Seventh Generation Anti-Bacterial Product Review and GIVEAWAY!

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Recently I was given the chance to try out a new Seventh Generation product: their new antibacterial line!  I’ll admit I was hesitant to even agree to try it when I heard the word “antibacterial” because I don’t believe in these products, generally.  They increase bacterial resistance, they absorb into your skin and kill your healthy gut flora (I had a nurse tell me this once), and many aren’t particularly effective to boot.  But the Seventh Generation products stand out because they don’t use a man-made chemical to kill bacteria; they use oregano essential oil!  I was too intrigued by that idea to pass them up, so, here we are.

Seventh Generation sent me a kit that included their Multi-Surface Cleaner, Bathroom Cleaner, Disinfecting Wipes, Tote Bag, and Papertowels.  I was able to review all of these items so I can tell you what I think!  (Because you know you love it….)

Here are the ingredients in their Multi-Surface Cleaner:

Thymol (component of thyme oil), Sodium lauryl sulfate (palm kernel or coconut-derived cleaning agent), copper sulfate pentahydrate (bluestone) (mineral derived water mineralizer), citric acid and sodium citrate (cornstarch derived water softeners), essential oils and botanical extracts* (origanum vulgare (oregano) oil, cedrus atlantica (blue atlas cedar) bark oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil, cymbopogon schoenanthus (lemongrass) oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) fruit extract, mentha citrata (orange bergamot mint) leaf extract, aqua (water)

So, hmm.  There are a couple that give me pause.  “Sodium lauryl sulfate” would be at the top of that list.  According to their website (and other sources), it may be ‘derived from palm kernel or coconut oil‘ but it’s actually created by adding some form of petroleum.  So, yes, this chemical still contains petroleum and it is one of the major cleaning agents.  I’m also not entirely sure what “copper sulfate pentahydrate” is.  Everything else is clearly recognizable and mainly essential oils and that’s fine!

Seventh Generation reassures customers that SLS is safe.  I’m not so sure.  In all honesty, if I were looking to buy a natural cleaner, I’d probably skip this one for that reason.

That’s not to say that this wasn’t without its benefits, though.  Here’s a summary of what I liked about the product:

• Strong oregano essential oil smell (no chemical smell!)
• Works very well
• Easy to use (especially with my microfiber cloths!)
• Doesn’t leave residue or stickiness

So the product works very well.  It smells of essential oils, not chemicals.  Even tough, yucky stuff that wouldn’t come off with most cleaners was coming off with this, if I just let it sit for a minute.  I got a lot of the dusty, sticky stuff off the hood of my oven with this stuff.  And I definitely think it’s safer than a lot of the chemicals I used to use for that sort of cleaning….

The bottom line is, I probably wouldn’t consider it as safe as other cleaners.  I probably wouldn’t want it for everyday, basic cleaning.  But I would use it for special jobs when other cleaners weren’t working, if something was really dirty, if I felt the need to sanitize something, etc.  I would consider it a safe “specialty” cleaner.

Seventh Generation has also offered the same prize pack to one of my readers!  Would you like to try Seventh Generation’s new antibacterial cleaners?

1. Visit Seventh Generation and tell me why you like their products and why you would like to try these new ones. (REQUIRED)
2. Subscribe to me via RSS or email (or tell me you already do)
3. Follow me on Twitter
4. Follow Seventh Generation on Twitter
5. Follow me on Facebook and post something to my wall
6. Follow Seventh Generation on Facebook
7. Join my forum and introduce yourself, OR, if you already have, create a new post!  (telling me you already joined does NOT count, you must interact in a new way!)
8. Tell me your favorite recent post or new feature!

There are 8 possible entries!  And if you do them ALL, I will give you one extra entry!