Thursday 7 November 2013

Greenfrog REVIEW

I was really pleased to have an opportunity to try out a range of natural products: soapnuts (for laundry), washing up liquid, hand wash, and all-purpose cleaner. All from natural soap product company, Greenfrog, who are based in Brighton, England.



Earlier this year in April, Greenfrog won the silver award for the 'best new natural living & home product' at the Olympia 'Natural and Organic Products, Europe' in London.



Soapnuts

We tried the soapnuts first - they look like dried slightly sticky berries, and you use them to wash your clothes! They come with a little unbleached cotton drawstring bag, and you add 6-8 half shells to this bag, and into the drum of the washing machine with the dirty clothes - simple.

You can also use the soapnuts for up to 3 washes each, then dispose in your compost or food bin. Very eco-friendly! It did feel a little odd to depend on these to clean our clothes, but I was impressed by the result, and so was my husband (a rarity!)

Anything that had major staining would need a touch of pre-treating first then followed with a wash with the soapnuts. Greenfrog do recommend that to tackle really stubborn stains, add a spoonful of salt or bleach-free stain remover to the detergent tray.

Taken from the soapnuts instruction label
"These high quality soapnuts, grown sustainably on trees in the Himalayan mountains of India, contain saponin, a natural detergent used for centuries, as a gentle cleaner for fabrics and silks"

Taken from the Greenfrog website
Why use Greenfrog Soapnuts?
  • Gentle on your skin. Soapnuts are naturally free from nasty chemicals which can irritate sensitive skin and eczema
  • Easy to use. Ecological cleaning needn't be hard work! Just pop them in your washing machine in the bag provided on your usual wash. Easy to follow instructions are included. 
  • Tried and tested. Our Himalayan soapnuts come from a sustainable source used for centuries for their effective cleaning properties. 
  • Eco-friendly. 100% natural and biodegradable soapnuts from a sustainable source
The liquid hand wash soap was great. It had a gentle foaming action, it smelt great (it contained peppermint and honey, delicious), and unlike some other hand washes, did not make my hands dry & tight.



This had an amazing smell: a fresh & clean floral scent. And it did a great job at cleaning the kitchen surfaces, but with the grease/oil spots near the hob, I did need to use a lot of elbow grease. With future kitchen cleans, I would battle the grease/oil spots with a de-greaser first, followed by a full clean with the Greenfrog all-purpose cleaner.

After I cleaned all the kitchen surfaces, the floral scent lingered for the rest of the day! It was lovely to have that fresh scent stay in the air, and even my husband noticed when he came home from work.



Natural Washing Up Liquid

Just like the previous Greenfrog products, the smell of the washing up liquid was divine (I adore citrus scents so the lemon was perfect for me)! It doesn't really foam/bubble up like traditional dish soaps, but it cleaned well. It was a little difficult to truly test this as we have a dishwasher, but I made sure I had a few items that needed cleaning by hand! It cleaned tea-stained mugs and after-dinner plates very well. With items such as a ceramic dish used to cook a family sized baked-bean lasagne, the dish needed a good soak with hot water and a dribble of the Greenfrog washing up liquid, before cleaning fully.


It was a real treat to try out these natural soap products. Thank you Greenfrog team for allowing me to review on my family lifestyle blog.



* I was not paid for this article. I was asked for my genuine personal opinion on their products to be published on my blog. As a thank you, I was allowed to keep the products*

* If you would like me to review your product or service, please email me on jellyroseyate@gmail.com to discuss*

28 comments:

  1. I like natural products like this because I have sensitive skin. I love peppermint, so the hand wash sounds awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have heard of soapnuts before and wondered how they worked at cleaning clothing. I really like the name Green Frog, it would make me want to buy it just for the name, being they have natural products, makes it even better.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The natural hand washing soap sounds very good to me--I also attempt at least to be as green as possible so I will be checking this company out to see if they ship to the US

    ReplyDelete
  4. This line sounds absolutely wonderful, in my opinion. After hearing so much from my mom's doctors about the dangers of household chemicals when she was going through cancer treatments, I have vowed to myself and promised to her that I will only use natural, organic household cleaners. Thanks for sharing this company's mission and your experiences with their products!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've always wanted to try Soap Nuts and just haven't gotten around to trying them. I suppose my own apprehension in using anything other than detergent that I KNOW works on clothing. I am a constant non pre-treater, so that extra step throws me sometimes and with 5 kids, we just don't have that option many days. How do they smell?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love using natural products when I have access to them. And even better when they work! These look fantastic. I would love to try the soap nuts.

    ReplyDelete
  7. These look like awesome products. I always try and find all natural products. I tried some soap nuts recently myself and I was also amazed at the results. I loved them!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have seen soap nuts used for laundry, but not for the other products. I will have to check this company out and see if they work for me! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I had never heard of soap nuts. It made me giggle. But I love the fact that the products are all green.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have heard of these before but to honest thought it was all hype. Thank you for your review, I will be willing to try them now I know someone who has and had success

    ReplyDelete
  11. I've never heard of Soap Nuts before... Very interesting! I love the smell of peppermint, so this sounds great to me!! All Natural... Now you're talking!

    ReplyDelete
  12. We have been trying to be greener. I have not heard of these, will definitely be checking them out - especially the soap nuts.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I haven't heard of greenfrog but I love all natural peppermint soaps. I use it for my dishes too.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've used soapnuts before and they were lovely I really didn't think it would wash clothes but they do! I'm going to have to have a look for greenfrog :) X

    ReplyDelete
  15. Greenfrog Natural Soap Products sound great. This was a very nice post and I would love to try some of the Greenfrog Natural Soap Products now. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I do love to use natural products. I think they are so good for you!

    ReplyDelete
  17. This looks great i will have to check them out much better to use natural products than all the chemicals.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks Viccy for this lovely review - so glad you enjoyed them. We don't sell direct on our website but www.natureshealthbox.co.uk is doing a special offer at the mo so they are worth checking out! Thank you :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow, this sounds like a great line of products! I so want to try this out! I am always a little if-y on stuff though!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm especially fascinated with the soap nuts. What a great alternative to using chemical laden detergents!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I've been trying to use more natural products. I'm definitely going to have to try out these Greenfrog products!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Natural products sometimes come with a larger price tag. And that may keep me from getting into using some of the more well known brands.

    ReplyDelete
  23. As a mother to two young kids I used natural products for their safety. Hope that this is available here in the U.S.

    ReplyDelete
  24. My mom would love this. She likes natural stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I would really love to use this. We try to use all natural products whenever possible.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Soapnuts, strange and interesting at the same time. I make my own detergent and try to be green. Never heard of this company. Thanks for sharing it.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I have never heard of this specific brand but I love soap nuts! They are awesome and work so, so well!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I suffer from skin issues and I'm always on the lookout for products like these that are good for someone like me.

    ReplyDelete