unnatural substance. I am thrilled. My favorite, Origins Hydrating Lotion came out with a good ol’ ND (Not Detectable). My new favorite, Burt’s came out as the bee’s knees as well. (Okay. Last bee reference. I promise.) Nothing worse than companies making their entire living off convincing you to pay more for their healthy alternatives and turning out to not be all they pretend. Doesn’t it just put a bee in your bonnet when companies use the things we care about to manipulate us into opening our wallets nice and wide for them just to get the very pollutants we’re paying them to keep away? (Couldn’t resist the classic bee in the bonnet reference. I am only human.)

Read the full report and see where your favorites rank. Any surprises?

7th Generagtion, Burt’s Bees, and Recycline Product Review…The Highs and the Very Lows

Posted by organicneedle in green cleaning, product review

One of my goals for this year was to improve the greenness of my cleanness. We have already made Method and Charlie’s part of the routine, but we still have a lot of less than eco-friendly products kicking around. For this month’s product trials and reviews I focused on a few products from each of two trusted companies….Burt’s Beeswax for personal uses and 7th Generation for household cleaning, and Preserve’s tooth brushes. (All items were purchased on Drugstore.com.)

House Hold Cleaning- 7th Generation Trials

7th Generation Natural Dish Soap…2.09 25oz… Sure. I don’t do a ton of dishes by hand, so….I might not be the harshest critic of dish soap. It seemed to do the job for a reasonable price without a whole lotta stink. So…sure. One complaint….plastic wrapped plastic? Is it a rule that cleaners that come in the mail need to be shrink wrapped? Do they take back their bottles for refill? They are recyclable here so it isn’t a deal breaker if they don’t….just wondering.

7th Generation Natural Laundry Soap…$11.51 for 100oz…Maybe…if you are not on a tight budget. Not blown away, but it seemed to clean. (I convinced a girlfriend to try it too and she swears it didn’t do well by her.) Very little scent once washed. I am a little concerned the lack of Tide smell will be seen as a negative by the little people. Out of the bottle it smells like silly putty but it didn’t stick. The price wasn’t insane. Not great, but not sell a kidney high. The plastic cup measuring lines are really had to read though. I haven’t given it a good stain buster test, but I am sure my “assistants” are working up something good right now. I am withholding final analysis until I get a good ol’ fashion nappy blow-out….and then we’ll see what it can do.

7th Generation Trash Bags 2ply 30 Gallon…3.56 for 20… Not Recommended….but more for personal taste reasons. They just don’t taste as good as my old brand. No seriously, I didn’t realize these were twist ties when I bought them. Pain in the butt vs the drawstring kind. Also, they are black. It sounds weird, but I like to see my trash. Once again I remind readers that I have two little people that often select items for the trash that some might not quite consider trash….wallets, shoes, Sir TopEmHat. I always need to give it a good once over before it goes down the shoot. Prefer to do this with my eyes and not my hands. I am such a princess. Plus, the price is not appealing. I pay about $8 for 100 clear drawstring bags the same size, which lasts me close to a year. So….significant price difference. I haven’t ruled out recycled bags…but it won’t be these.

7th Generation Paper Towels…$3.14 for 3 rolls… Run for the Hills. Serious level of suck and not in the good absorbent way. I had to use 4 just to clean the table. ….And still had to resort to a Bounty. One Bounty does the table and the counter tops. For those of you who think I am being a tad dramatic…keep in mind…I have two toddler boys. Paper towels are a crucial part of my daily survival. Haven’t tried 7th’s tp yet, but it was next on my list for reviewing. Having serious second thoughts. Last things I need to add to my cleaning regime are skid marks in the tiny tightie-whities.

Personal Grooming- Burt’s Bees & Recycline Trials

Burt’s Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar with Oat Protein…$6.19 3.5 oz bar…..A keeper. A keeper…get it….BEE keeper? Snicker. Snicker. Ahhh…let me recover. “Weirdly cool,” was my husband’s official review. I found it cleaned without stripping. The smell was very faint and pleasant. My one big concern is my hair color. (Shhhh…yes I color my hair. I love Pantene because it really actually seems to keep the color from turning evil. It doesn’t get a happy environmental smile, but…it doesn’t turn my hair pumpkin color either. Big fan of the not pumpkin head look. ) My husband is convinced. He even wants a special dish for his shampoo bar. Since he washes his hair every day and I am more of a 2 or 3 times a week kinda gal, even if it does voodoo to my hair coloring, him switching would be a huge savings in chemically shampoo and in plastic. The shampoo bar’s packaging is great. Just a little recycled paper box. Completely recyclable. What a difference from the shampoo bottles.

Burt’s Bees Carrot Nutritive Night Creme…$11.99 1oz…Highly Recommend. I really like it. I usually use Nivea Q10 Advanced. This is defiantly comparable. Both come in a glass jar, but Burt’s lid is metal so it is a tad more recyclable. Because it comes in a little clear jar, vs the blue of Nivea, it is also more likely to be reused in my house. The carrot creme has a much lighter smell which is a big positive. There is a warning on the Carrot Creme that it can stain clothing, but for night cream it isn’t such an issue because my jammies tend to be t-shirts that are no longer presentable to the general public. My husband is a lucky, lucky man. Perfect little homemade toothpaste jar. Will probably try the Day Carrot Creme too. Right now I use Origins A Perfect World with White Tea. It is my favorite lotion in the world. Love Origins - tough to replace, but I’m willing to see other lotions on the side. Our little secret.

Burt’s Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme… $8.19 2 oz…Recommend for really dry hands. It is thick and doesn’t absorb super quickly so it is probably best for right before bed. Pleasant light scent. It comes in a glass jar with a metal lid. There is a little very thin removable foam layer over the inside of the lid that is not recyclable. It is also a cute little jar that could probably find a good second use.

Burt’s Bees Hand Salve..Not Recommended. The container is a tiny tin that is impossible to open. If you do happen to get it open the salve is oily and smelly. The container is metal and recyclable, but that is about all I can drum up for this one. Skip it and use the almond creme instead.

Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer….$5.49 one tube…Sure. Just like any other shiny chap stick, but with less scary stuff on the ingredient list.

Preserve Toothbrush…3.89 each…Recommend…if you don’t mind paying a little more. The big drawback, besides price, is that they do not have fun kiddie shapes. My kids have a thing for plastic animal heads on the end of their brushes. Small price to pay for a brushing bribe.

Keep in mind…these are just the humble opinions of a wife, mama, and teeny greeny business starter trying to live a “normal” life. I think I remember what that is…..