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In my previous post, Ten Skills You Need to be a Homesteader, No Matter the Circumstance, I mentioned the need for repurposing and recycling. According to the United States Environmental Agency, plastics account for over 18% of municipal solid waste in landfills. That isn’t something I want to be part of! You can learn more about Municipal Solid Waste here.
Years ago, when my babies were babies, I switched over to glass bottles for my cleaning products. I was tired of the cheap dollar store bottles breaking, leaking, or not spraying correctly. I wanted something I could refill, that would be easy to wash when needed and lasted as close to forever as possible. Thankfully, I found a beautiful set to do the trick!
However, as I try to be more mindful of my carbon footprint and do a better job of protecting our planet, I found myself with a new problem - the cleaners I’ve been using for years don’t have the best ingredients and definitely aren’t helping the environment! To the internet I went and discovered Blueland Eco-Friendly Cleaners.
Blueland found success in 2019 when they pitched their product on the television show, Shark Tank. Investor Kevin O’Leary agreed to their terms and the rest, as they say, is history. The company’s mission: To make it easy to be eco with innovative products in reusable packaging that are convenient, effective, and affordable.
Blueland was kind enough to provide me with their Clean Essentials starter kit, which retails for about $40, in exchange for my honest review. The kit includes four Forever acrylic bottles, three dissolvable cleaning tablets (multi-surface cleaner, bathroom cleaner, and glass + mirror cleaner), and one foaming hand soap tablet in a glass bottle. They also included their Toilet Bowl Cleaner kit, which retails for $24 and includes 14 dissolvable tablets and a metal tin to store them in.
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What We Like
Blueland products take up very little room, making them great for those with smaller spaces such as dorms, tiny homes, apartments, and RVs.
Blueland’s ingredients are all on the EPA Safer Chemicals Ingredients List (https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice), and none of them are on the Environmental Working Group Restricted List (https://www.ewg.org/ewgverified/standards.php).
Blueland cleaners are safe to use around children and pets because they're made without volatile organic compounds.
Blueland products are shipped in a recyclable shipping box, sealed with paper-based tape, with compostable refill packaging, no single-use plastic, and the inks used are water-based.
Orders are directly shipped from Blueland, with no middleman.
Blueland offers free returns on orders up to 30 days after they have been shipped. The return process is pretty straightforward, simply email help@blueland.com with “Return Label for Order (add your order number)”. You have 60 days from the date you receive your shipping label to return your unused items in the same condition you received them, and you must have proof of payment in order to qualify for a refund. Blueland will send you an email if your return is accepted or rejected. Refunds are typically processed within 5-7 business days to the original form of payment.
What We Don't Like
Unfortunately, the name of Blueland’s “Forever” bottle does seem misleading. The bottle is meant to be refilled and to replace disposable, single-use cleaners. The bottles however have a bad reputation for leaking, breaking, and faulty nozzles within 6 months of purchase. So more like a summer fling, rather than a golden anniversary? I can confirm that this is definitely the case. One of the bottles leaked so much that we weren't even able to continue using it, and all of them had nozzles that repeatedly stuck during use, which led to lots of waiting for the trigger to pop back out before we could continue the task at hand.
Many assume that acrylic can be recycled just like plastic, however, this is not the case. The acrylic plastic the spray bottles are made from is made with petroleum, a fossil fuel, and a non-renewable resource. While some recyclers will accept acrylic, it can be difficult to find someone who will recycle it properly. Acrylic is also nonbiodegradable, meaning when acrylic ends up in landfills, it will likely stay there, forever. So, maybe the name isn’t misleading after all? You can read more about acrylic here https://theroundup.org/how-to-recycle-acrylic/
Blueland’s tablets are developed in the United States, but the bottles are manufactured in China. If you’re looking for a product made completely in the U.S., this won't meet your criteria.
Blueland cleaners are “surface cleaners” but are not disinfectants. So you're going to want a stronger product during cold and flu season. The ingredients in the cleaners don't formulate with the biocides that you'd find in antibacterial products, meaning Bluelands cleaners are not antibacterial.
Blueland cleaners all have fragrances added to them and they are S-T-R-O-N-G. If you're sensitive to potent smells or suffer from migraines like I do, these are not the products for you, friend. The cleaners are almost bearable but I personally wouldn’t be able to use them daily. The foaming hand soap is definitely a no-go for me. The smell is so strong, like great-grandma’s fancy perfume that she douses on because she never gets to wear it, strong.
Overall
I really appreciate the opportunity to work with Blueland and look forward to working with them in the future. However, due to the strong perfume smells, the non-recyclable acrylic bottles, and the fact the cleaners aren’t antibacterial or disinfectant, I just can’t get on board… yet. I do believe Blueland to be a company that will listen to their customers' recommendations, so perhaps changes will be made. Until then, I'll continue with my tried-and-true cleaners.
If you'd like to try Blueland cleaners for yourself, you can purchase them here.
To check out my honest review on the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer you can find that here.
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