Wednesday, August 25, 2010

10 winners for this Shaklee giveaway!

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Have you ever wondered what Shaklee products were like?

I recently tried many of this line in exchange for this review. While it was a very sweet deal indeed, this info is my honest testimony on how I felt about the products.


If you are visiting due to an item showing in the sponsor section on FJI, please scroll down to review that particular product.

This post was also part of a giveaway which is now over. Another one is forthcoming in early 2011, so please stay tuned!

~ ~ ~ ~

Not many giveaways offer 10 winners. TEN!


Thankfully for us, fellow DIY blogger Bonnie from House of Grace, also happens to be a Shaklee distributor. So not only are you going to get a chance to win some products to try (cool!!), you're going to get an up close and personal take on the product. By me. :) Are ya ready?!?


Bonnie graciously sent me these products to try in exchange for an interview.

Now, my first impression was, I hate to clean. Do I even WANT to do this?!? But everyone else seemed to love this product line. But what really got me is not what was in it for me. It was that she offered 10 trials for YOU. SOLD! I was about to clean and love it for a good cause dag nab it!


It's here!

The product arrived with fresh looking beautiful branding, clearly marked, alongside lots of reading material. I admit, it felt abit like Christmas morning. Everything was so cheerful, like sunshine through a window cheerful, that I kinda 'wanted' to try it all out.

What I got

In the package, I received:

Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate (for everything)
Dish Wash Automatic Concentrate (dishwasher)
Hand Dish Wash (for hand washing dishes)
Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste (for ovens and such)
Get Clean Super Microfibre Window Cloth


Setting up

Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate

This unique cleaning system meant for MANY surfaces is done with only ONE cleaner. The Basic H2 is a very concentrated, and powerful cleaner that is safe for all surfaces.The package came with 3 empty squirt bottles, designated for different uses. I was intrigued.

Basic H2 Windows and Mirrors - the least amount of solution
Basic H2 All Purpose Cleaner  - 2nd least
Basic H2 Degreaser - the most


Measuring is easy!

This is too funny. After I opened the box of goods, I verbally groaned. I didn't WANT to measure stuff. So I let the box sit. For a LONG time. The box even gathered dust. When I finally dug through my  spring-loaded container drawer looking for my measuring devices (like a needle in a haystack), I realized THEN that all the measurements are ON the bottles! Good thinkin', Shaklee!

The required measurements for each different cleaner are written on each spray bottle. You simply add the desired amount of Basic H2 into the designated squirt bottle, dilute with water as per the instructions, and you're ready to go! Sheesh.


Let's start!

 Dish Wash(er) Automatic Concentrate
Rating - LOVE

On the left you have a bag of dishwasher powder.  I was abit bashful going back to loose granules as I was pretty attached to the tabs I've been getting. I detest GRIT on my dishes.  I put in the MINIMUM suggested amount into the dishwasher to test how well it would work.


Result: NO GRIT! 

The dishes were squeaky clean and gleamed!  Glasses came out flawless as well. And the dishes have a very clean very light floral scent to them. Very nice! And you need so very little to the point of asking yourself, "Is this really enough?!?" It is.


Hand Dish Wash Concentrate
Rating: LOVE
link HERE

We just had popcorn so I had the perfect greasy surface to test the product on. My suds never last through a greasy popcorn bowl and if they do, they diminish shortly after.

Result - spotless!

The grease removed effortlessly like it melted off.  And BIG bonus: the water remained nice and sudsy long afterwards. Huh...

I also noticed that when I wiped down my dark counter tops, that the wipe didn't leave a soapy film all over them like my reg brand did. I generally have to wipe the counters AND dry them 3x to get them to shine spotlessly. This required one wipe and one dry. That tells me this stuff indeed cuts through grease VERY well.

Update: January 2011 

- I ran out of this liquid gold so I had to resort to my standard schmandard. My countertops immediately greased up when wiping them in comparison. I HATED the old stuff and it's a well known brand.

When this order came, I RAN for the kitchen sink. Honestly, you need so little of this stuff for major suds, the suds last a LONG time and there's no greasy residue left on the counters. I LOVE this product and will never go back to what the store carries.

Donna


Basic H2 Windows and Mirrors
Rating: LOVE

When I mixed up the window/mirror cleaner, I was baffled at how little was to go in. How can THIS clean?!? But it does. And VERY well I might add. The surfaces are left squeaky clean and spotless.


Super Microfibre Window Cloth
Rating: LIKE

And this thing is a big help but takes some getting use to. This little cloth acts like a million little fingers gripping the glass. No lint, just clean sparkling windows and mirrors. This thing is MAGIC.

But I gave it 'only' a LIKE because the fingers grip so well I kept dropping the cloth! :) That's actually a good problem to have. The cloth really does work amazing so just grip it well when using and you'll have the best lookin' windows and mirrors in the valley. You can also flip it around and use the non gripping side so you do have a choice.



I also pushed my luck with the glass topper on the gas stove. I used the Windows and Mirrors formula on this as well and it took everything off except the stuff one really needs to scrape. Understandable! But the end result where it met the glass was PERFECT. No streaks whatsoever.



Basic H2 All Purpose Cleaner
Rating: LOVE

I used this stuff for ANYTHING I came in contact with. But I desired to test it out on a soap scummy sink. The product lifted the scum right off and left the tap set gleaming. And no matter where I used this product, everything came out with the same result.

I did try it in more difficult areas like the tub. I even used the original Basic H2 Concentrate straight to try it. It took several swipes to break through the layers of soap scum. A heavier duty cleanser was really needed for the tub, however using this was a wonderful way to finish off a good clean. It cleans what it's meant for beautifully. 



Basic H2 Degreaser
Rating - LOVE

Oh how I loathe cleaning these stove top grates! They always feel greasy and attract dust and pet hair. Yech! 

First I washed them in the Hand Dish Wash, then finished up with the Basic H2 Degreaser.  They came out better than they ever have. I was delighted! This product does cut through the grease nicely.

  
Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste
Rating:  LOVE!!! x 1000


I was soooo mean to this product! I chose my BBQ turned bird nest and really made this stuff work hard. 



Well holey chrome... very little effort was required to bring back the grill. What the...


These were STAINS, not just grease. I couldn't get the marks off the stainless with anything else. The paste brought the stainless back to new condition! Same result with my dishwasher and stove too.



To the left: bird crap and grease. To the right... showroom condition. Oh my word.

Stainless steel selling people, are you hearing me?!? This stuff is the BOMB. Is it even meant for stainless steel? I have no idea. But it works!

I don't know what's in this stuff, but the paste breaks down the grease and stains, making the removal nearly a breeze. I just carefully followed the grain of the stainless. Now I just have to finish everything I've started. LOL

~ Summary ~

I loved the products.

I loved all the products I tried. I wanted to find something wrong with them to prove how truthful I could be for an interview but I just couldn't. Everything worked as it should so there's no reason not to like it. All my old cleaning products are packed away so I'm coasting on all the new goods and my house has never been this clean this easily.


 My fav product.

While ALL the products did what they were suppose to do making me enjoy them all, The Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste blew me away. Greasy removal has never been so effortless. I highly recommend to at the very least, TRY this one!  It's price efficient too! I'd suggest to get two. I KNOW you will love it. I'll be a lifer for this one for certain.

Very economical.

These products will last you a LONG time because they are so concentrated. You need so very little of the solutions to the point of you'll wonder how they clean properly. But they do and that's all that matters.

Want to learn more?


HouseofGrace

Bonnie from  House Of Grace  also shares info on how she uses these products in her own home.

How to clean is HERE.

ALL the uses for Basic H are HERE.

The best kit to start with is HERE.

WHY it's safer to clean naturally is HERE.

An optional good deal!

Shaklee offers you an option. There is a membership you can sign up for. The fee is only $19.95 which gives you a 15% reduction on the goods and pays for itself with the first order. If you sign up for the membership, email Bonnie prior to ordering! She has something else she's going to throw in for you! She is willing to make this step worth your while so please look into it.

There's WAY more stuff than interviewed here

Now, there are more cleaning products (as well as other products) available than what I interviewed. Knowing what I do now, I'd go for the full meal deal and get the proper cleansers and disinfectants as well as the laundry soap etc to just do it right. There are different kits for different budgets too which is really cool. You can also purchase the goods separately.

So if you're into going green with cleaning, health and fitness, there's never been a better time to start!


How to purchase

Visit Bonnie's website to see what's all available HERE.

Then, contact Bonnie, with the code Funky Junk, so she can help you through the process and get you the best deal going, at donahuewellness@hotmail.com

~ The BIG 10 Winner Giveaway! ~
What's up for grabs you ask?

~ 10 samples ~  

of the 
Basic H2 
Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate! 

This is the super concentrated product that you dilute down to clean nearly anything. I know you'll be amazed at how squeaky clean it leaves all your surfaces!

How to enter the giveaways:

1. Tell me the cleaning chore you detest most. That's it!

2. Follower/subscriber or become one of Funky Junk - comment again for entry #2!

3. Follower/subscriber or become one of House of Grace - comment again for entry #3!

4. Twitter, blog or Facebook the giveaway - comment again for entry #4!

Draw is open for 1 week. 10 winners will be chosen my random.org

Good luck!!
Are you interested in receiving an interview on your product?  At this time, reviews are free for monthly paid sponsors! Or a reasonable fee for this service is charged otherwise.  Please contact signmakergirl@hotmail.com for all other advertising packages and reductions available.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

HauteLook helps FJI ~ free!



Would you like to help support FJI for free?

BlogHer has just introduced a new advertising partner called


HauteLook is a designer goods store with slashed prices. Pretty cool!

Each day promises for something new to see, so check out the sidebar ad daily!

How can this help?

By simply registering  on HauteLook through my blog, I earn a small commission!

You don't have to buy a thing. Just sign up! For free!

~ How? ~





1. Click on the ad above, that's shown here, or on my blogface at FJI.



2.  You will next land in BlogHer. If you don't already, you'll need a BlogHer account I believe. (free again) 

3. Click on Today's Big Deal picture. (in this case, the sandals)


4.  You'll now be in HauteLook. You may think you've just clicked a purchase button, but you didn't. You can now simply register for free, and you're done!

More nitty gritty info:

If you go through my blog, the ad picks up a special code from FJI that's carried through to your registration. It's the code that will offer FJI a small commission for each register.

It's just a little small thing, but every little bit is so helpful.

If you don't wish to, it's all good! Thanks for reading up on this anyway! Do it on someone else's blog you love that displays this ad and you'll help them instead.

But if you do?!? You rock 'n roll. Thanks so much!!

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty curious what they'll show in that little window. I rather like the idea of owning something designer-ish. That's huge for this junkin' queen. :)

(so far, it doesn't look like Canadians can register but I'll find out and report back when I know more!)

Thanks, friends!