Buying Green: Shaklee Cleaning Products

You may or may not have heard of Shaklee before. I've always been a little leery in the past, because I have several relatives who sell the products and are so over-zealous about them that they've fallen into the "must be too good to be true" category. And I've never really looked into their environmental impacts before, although I remember my aunt saying that they were better than alternatives.

I recently got a chance to try two of the cleaning products, Get Clean Fresh Laundry Concentrate and Get Clean Basic H2 Organic Super Cleansing Concentrate. Both products are biodegradable and contain no phosphates, so they're safer for the planet than many options. They're also very concentrated, so the products last a long time and require less packaging. They're also nontoxic (although I wouldn't recommend drinking them). My only big complaint is that the label doesn't disclose all of the ingredients, and that information is a little hard to come by, which is often important for people who are really conscious of what ingredients they use. You have to call the company; that's about the only way to get a full ingredient list.

But the bottom line is, they work, and are better for the planet than many alternatives. The H2 performed just as well as other cleaners, if not better. As far as the laundry concentrate - my toddler is in cloth diapers, so anything that can get them smelling fresh and clean is going to work on anything! I was very happy with the performance of both products. And given my experience with them, maybe I will be ordering from my aunt next time she sends out a newsletter!

Disclosure: I received complimentary bottles of cleaner to facilitate this review.

Buying Green: Eden Fantasys

I'm going to deviate from the normal topics I cover and write for a little bit about something a little more racy. Don't worry, I'll keep it clean.

Are you looking for a source for environmentally-friendly sex toys and feminine care products? There is a limited selection in general, but you can find quite a few at EdenFantasys. Two natural lubricants I've been able to find there are Intimate Organics and Sliquid, as well as Sensuous Beauty Love Balm. The site is jumping on the eco-friendly bandwagon, too, making it easy to find toys under the banner Sexy and Green: More Pleasure with Less Footprint. I didn't even know they made other options that were considered eco-friendly, but you can get adult toys made from wood or other more environmentally friendly features.

Your product selection will depend on how "organic" you want to be. If you're just trying to avoid certain ingredients, like parabens, that's pretty easy to do - there's a huge selection for that. But if you're looking for products that avoid pretty much all chemicals and things that sound artificial, your selection here will be limited - just like it would be anywhere else. However, the prices are very reasonable, you can get free shipping if you spend $25 right now, and it makes it easy to shop in a very non-threatening, private atmosphere.



Disclosure: I received an EdenFantasys gift card to facilitate this review.