Product Review: H20 at Home
At a friend's recommendation, we tried H20 at Home cleaning products and we were pleasantly surprised by the samples provided to us by her advisor. Here's why we like what this eco-friendly company has to offer.
While H20 at home also makes personal care products and home fragrance products (i.e. essential oils), this review is specific to their home care and cleaning products. We were provided with a free sample for review purposes.
Eco-Friendly Mission and Ingredients
H20 at home describes itself as "a mission driven company that seeks to bring safe, effective, and natural home and personal care solutions to the world." Like many other companies, their products use all-natural ingredients that are safe for your family.
What sets H20 apart is another aspect of their eco-friendly mission - they want you to buy less. So, they've made micro-fiber cloths that clean with just water, sponges that hold dish detergent efficiently so you can use less, and concentrated formulas that last a long time.
As our advisor Jeanine told us, "Every decision the company makes goes through an environmental impact screening - from their products to their factory to their selling process."
Effective Products
So, do the products work? First of all, lets address this "just add water" idea that is the root of H20's branding strategy. Can you really get your kitchen clean with a microfiber cloth and water? Well, if you are trying to disinfect, maybe not (but they do have an all-purpose spray for that), but if you are simply cleaning a surface from regular use, the answer is a resounding and intriguing - YES.
Chiffonnettes
H20's "chiffonnettes" are actually microfiber cloths of varying textures and thicknesses designed to clean with just water. The Heavy Duty Chiffonnette is for scrubbing tough surfaces, whereas the essential multi-surface is for a wide variety of basic cleaning and dusting purposes, and the precision glass version is for polishing more delicate surfaces. They are made of polyester and polyamide, and H20 says that this combination of thin fibers leads to better absorption and "streak-free results."
I tried the essential multi-surface chiffonnette on our countertops, cabinets, and appliances and couldn't stop cleaning (which says a lot for me).
It was easy to pick up crumbs, it got dirt and food up well, and really did leave an impressive shine. You simply wet the chiffonnette, wring it out, and wash the surface (and repeat as necessary).
The most impressive result, for me, was how well it cleaned and shined our stainless steel appliances. The photo here shows how dirty our oven was before cleaning with the wet chiffonnette (bottom) and how clean and shiny it was after (top).
The same goes for our cabinets that had all sorts of splatters and drips on them. One quick go-around with a Chiffonnette and they were looking much better, although I will say the heavy duty chiffonnette would probably work better for these stubborn stuck on drips.
While I did not get to sample one, H20 also makes microfiber mop heads that follow the same "clean with water" principles. I am excited to get my hands on one and see it in action.
Sponges
H20's sponges are also made to clean well without using a lot of soap. We tried the double-sided microfiber sponge which draws on similar technology as the chiffonnettes.
The sponge is ultra-absorbent, which we found helped it to hold on to dish detergent more effectively, making it easier to use less. In fact, H20 claims that you only need 2-3 drops of their highly concentrated dish detergent for an entire sink full of dishes. While we found this to be true, we think the sponge has a lot to do with it!
Another great thing about the sponge (and the chiffonnettes) is that you can wash them in your washing machine. I have had enough smelly gross sponges in my life to find this perk highly desirable.
H20 also makes a scrubbing sponge and a scouring sponge, though we found that this basic sponge met most of our needs.
Cleaning Products
While cleaning with water is a central component of H20's mission, there are times when a cleaning product (a soap, spray, or detergent) is necessary. In those cases, H20 focuses on highly concentrated formulas and refillable containers.
Our sample packaged included Cleaning Clay and Netepur Stain Remover. The cleaning clay comes in a small screw-top container with a built-in sponge. It is designed to be used on pots and pans, granite, shower doors, sinks, and even jewelry and glass. We tried it on our glass stove top as well as on a few pots and pans.
Overall, we found that the cleaning clay worked similarly to other products we use for similar purposes (like borax for pots and pans or glass-top oven cleaner). The benefit, though, is that you can use one product for multiple purposes. It is also a fairly nice-looking and compact container that you might not mind having on your counter top or sink for frequent use. And the small amount lasts a long time - in fact, Jeanine emphasized that "less is more" when it comes to H20's cleaning products. They encourage you to start with just a little bit of detergent if water alone doesn't do the job.
The Netepur Stain Remover comes in the form of a bar. You soak whatever you are trying to clean, rub it with the stain removing bar, then allow it to soak again before washing. Again, the benefit here is the size of the Netepur bar - the same size as a bar of soap - versus other products you could buy in large bottles and bigger quantities. And again, you only need a little bit. So that means less packaging and fewer purchases. Netepur also comes in a roll-on version.
You can also clean your chiffonnettes with the netepur - just wet with hot water, rub the chiffonnette all over with the bar, and throw it in your wash. This comes in handy when your husband cleans up a nice orange turmeric spill with your new grey chiffonnette (just sayin', it could happen).
Our Verdict?
We don't always love products that are sold in a peer-to-peer "party" fashion - it seems like there are so many these days that one friend or another is always going to be pushing them. But these products really do align with our eco-conscious household and they worked as well, if not better, than some of the other things we've tried. The whole concept of cleaning with just water and not a lot of harmful detergents feels great for our family and our environmental values, not to mention our pocket book.
In particular, we are taken with the "tools" of the H20 line. The microfiber chiffonnettes work extremely well, and the sponges are effective and machine washable. We are hoping to get a package of these products, including the mop head and maybe some towels, to replace the ones that we are currently using. The chiffonnettes also come in fun color assortments, so there's the added bonus that you can coordinate them with your kitchen.
How to Buy
As we mentioned, you can get your hands on H20 products by attending a "hosted party" (which will help you learn tips for using these products and new approaches) but you can also hook yourself up with an advisor and order from them on a regular basis. Or, you can simply go to the H20 website and place an order and they'll hook you up with an advisor. Our conversations with Jeanine, the advisor we worked with for this review, were friendly and helpful without pressure.
You can also join Jeanine's Facebook Group or follow her on Instagram for regular tips on making best use of H20 products, and even a few friendly reminders like "hey, its Friday, lets all clean underneath our appliances!"
Overall, we're happy we learned more about this company, their mission, and their products and we believe them when they say they are trying to do good for the world. We recommend you check them out and see for yourself which of the products might be useful for your needs.
