Sneezy? Is that you?

When I got an email about Clorox's new Anti-Allergen Fabric Spray, I just knew I needed to know more about it. My poor husband is pretty much allergic to LIFE. For years he sneezed constantly, and his mom begged him to go to the doctor. He had gone once, but that doctor brushed him off like he was crazy, and without even testing him told him that the allergies were essentially "in his head." Years later we finally convinced him to go to an allergist and lo and behold, the man is allergic to cats, dogs, dust, trees, pollen -- you name it and he's pretty much allergic to it.

Their new anti-allergen spray breaks down 90% of allergens and can be sprayed on virtually every fabric surface. It is gentle enough to be used around kids and pets (an obvious must for us) and it is dye-free and fragrance-free. When we received our sample, I promptly sprayed it over almost every fabric surface in our home, including the carpet. Does it work? Honestly, I'm not sure how to tell. We do have two dogs in the home, but how do I judge whether or not hubby is sneezing more or less than usual? Since I can't I'll just take it on good faith that the stuff works and that the testing they did before releasing the product actually means it is more than just water in a bottle. However, it makes me feel better about my house to use it, and honestly, when can you spend under 5 bucks on something and honestly say that?

Win a Pink Dyson DC16!

I wanted to do something very special in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month here on Chic Shopper Chick. While I have never personally been touched by Breast Cancer, I am an avid supporter of finding a cure. You can support efforts by purchasing products that you normally already buy that are specially marked this month with a pink ribbon -- partial proceeds from those sales will go towards finding a cure.



Dyson has released the new handheld DC16 Root 6 in Pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, and they are committed to raising more than a million dollars to finding a cure this year. For every Pink Dyson vacuum cleaner that you buy, you will be helping to find a cure as $10 from each sale will be donated to the Foundation. These awesome vacuum cleaners are available exclusively at Target, but Dyson and Chic Shopper Chick have teamed up to give you the chance to win one here!

If you've never owned a Dyson product, you are certainly missing out. We personally own a Dyson Ball DC25 and we love it. My carpet is in need of a makeover, but since our DC25 has been around, it looks 10 times better, and that is no exaggeration. At least 2 visitors in the past month have commented on how good our carpet looks. About 2 months ago, Little AG knocked over a potted plant. I probably would have freaked out before owning the Dyson, but instead I had the sound mind to take pictures of it before I vacuumed.

Here are the pictures of it right after she knocked it over - please excuse the bags of clothing that I had by the door preparing to take to Goodwill. Next time she knocks a plant over, I'll remember to move that stuff before I take any photos.

And here are the after photos of my carpet. It took about 5 minutes and emptying the canister twice to make it look like this. I was really happy with the result.

The Dyson DC16 in Pink is just as amazing, I'm sure of it! As with all Dyson products, the DC16 doesn't lose suction, and with it's Root Cyclone Technology it separates dirt, fine dust and debris from the air to handle quick clean-up jobs. The Root Cyclone Technology gives it twice the power and suction of other handhelds and it's lithium ion battery enables it to charge three times faster too. You'll never have to buy a filter -- they are all washable and the DC16 is bagless. Are you in love yet? I am!

To enter to win your very own Pink Dyson DC16, follow the easy-peasy rules below!

• Visit Dyson's Website and come back here and tell me what your favorite product is from there (besides this one!)
  
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
• Blog about this giveaway and BCA month and link back here. Tell me about it in a separate post.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed via email or in a reader and tell me about it in a separate post.
  
• Stumble my main webpage (not this post please, but www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate post.
• Favorite Chic Shopper Chick on Technorati (there is a "Fave this Blog" button in my right sidebar) and let me know about it in a in a separate post.
• Add me to your blog roll. Not just my button in your sidebar, I'd love to be on your blog roll! Let me know about it in a separate post!

That's it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you'd like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contests ends at 11:59 pm CST on October 31st, 2008.

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Feeling a little less spotty...

I have been stalking the flooring department at Home Depot and Lowe's for the past 2 months now. I stare longingly at the bamboo flooring, gorgeous hardwoods, and even the carpet selections have the ability to make me drool. All because our carpet is just shot. Finished. Done. It can't take anymore. It has been through a move, a family before us, 2 dogs, the birth of a baby turned toddler, and a husband. Frankly, my carpet is tired.

The area by my back door is the worst. I have tried pretty much everything to make it look better, but I'm pretty much out of options. The stains always come back! I'm not willing to try some of the more harsh options because, as I said above, I have a baby and animals in my house, and I just am not cool with the idea of spreading around cancer-causing chemicals for the sake of making my carpet look purty.

Thanks to Mom Central I was recently able to try out the new WD-40 Spot Shot stain remover! The company that we know and love, WD-40 has launched their new Non-Toxic Spot Shot® Instant Carpet Stain & Odor Eliminator. I tried it out with the test kit that they sent me and it worked like a charm on a chocolate stain and even on ammonia! The true test was on my carpet though, and after using the test kit I was excited about the possibilities.

It did make my carpet look better, and so far the stains haven't come back, though I'm sure they will -- it's simply the nature of a stain. The carpet is actually almost too white in the places that I used it, but frankly I'll take it over the other yucky dark stained option. I like that the Spot Shot is eco friendly, and I felt safe using it around my family (though I did wait for Little AG to go to sleep before I tried it).

Bottom line -- this is a great new stain removal option. I love that it is non-toxic and completely biodegradable (how many effective products can actually say that?) and I think you will too. You can check out the Spot Shot website for more info, or you can pick up a bottle of it next time you run to the store.

So Fresh and so Green-Clean!

I am a mom that is devoted to using only the most eco-saavy products in my home, be it the clothes we wear or the cleaning products that we use. I recently got the opportunity to review the brand new Clorox Green Works Dish Soap, and I've got to say, I was extremely happy with it.

I was tried out the Clorox Green Works Dish Soap in the Original Scent, which is not overpowering or overly "dish-soapy" -- according to my finely tuned nose. While the original scent is nice, I would be especially excited to try the Free and Clear scent -- because it sounds so fresh and clean (and urm, free and clear). It is also available in Tangerine, Free and Clear, and Simply Lemon.

The soap itself functioned as well if not better than my other dish soap, so no worries -- with those harsh chemicals gone, it still cut through grime and grease with no problem. This soap uses all natural ingredients like coconut and lemon oil, so it is completely sustainable and biodegradable.

I'll just be honest -- a couple of years ago, the idea of being environmentally conscious was one that pretty much meant nothing to me. As I've grown and learned, I've realized that products that are eco-friendly should be used by everyone, because they truly do have an impact on the world we live in and consequently our quality of life. Those suds have to go somewhere when they go down the drain -- and that is something that affects us all -- no matter your stance on the environment. Everyone deserves to have access to water that is not polluted by chemicals.

Clorox Green Works has partnered with the Sierra Club (the oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States) in support of their efforts to preserve our clean air, water, and wildlife, and you will see that all Green Works Products sport the Sierra Club logo. Not only that, but the EPA has recognized the dish soap for using environmentally preferred chemistry, so you will also see their logo showcased on the bottle.

Clorox Green Works Dish Soap hit stores nationwide this month, so next time you are at the grocery store, pick up a bottle to try it for yourself. (And while you're at it, try the Green Works All-Purpose cleaner which I also use and I love!) The price is very reasonable, and comparable to other dish soaps, so why not make the switch -- Clorox is making it easy on us!

So tell me, what kind of cleaning products do you use at home? Do you see the value in eco-friendly cleaning products? If so, what brands do you use?

Mop of my Dreams

Quite literally, this is the mop of my dreams. While I'm a bit hazy on the details, I do know that I was using this mop to clean floors in my dreams last night. Now that I think of it, though, aren't dreams supposed to be fun and exciting? Why the heck was I mopping? I should have been making out hanging out with David Cook from American Idol instead of mopping -- but, I digress.

Anyway, I purchased this oMop by Method a while back on the recommendation of my friend, T. I've gotta say, it is a pleasure to use. It was easy to assemble (snap, snap, snap, velcro = mop) and even easier to mop with. The handle is curved so that you don't have to bend and like, break your back when you mop (though hurting your back by mopping does give you a good excuse to whine and watch a bit of TV, so if that is what you are looking for, skip this post all together). The cleaning micro-fiber pad just sticks onto the velcro, and wham, you're ready to mop. The cleaner stuff (in a nice lemon-ginger scent -- no toxic knock-ya-down fumes there thankyouverymuch) just squirts from the bottle to the floor, then you run the mop over it. Amazingly, it picks up a lot of dirt. A lot. Especially for those of us with dogs and toddlers.

When you are done mopping you just rinse out the mopping pad and hang it to dry. I feel a lot better about having this in my house than a germy-ole mop. Plus, it works really well -- I highly recommend it if you haven't found it yet (and all of the Method products, for that matter). You can buy yourself an oMop on Method's website for $30.

Your back will thank you. You might even dream about it.

This sucks! (In a good way!)

Ok, so I will admit that I am certainly not the neatest person in the world. However, I do like things to be clean (I just don't like the process of getting them there -- is that so wrong?). But, I do like my carpets to be clean, and I actually don't mind cleaning them. I get great satisfaction from the lines my vacuum cleaner leaves on the carpet once it's gone over them -- lines to me equal clean carpet. But you see, therein lies my problem.

Two years ago or so, our vacuum cleaner broke. Oh well, off to buy a new one. We left Bed Bath and Beyond $160 later with a new vacuum cleaner. Hubby had researched it, and it was the best "cheap" vacuum cleaner on the market. Riiiight. This vacuum (which shall remain nameless) worked at what I guess you could say an ok level for about 2 months. Then the brush at the front stopped spinning. We got that fixed and then the belt had to be replaced. Fine. But it didn't matter -- it seemed from that point on, our vacuum cleaner was just phoning it in. Going through all of the motions, making the noises, picking up a little dirt to show for it, but our carpets never looked clean. It wasn't my imagination, either, because if you sat on our floor with black pants, well, you may as well pick out something else to wear. Plus, it no longer made those satisfying lines on the carpet when I used it. It was sad. I was sad.

So, today I was so excited when hubby told me thatour new "upright cleaning machine" was on our front porch -- our new Dyson dc25. It was perfect timing -- my friend was coming over at noon to help me clean, and we could try out the new vacuum.

When she gets here, she and I tear into the box. I'm thinking it's going to be a nightmare to put together. Nope. Quite simple. The longest part was reading the directions. It took all of 2 minutes of work to get the thing in vacuuming condition. 15 minutes total. Awesome -- my kind of product already.

The new Dyson dc25 is a ball vacuum -- meaning that it swivels in any direction and isn't limited to going in a straight line. It's soooo cool! For the first minute or so of vacuuming, I had to get used to it -- I think I looked like I was trying to do a really strange version of the cha-cha. However, it really is so much nicer. Especially for that one little spot by my curtains in the dining room where I can never get the vacuum cleaner. I didn't have to continuously jam it into that spot -- I just swiveled it. It was quite a moment!

Apparently I have been deprived, because I have never had a bagless vacuum. This thing rocks. When I turned it on, I moved it a bit, and then I let it stay in one place and marveled at the dirt that it continued to suck up from the deep abyss that is my carpet. I'm almost ashamed to admit that we had to empty it four times during the process (which was very, very simple -- once click to remove and empty, simple to snap back in place). That is how much dirt our other one missed. We certainly didn't get enough dirt in the bag in the other vacuum cleaner to replace it more than once every month or so. Plus, even when the canister was completely full of dirt, it kept it's suction! I was honestly amazed!

If you are looking for a workout by pushing around a heavy vacuum cleaner, this won't do it. This thing weighs a mere 16 lbs (less than my stroller does!) and is incredibly easy to move around! My favorite part is that I will never again have to buy another bag, belt, or filter! The filter in this vacuum is washable (and should be washed every 3 months) which is awesome, plus I'm already visualizing the fewer amounts of trash that I'm creating! Oh, and have I mentioned the 15 foot tall cathedral ceilings that I have in my living room? The new dc25 has an instant 16 foot reach for extended cleaning, so I can finally get all of that dust off of my ceiling fans without a ladder!

Dyson also guarantees 5 years parts and labor when you purchase the new dc25, which means that I have at least 5 years before I have to purchase another vacuum. Lastly, I think this will be a huge help with hubby's allergies -- he's allergic to trees, dust, pollen, cats (we have 3), dogs (we have 2), and pretty much life. Even on medicine he is constantly coughing and sneezing, so I really think this will help! Plus, the air emitted from the Dyson dc25 has 150 times less mold and bacteria than the air that we breathe, so it's got to be better for him, and all of us.

Hubby came out into the living room when I first turned on the vacuum cleaner and I said "look how cool -- check out all of the dirt it's picking up!" and he stood there for a second and watched. Then, he looked at me knowingly and said "it's making your carpet lines". He so gets me.

Buy a Dyson dc25 for $499.99 at their online store. Or, check out some of their other products, like the similar dc24 that starts at $399.99.

Super Scrubbers

So, you already knew I had a thing for French products, but could these be any cuter? It's not just because I'm biased! I dream of the day that Little AG will want to help me clean the house (because goodness knows I don't want to clean it) or help me do the dishes. When that day comes, I just know I will reward her with one of these adorable Dish Brushes from the French company Créa Créa. This one is a pirate, but there are other cute ones too -- a total of 7 designs to choose from! These will get your dishes sparkly clean and have a suction cup base so you can show it off even when you aren't using it! $32 at Plyones.

Babyganics Clean

Oooh, so I'm always on the lookout for a safer way to clean my house (the little cleaning that I actually do, that is) that doesn't involve vinegar -- because I just can't bring myself to deal with the scent. It's making my eyes water and my nose scrunch right now just thinking about it. So, when I ran across these products from Babyganics (what a cute name, right?) I almost danced a little jig.

Well, except I have no idea how it is that one dances a jig. But, I digress.

You can buy this "super" kit of cleaning products that features, in a nutshell: nothing toxic, no dyes, chemical free, and no animal testing (yay!). In that kit you will receive two 32 oz. bottles of "all-purpose cleaner", two 32 oz. bottles of "glass cleaner", two 32 oz. "tub and tile" cleaners, and one 16 oz. "concentrate floor cleaner". Bonus: you can choose if you'd like it delivered non-scented or in Lavender.

Everything they make is certified non-toxic by a toxicologist, and that covers all means of toxic -- skin, eyes, ingestion, and inhalation. You can buy the whole kit for $42 (that includes shipping!) by visiting Go Natural Baby.