I don’t know about the rest of the parents out there, but I spend most of my day cleaning up messes. Not just toys scattered all over the floors of my house, but the gooey, sticky, grime trail left behind by my adoring kiddos. As my one of my best friends always jokes “I’d have kids… if they weren’t always so sticky!” She isn’t wrong either, they are just soooo… sticky! It’s not a secret, kids are just plain messy, they can’t help it! But what do we, as parents, do about it? I know for me, cleaning is never at the top of my to-do list, but it’s always there, looming in some dark, dirty corner…
Take my kitchen for example. We eat, we play, we work… where? At the kitchen table. From wearing yogurt at lunch time, to painting before nap, to the apocalypse most people call “after dinner.” My table is the center of everything. And it always seems to be in a constant state of ‘Ew’ (said only as Jimmy Fallon’s alter ego Sara, would say it). So when my dear friends (and they are, actual real friends) asked me to review their brand new, all natural solution to cleaning, I said yes please!
I had first met Martha, one half of this family owned business, through our oldest children. Way back when they were tiny little things, and we had been a part of the same playgroup. Little did I know at the time, that she, and her husband, where hatching up a brilliant plan. So when Martha & Mike approached recently asking me to test out Cleaning Essentials, I was excited to give it a whirl. I love new ideas, I love seeing a creative thought become a real product, and I LOVE supporting small family businesses. Even better if they happen to be local businesses as well.
While I may not usually be one to choose a natural or organic lifestyle, I do weigh all of the options when making most purchases for my family. Especially these days, when there are so many choices, you can make with just about everything you buy. Becoming a parent for the first time, opened my eyes to all of my purchasing decisions. It’s amazing how quickly your perspective changes when you are suddenly in charge of a tiny human! Most of us as consumers just continue to make particular choices about what we buy because it’s just how you have “always done something.” But how things have “always been done” does not automatically make it the best choice. And I hope that you give this product the chance to open your eyes.
Two spray “settings” on the nozzle. Choose ‘Mist’ or ‘Direct Hit’!
First Impression
I received The Original Cleaning Essentials Bottle and a few essential oils to test out in my home for this review. Since the company was just starting out, I wasn’t sure what to expect when the product arrived. But let me tell you, when I opened that box… I was blown away. Before even cleaning a single thing, I was floored at the quality.
Inside I found, nestled in recycled packing material, a blue bottle with a spray head, two bottles of essential oils, and a note. My first instinct, upon seeing the bottle, was to tap it with my nails. I was shocked that it was indeed glass! Next, I noticed the “recipes” for various cleaning solutions on the side of the bottle. Noting that all of the ingredients I needed were already in my house. What also caught my eye was the attention to detail. They thought of everything, right down to the tiny baggie of “window cling” leaves, which are used to mark the recipe indicating the bottle’s contents. (Right then, my Type A personality was like “WHAT! Thank you, sweet genius!”)
Testing it Out
Since I had all of the ingredients on hand, I got right to work mixing up my first batch. You can choose from 5 cleaning solutions; title, wood, bathroom, glass, or kitchen. Each one with their own recipe right there on the bottle. None of them containing more than 5 natural ingredients, and all topped off with water. Each of them very easy to follow, by adding the contents in order, from the bottom up. My only tip, would be to use a plastic kitchen funnel to help make sure everything gets inside the bottle. And no worries when you see that you will be mixing vinegar and baking soda. You won’t have any Bill Nye the Science Guy experiments going on!
I did a test spritz and was very impressed. It even SMELLED great. You can choose whatever scent you like, even switching it up from batch to batch. When have you ever been able to say that about a commercial cleaning product? We all know the “magical meadow” scent they use, is just covering up the awful chemical smell under it.
Ok, Let’s Get to Cleaning!
Since I spend all of my time in the kitchen, it was my ultimate test zone. First, I noted that there are two settings for spray you can pick from. One is a finer “mist” while the other is more of a “direct hit” (see previous image). The mist setting is perfect for a quick wipe down of kitchen tables and counters. While the “direct hit” is perfect for soaking your stove top. Side note, I clean my stove top by soaking the entire crusted surface, as well as soaking a few old washcloths on top. Allow that to sit for a few minutes, and wipe away all the gunk! I have been cleaning my kitchen daily for a few months now, and I LOVE the results. No harsh smells (which is so much more offensive in the kitchen), and I am not worried about my children coming in contact with the table after I have cleaned. Which is a huge peace of mind for this busy mom.
Something else I wasn’t expecting from this product. The bottle is gorgeous! So I never put it under the sink, it actually sits on my counter top. (Note the very first photo on this post, that is actually where it sits in my kitchen!) Which also means I clean MORE, since it is right there where I can see. Everything in my life has to happen right when I think of it, or it never gets accomplished. So to have my cleaning supplies right there where I can grab them quickly and get back to my day… is beyond perfect. As I am sure most parents can relate!
If you like what you see here make sure to check out the Cleaning Essentials webpage & online store, as well as their Facebook page.
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xoxo Meggs
I received these products for free, from the sponsor of the this post, Cleaning Essentials.
As a blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my honest opinion.
My opinions are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions
of Cleaning Essentials or itās affiliates.
Made By Meggs 
Reblogged this on Kate Escape Reviews.
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