Are Your Household Products Killing You? - Ecostore Review & Contest

We live in a world saturated by toxins. In two of my recent posts I discussed the dangers of chemicals found in health and beauty and lawn & garden products. You may be a little more familiar with the fact that many of the household cleaners that are used on a regular basis are loaded with chemicals, since this is one area that seems to actually have been brought up by the media on occasion. (Click Here to jump down to the contest rules.) First of all, you breathe in the chemicals while using them, but then think about all the things your child touches during the day. If your child is like mine was, everything went from the hand to the mouth. When you clean with those nasty chemicals, those little hands are all over those chemicals. And apparently it makes a difference. Between 1975 and 1998 childhood cancers increased by approximately 21 percent and that's just the beginning. In the past decade ADHD has increased by six times, childhood asthma is the leading cause of absenteeism in schools, rates of autism are rising fast, and rheumatoid arthritis has become the third-most-common chronic childhood disorder. Of course, not all these problems are caused by one single element but environmental factors are known to contribute to them. But you can take action! The most logical place to do this starts in your home and Ecostore USA wants to help! They have designed eco friendly, plant-based, household cleaning products that are as effective as the leading supermarket brands, and I was given the privilege to try a few of them out last week.I recently received their Citrus Spray Cleaner, Cream Cleanser, and a bar of Lemongrass Soap. I was so excited about these because I know the importance of not using too many chemicals in my home, and so I generally use the Clorox brand of 'green' cleaners. However, I had yet to find a product that was natural and would still clean my tub well. When the box arrived the Cleanser was the first thing I opened. I had a rust stain on my kitchen sink (from leaving my iron skillet sitting in it overnight) and wondered if the cleanser would be strong enough, since it's void of nasty chemicals, to get it up. Viola! I didn't even have to rub hard! I then ran up to try it out on my tub. This is not something I normally find to be fun, but I was so excited to try this out I actually enjoyed it! It took all the soap scum off, without a lot of elbow grease, and without the fumes I'm used to! I definitely recommend this product. Next, I tried out the Citrus Spray Cleaner, which is naturally antibacterial - gotta love that! It can be used on virtually any surface so, I used it on my kitchen counters and stove top. It did what it was supposed to, and it has virtually no scent -- a great plus if you are sensitive to smells. Lastly, I used the Lemongrass Soap when I showered that evening. I love the scent! I wanted to eat it! (And without all those nasty chemicals, I guess it wouldn't have been fatal to do so, just not real tasty!) It lathered wonderfully and didn't leave my skin feeling dried out due to the lemongrass, palm and coconut oils that are in it. Overall, I was highly impressed with Ecostore USA's chemical free products. I'm sure you will be too! And the great thing is, they have recently launched at Meijer's! If you are in the mid-west, look for the Ecostore line next time you're there - and if you're not, you can purchase them online at www.ecostoreusa.com. Would you like to try them for free? Ecostore USA has been kind enough to offer one of my lucky readers the chance to do so! One person will win my two favorite products, the Cream Cleanser and the Lemongrass Soap! Here's what you need to do to be in the running: CONTEST DETAILS What you can win:

• (1) 12.7 oz. Cream Cleanser

and

• (1) 2.7 oz. bar Lemongrass Soap

What you need to do to be entered: Visit Ecostore USA and look at the products they offer, then come back here and leave me a comment to let me know which product you would be most likely to purchase. The contest will end on March 19. On Friday, March 20, I will post the winner and I will contact the winner by email, so make sure I can find your email address. If you do not have it on your blogger profile, or the link you leave, put it in your comment. The winner will have 48 hours to respond, at which time I'll get their mailing address. Can you get extra entries? YES!

• Earn 2 extra entries by also blogging about my contest, and linking back to this post, on your blog. (leave the URL of your post in your comment)
• Tweet about my contest for 1 extra entry.
• Stumble or Digg this post for 1 extra entry.
• Follow my blog for 1 extra entry.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed for 1 extra entry.
• Technorati Favorite my blog for 1 extra entry.
• Follow me on Twitter for 1 extra entry. (http://twitter.com/amh615) (New followers only -sorry!)

Be sure to let me know in a separate comment (for each) if you did anything to get extra entries. And be sure to leave your user/profile name in your comment if you are Stumbling, Digging, Technorati Favoriting, Tweeting, or following me on Twitter - I will be checking! :) Thanks for entering and I hope you win! *Sorry, but due to the price of shipping, prize will only be mailed to addresses within the U.S.