Herb’N Organics Natural Cleaning Products

 Talkin’ clean and green with Herb’N Organics!

 Sunday October 19, 2008

Welcome to Herb’N Organics Blog Page!

Thanks for visiting!

First things first- Hi! I’d like to introduce myself to you. My name is Candice Hartwell. My business partner Diann Peart and I own and operate Herb’n Organics- a  green and highly sustainable , natural, non- toxic, and chemical free household cleaning products business in Tempe Az. You can read about our story at http://www.herbnorganics.com/story/   and our mission statement at http://www.herbnorganics.com/mission/.   We’ve been selling our products at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market http://www.foodconnect.org/phoenixmarket/ now for about 6 months. We’re thrilled with the response we’ve had and continue to have there. We knew WE loved our products and now it’s so nice to know that our new friends and customers love it too! Everyone continues to keep us informed on all their new found uses for and experiences with  Arctic Blast, O…So Orange Furniture Frappe, and Peppermint Power Cleansing Powder. Especially the Arctic Blast. We were told by one new customer that it works to kill ants! Smells better than insecticide and safer too! Let us know how you’re using our products and what your thoughts, comments, and uses are!

Buying the Mission

I love my Tom’s Shoes!  They are simple slip on flats, no arch support, cool fabric-all cotton…and my buying these shoes enabled Tom’s to provide another pair of shoes FREE to a child in a developing nation who would otherwise be going without.  That’s their mission: 2 pair of shoes;one for me and one for a child in need somewhere.  I bought the mission; I bought the shoes.  

And I find myself doing that more and more frequently.  I buy fair trade organic coffee from Cartel Coffee Lab here in downtown Tempe because Jason knows the coffee farmers in Guatamala who grow for him and he helps support their community.  The fact that it’s the best coffee in Arizona is a definite plus!  (Denis, the Frenchman in my life,  says it’s the only coffee in the WORLD he doesn’t need to add sugar to and it’s strong enough for his taste…he calls other commercial coffee ‘cat piss’.)

I was in Whole Foods Market looking for body lotion  and came across ‘Everyday Shea Moisturizing Body Lotion’, unscented (Yes!), handcrafted with fair trade, unrefined shea butter (Yes!) paraben free, fragrance free, no animal testing (Yes!).  And on the back of the bottle, their mission.  Read it (www.EveryDayShea.com).  I bought it and I love it.  Every time I slather it on after a shower, I feel better about our rapidly changing world.

When we come out of the current economic funk, I believe that it’s going to be a new economy, a more sustainable economy where we purchase according to our values and with respect for the planet and in support of those who are doing good by doing good.  We can do the right thing, we can look a little deeper and read the mission and make our choices accordingly.  

Peace.

Diann

OH MY GOSH……….

I can’t believe how good these Herb’N Organic products work. Not like I didn’t already know ’cause I use them all the time but….. I was cleaning a new clients house yesterday and wow the tub was BLACK and I thought uh oh I might need to use some lethal chemical stuff on this just to get it back to manageable. Well I didn’t have any lethal chemical stuff with me  because I have stopped using that stuff  sooo… I sprayed it w/ Arctic Blast and I sprinkled it W/ Peppermint Power and then I sprayed it again w/ Arctic Blast and let it sit for 2 hours. And” SHUT UP”- it cleaned up to sparkling white in one scrubbing with the scrub brush. Amazing! Then there were red walls that were dusty and when I put a damp rag to them it made a kinda mud YUK!  Then I tried a damp cloth sprayed w/ Frappe and the walls cleaned up beautifully – just kinda glowed like venetian plaster!!! Wow- Who knew!? Guess we all do now! Just had to share! Thx for listening -  The Happy Housecleaner

TIPS AND TRICKS

You can use your Arctic Blast to spray your shower after every use to help to keep the surface fresh and easy to clean!

If you have ants, white flys, or aphids in your garden spray them with Arctic Blast ! Problem solved!

Questions From Customers

I am in love with your products, though I do have one question. Can any of your products be used on glass/ceramic flat top stoves? I have been wary of using them (even arctic blast) because the stove manufacturer states not to use any products other than their cleaner. What are your thoughts?

Thank you for your help!
Kristin

Hi Kristen – I have a flat top stove myself and have been using the Arctic Blast and Peppermint Power Cleansing Powder on it for over a year now and it’s working well with no scratching. If there is nothing baked on I just use the Arctic and if there are areas that need a little scouring I sprinkle the Peppermint Power and just use a damp cloth to work it in until the spots gone. You do need to rinse well after using the powder as it has baking soda which can leave a film. I just go back over the stove top with a fresh damp cloth and a couple of squirts of Arctic and then dry the surface. I also use one of the razor tools they sell for glass top stoves for really bad baked on spills first following with the Peppermint Power and the Arctic Blast. Hope this helps! We’re so glad you love our products and we thank you for the opportunity to answer your questions. Let us know how it works out for you – Candice Hartwell

Hello,
I recently purchased your Artic Blast cleaner as well as the hand sanitizer. I appreciate the fact that you are “going green”, however I am confused by something. Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD 40) is a chemical and therefore not “green”. In fact, in a Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients says it may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, and coma. This along with the fact that it is a drying, irritating solvent that strips skin’s moisture and immune barrier, making you vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. I am confused at the choice to use such a thing. Perhaps I am unaware of some facts, which is why I have chosen to contact you. Please enlighten me as I would love to use your products while detoxing my home and school.

Hi Betty- Well all of this certainly is the dilemma when working with green products or trying to just figure out what is toxic and what isn’t. The truth is just about anything can be toxic when consumed in a large enough quantity. Even something as natural as lemon juice can still be irritating to the eyes. When you really start researching you find people on the fence with the different alcohols and pure vodka would probably be the best choice – and that certainly could even be fatal in large enough doses. Not to mention you couldn’t legally sell a cleaning product with alcohol fit for consumption due to regulatory laws. Since we are not recommending people drink our household cleaners or sanitizers we believe the rubbing alcohol to be our best choice for our product. In hand sanitizers there has to be at least 64% alcohol to be able to call it a sanitizer . I use aloe vera and glycerin to help reverse the drying effects. There is potential in just using grapefruit seed extract but not enough funded research to be able to list it’s claims. Personally I would rather use a product deemed safe enough for a massage to clean my mirrors and counters than some of the ingredients that we know to be extremely toxic even in small doses. I do believe everyone needs to research and to come to their own conclusions as to what they feel is safe for themselves and their families. I hope this helps you to make your own decision as to what products you choose. Thank you for contacting us with your concerns- Candice Hartwell

I bought a bottle of the Artic Blast (as well ast the orange frappe) a few weeks ago. Love it! But I am puzzled. Both come in a 32oz bottle, yet they are only filled about 1/4 of the way with product. Am I supposed to dilute these with something? If not, what’s the purpose of the size of the bottle?

Hi Janice- Yes you are suppose to add the water to  the concentrate in your bottle. We only sell concentrate.You are right the 8 oz. in your bottle makes 32 oz. of finished product when you fill the bottle with water to the neck. Just fill them and shake and you’re ready to go ! Sorry about the confusion we try to make sure we tell everyone about adding the water. We’re glad you love the product !  Thanks- Candice Hartwell    

I see you use polysorbate 20 in your linen sprays what is it? Thanks – Karl

Polysorbate 20 is a nonionic surfactant and emulsifier derived from sorbitol which comes from fruit and berries. Polysorbate 20 is a water-soluble yellowish liquid used as a dispersing agent -mixes oil and water, fragrance solubilizer and stabilizer, lubricates and has a soothing effect on the skin.It is considered a safe product for use in cosmetics. Thanks for asking Karl!- Candice