Although giving someone a basket of cleaning supplies could result in them feeling a little less than awesome about their housekeeping abilities, we think it's a great idea for bridal showers and even hostess gifts. There's some really fantastic products out there (check them out below), but they aren't always easy on the pocketbook. We'd be delighted to get a basket of cleaning goodies, what about you?
Cleaning can actually be fun and having bright packages and fun tools to do so is a bonus, especially if you didn't have to pay for them! We'd love to get a basket of new cleaning supplies (does that make us weird?) with new scents to welcome in Spring with all new smells! Here's a few of our favorites, add yours in the comments below.
• Signature Cleaning Utility Product: from Restoration Hardware
• Essentail Oil Cleaning Collection: from Williams Sonoma
• Clean Dishwasher Soap: from Martha Stewart
• Pop Up Sponges: from Williams Sonoma
• Automatic Dish Packs: from Mrs. Meyers
• Clean Dish Soap: from Martha Stewart
• Related: Store Guide: Basic Cleaning Supplies
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Comments (13)
Nice in theory, especially as a housewarming gift.
However, many of the "boutique" cleaning products have really strong or distinctive fragrances--you should really know if a person likes a scent before giving them one of the heavily scented products like Mrs. Meyers.
I love this idea as a housewarming gift.
I put Mrs. Meyers basil dish soap in my husband's Christmas stocking. :-)
As of late I've been finding Mrs. Meyers @ Home Goods for 30 - 50% off retail. Love the Geranium scent, but like ValHalla says, some of the products are pretty strongly scented (ex. their wipes), while others are mellow (dishwasher detergent).
I made a basket of all organic cleaning supplies for a recent bridal shower and it went over great!
At my wedding shower, the hostess requested that every guest bring a cleaning product. What a thoughtful and useful idea! Cleaning supplies can be very expensive, and it was so helpful to have an abundance. The shower was over a year ago, and I still have all-purpose, toilet, and floor products!
Those little beads for the vacuum from Restoration Hardware are divine!
I house-watched (just went in every once in a while to make sure the heat was on, and got the mail) for our neighbors a few months ago and she gave me a small bottle of Sun & Earth detergent and dish soap as a thank you. I'd never been given something like that before, but I loved the idea! It was so much better than a questionable baked good or a souvenier from a vacation we didn't go on.
Does anyone have any experience with the Williams Sonoma dish soap? I love the scents but I've never tried it and it's mighty expensive to find out it doesn't work.
I think gifting cleaning products is great, but it depends on how you do it. I make my own cleaners, and don't get me wrong, they work great and I love them, and I can't rationalize buying higher end products when I can make it just as well myself. However, if someone bought me a bunch of earth friendly, nicely scented cleaning supplies, I'd be over the moon. But, I'm also that kind of person. The kitchen and the home is where I shine, and I love it.
On the other hand, if I was gifted a bottle of pine-sol and some joy, that would make me feel more like "hey, by the way, I think you need to clean your house."
...oh no, I'm still using up bottles our lodger left behind two years ago - I'm a hot-water-and-scrub cleaner for day to day cleaning and only really crack out the product for deep cleans - can't bring myself to throw them out but (like cider and tealights) I think I'd cry if given more...
Heavily fragranced "Eco" products like Mrs. Meyers rely upon huge amounts of synthetic fragrance (as well as sodium laurel/laureth sulphates). Not really so eco-friendly after all.
Try and find the Australian brand Murchison-Hume. Really works and naturally and lightly scented. Look at Anthropologie stores. The "Classic Six" boxed set is pricey but lasts about 4 to 6 months. We just want the refill bottles and can't find them anywhere yet!
Again, how is Murchison-Hume any better ecologically? Although you may not use Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate, you still rely on Palm oil. Murchison-Hume also claim to be 100% cruelty free... but try telling that to the last of the remaining Orangutans or Sumatran Tigers who's habitat is being stripped away by Palm oil companies to make way for supposedly eco-friendly products. MaxK, to use your phrasing, "Not really so eco-friendly after all".