A Clean Home is a Happy Home

Just look at all the goodies... 

I often joke that I'm one of those people that clicks on internet advertisements- banners, popups, paid content on Facebook/Instagram/blogs, you name it! If I like what I see, I click. However, while I will happily browse and even fill my shopping cart, it's not often that I actually check out. Especially when it's a random company or website I've never heard of.

Which brings me to the subject of this post. Midway through October, I clicked a Facebook ad that looked very much like this. I'd never heard of Grove Collaborative before, but I liked the idea of the free cleaning caddy with cleaning supplies, and a $20 order minimum wasn't necessarily a bad thing if they had nice stuff for sale. Everyone needs cleaning supplies right? So I took a browse, filled my cart with very practical things like toilet cleaner, stainless steel cleaner, shower cleaner... even a box of bamboo tissues!

My final order total was $45.37 (free shipping) and for that I received everything above! I've helpfully marked everything that was free, but according to my receipt I got $54.47 worth of free goodies. Not bad! I can't speak for every product on the Grove Co. website, but at least the ones I am interested in re-ordering appear to be very competitively priced (cheaper than current Amazon prices) so I don't think it's bad value ordering from Grove.

I also got a free 3 month VIP membership pass, which I believe is good for getting me free shipping on orders over $20 for as long as I'm a VIP and also the occasional VIP free gift (which they email to your inbox). When my free VIP trial runs out, I can either opt to renew it for $19.99 a year, or I can cancel by membership without renewing and just order from the site as normal and pay shipping. I have no idea what sort of shipping they charge, but cleaning supplies are HEAVY (all those liquids!) so I can't imagine it would be more cost effective to forgo the VIP membership and just pay shipping each time. This is my Grove Referral Link (which I believe earns me a site credit if you click and purchase) and if you click it you'll get the same free 5 pieces set I got: Mrs Meyer's Hand Soap, Mrs Meyer's Dish Soap, Mrs Meyer's All-Surface Cleaner, the walnut scrubby sponge 2 pack and the enamel cleaning caddy (mine was white, they might be doing red now because it's more seasonal...)

And last but not least, they have a very friendly return policy! Any product that you don't like for any reason can be returned for a refund, even if it's been opened or used. Just email them and they send you a (free!) shipping label- there's no return sheet or questionnaire to fill out. Apart from the fact that the return label is UPS, which is not as convenient for me as USPS, this return policy gives me a lot of confidence and it's one of the reasons I placed an order in the first place. Keep reading if you want to know what I thought of the individual items in my order...

Product Review: The Freebies

Retail cost: $14.95

Cost to me: free (part of 5 piece free gift set)

Repurchase: yes

The Enamel Cleaning Caddy is made of metal with a wooden handle, and it's very sturdy! Not heavy at all, which is good because you want to be able to fill it with stuff and still be able to lift it, but solidly made and good quality all around. It's also not round but rather a flatish oval, so it's nice and wide to be able to fit a lot of stuff, but it doesn't stick out a lot when placed against a wall. THe design is simple and attractive enough that I don't mind having it out on display; I'm keeping mine on my kitchen counter with the cleaning supplies I use multiple times a day. I currently only need one of these, but if in future I require another metal caddy, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase this one.

Retail cost: $3.89 for 12.5 oz

Cost to me: free (part of 5 piece free gift set)

Repurchase: yes

I chose to get my Mrs. Meyer's Hand Soap in the scent Bluebell, and I have no regrets at all because it smells amazing. I find myself washing my hands more often because I enjoy the scent so much, but somehow it doesn't seem to be drying out my skin as I would've expect from so much frequent washing. Even my husband remarked on how good the Bluebell scent is, which is pretty much the ultimate positive testimonial when it comes to scented cleaning products.

Retail cost: $3.89 for 16 oz.

Cost to me: free (part of 5 piece free gift set)

Repurchase: yes

I also chose the Bluebell scent for the Mrs. Meyer's Dish Soap, since the dish soap and the hand soap would both be scenting my hands throughout the day and I figured it might be best not to mix scents until I had more experience with them. Good thing I'm such a fan of Bluebell! In terms of performance, this dish soap seems to be quite effective at cleaning greasy dirty dishes, so I don't miss my old dish soap at all. It definitely smells better!

Retail Cost: $3.89 for 16 oz.

Cost to me: free (part of 5 piece free gift set)

Repurchase: yes

I chose to get the Mrs. Meyer's Multi Surface Cleaner in the Lemon Verbena scent, partially because I thought I'd like it and partially just in case Bluebell wasn't an olfactory slam dunk. Despite the loveliness of the Bluebell scent, I'm glad I chose Lemon Verbena for this cleaner because it has a lovely lemon-y fresh clean scent and I really enjoy using it. It cleans very well too, so far I've used it on my granite countertops, on my stainless steel appliances, on my stove top, and on my kitchen cabinets! It's a great cleaning spray for all these surfaces, removing grease and other grime with ease. 

Retail Cost: $3.95

Cost to me: free (part of 5 piece free gift set)

Repurchase: maybe

Each pack of the Walnut & Cellulose Scrubber Sponge contains two sponges, which is found to be comparatively sizes to your average grocery store sponge. I actually like to cut my sponges in half down the middle so that I have smaller sponges that I can change out more often, and these are the perfect size to do so. According to the description, these sponges are made of "hypoallergenic walnut scour​ (ground walnut shells with recycled fibers), 100% all-natural plant based cellulose, non-toxic adhesive". They do feel somewhat different from regular sponges- the white part is softer and more silky/cushiony feeling, and the scrubby part is also a little softer and more gentle than my previous sponges. This works for me as I don't like scratching up my dishes with harsh scrubbing anything, and I really like how this sponge feels in my hand. That said, I was curious to know if plant based cellulose is a more eco-friendly sponge material than regular sponges, and a quick google search told me that it's potentially biodegradable but as a fairly new plastic it's still unclear exactly how eco-friendly plant cellulose plastics really are. Also, apparently Scotch-Brite sponges are also made of plant cellulose and they're significantly cheaper, so while I enjoy the Walnut sponge I'm not sure if I would repurchase. But they are nice to use!

Retail Cost: $12.95

Cost to me: free

Repurchase: yes

The Glass Spray Bottle With Silicone Sleeve in the color Seafoam Green was also a free gift with my order, I don't quite remember why but I believe it was offered in the particular Facebook advertisement I had clicked. I really like this spray bottle, which seems like an odd thing to say about an item so humble , but I'm really particular about spray nozzles and this bottle has a really good one. I also quite like the silicone sleeve as this makes it noiseless to set down on any surface and I don't have to worry about the glass bottom or my countertop. The size is just right being neither not too big nor too small, and works perfectly with the Grove concentrate products that specifically call for a 16 oz bottle. If I need another empty bottle in the future, I wouldn't hesitate to repurchase this one; the nozzle alone makes it worth it to me.

Retail Cost: $9.95

Cost to me: free (for placing $45 min order)

Repurchase: yes

This very clean simple white Stoneware Tray was the free gift for placing a $45 order. It's the perfect size for my needs, fitting neatly in the space beside my kitchen sink faucet and comfortable fitting the hand soap, dish soap, and sponge. I don't currently need another tray but if this one broke I'd probably repurchase as the dimensions are so right for me. I like how it's plain white, although it appears that Grove Co. does offer more colorful limited editions, like the current Pomegranate Tray.

Product Review: The Items I Ordered

Retail Cost: $1.99 for 1 box of 90 tissues

Repurchase: no

I really like the idea of environmentally friendly paper products made from the super fast bamboo plant, which is why I bought a box of these Seedling Tree-Free Facial Tissues. I was very excited to try them and hopeful they would be nice, but alas I found it rather scratchy and rough! It's a shame because I was all set to purchase the Seedling toilet paper if I liked the tissues, but now I've totally lost interest. Scratchy tushy paper is not something I want to deal with, return policy or not.

Retail Cost: $3.99 for 24 oz.

Repurchase: no

I figured I'd try the Method Antibac Toilet Cleaner because I was running low anyway, and who wouldn't like their toilet cleaning activity to smell a little nicer and less chemically? Alas, I find myself not caring much for the Spearmint scent of this cleaner and I also felt like I had to scrub a bit more than usual. I'll be returning this one.

Retail Cost: $2.99 for 28 oz.

Repurchase: maybe

Oddly enough, I liked the smell of the Method Antibac Bathroom Cleaner, even though it's the same Spearment as the toilet cleaner. I like this cleaner for cleaning the outside of the toilet and around the floor. Also, as the loving owner of sweet little dog who is nevertheless getting on in years, it's been nice having a antibacterial spray handy for any little incidents that might arise. I like this spray enough to use it and not return it, but I don't know if when I run out I'll repurchase the same one or try out something else. I do think it's good value for the price, as the bottle is a decent size and the spray nozzle is good quality. 

Retail Cost: $2.99 for 28 oz.

Repurchase: maybe, in different scent

I got the Method Daily Shower Spray in the Eucalyptus Mint scent after reading the description, specifically "you’ll never have to scrub, wipe or rinse your shower again. " After using this spray after every shower, I'm not certain if it's just my imagination or the spray is actually working, but my shower area does seem to be cleaner since I've started using this. That said, this spray doesn't appear to do anything for rings around the bathtub, so I'm still having to do a little scrubbing. I like this spray enough to keep using it but I'm not convinced about the Eucalyptus Mint scent... the smell is clean and fresh but slightly odd too, and I'm still not sure if I actually like it or not. If I repurchase, I'd try the Ylang Ylang scent.

Retail Cost: $5.95 for two tubes

Repurchase: no

The Grove Co Glass Cleaner concentrate is a nice concept- instead of wasting materials in terms of packaging, the cleaner comes concentrated in two tiny tubes which you then mix with water in your container of choice (use 1 tube per 16 oz container, such as the previously mentioned Glass Spray Bottle With Silicone Sleeve. However, this cleaner only comes in the Orange and Rosemary scent which is not unpleasant but it's also not my favorite as I don't like orange scented things very much. I poured one of the tubes of this concentrate into my glass spray bottle and topped it off with filtered water, so mixing up the cleaner is pretty easy. In terms of it's performance as a glass cleaner, it's not bad but I prefer my Windex (even if Windex doesn't smell particularly pleasant either, at least it leaves a perfect streak free shine!)

Retail Cost: $5.95 for two tubes

Repurchase: no

This Tub & Tile Cleaner I actually didn't even try out, as I already know the Orange and Rosemary scent is not for me. It comes in the same two small tubes of concentrate that you then add water to, so it has the same benefit of being less wasteful in packaging and transportation. 

Retail Cost: $7.99 for 16 oz.

Repurchase: no

I have a lot of stainless steel in my kitchen, which is why I ordered the Real Simple Clean Stainless Steel Cleaner/Protectant. After using it once, I do think it gave a lovely shines to my appliances. However, although it's not specifically scented as anything it does have a smell which my husband noticed and objected to, so I'll be returning it despite the fact it did a good job of polishing my stainless steel.

Retail Cost: $7.99 for 24 oz.

Repurchase: yes

To end things on a high note, I really liked the Real Simple Clean Granite Countertop Rejuvenator. Again, it's not scented as any particular thing but it does have a smell- luckily this one is nicer than the stainless steel polish. I like how shiny this makes my Granite Countertops, and it really is streak free. The Mrs. Meyer's All Surface Spray can also be used on my granite countertops but I have found that this granite-specific spray seems to make my countertops shinier. It's quite a large bottle too, I see this lasting me good long a while!

The Long and Short of It...

I'm really happy I took the plunge to place an order from Grove Collaborative. I liked a lot of the products I received and their website and service was very easy to navigate and transparent. I really like that they stand behind all the products they sell and if something doesn't work for you, you can return it! Since there were some items I didn't care for, I will be doing a partial return. However, they sent me a prepaid return label without any runaround at all and I expect when I mail back the package a refund will be swiftly forthcoming as well.

I feel so good about this first order that I have in fact placed a send order yesterday... Apologies to my husband, but tis the season for peppermint and pine scented things and I just couldn't resist. Besides, you can never have too many cleaning supplies, right?

** This post was not sponsored in any way and it contains no affiliate links, but it does contain a referral link. All opinions expressed are my own!**