EDITOR'S PICK
Seventh Generation's Living Scents
This company's new line of fresh scents makes cleaning a blissful experience.
Mary Bolster, Editor in Chief
9/2007
9/2007
I have two traits that make me particular about cleaning products: I'm a neat freak and I have a keen sense of smell. That means I'm always spraying products around my house to see if they clean well and smell nice. Last year, I fell in love with Mrs. Meyer's cinnamon scent-I thought it was perfect for the holidays. Then I tried the geranium scent and found it too sweet; that put me off scented products for a while. I switched to Method's fragrance-free, all-purpose cleaner until the lack of fragrance made me feel like I was just spraying water everywhere.
Now I've discovered Seventh Generation's newest line of scents (seventhgeneration.com) and become a fragrance convert all over again. The subtle scents conjure up images of eucalyptus forests, freshly cut grass on a summer day, a bed of pine needles, and fields of lavender. I spray my countertops with Green Mandarin & Leaf Natural All-Purpose Cleaner ($4.59, pictured above) and love the fresh-meadow smell. My toilet bowl, rinsed with Emerald Cypress & Fir Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner ($4.59, pictured at right), emits a whiff of evergreen, and my clothes, washed with Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender Natural Laundry Detergent Liquid ($10.69 for 100 oz., pictured below left), carry the slightest scent of lavender.
Eva-Marie Lind, Seventh Generation's scent designer, says she thought about aromas in terms of where they should be in the home. For example, she felt citrus belonged in the kitchen, not the bathroom. She also considered how essential oils (the ones she uses come from responsibly harvested plants) would interact with a variety of household surfaces.
It's that kind of thoughtfulness that makes these scents work so well. I'm transported to my favorite outdoor scenario every time I use them, and I feel good about purchasing products that are biodegradable and free of chlorine, phosphates, and petroleum-based ingredients.
Now I've discovered Seventh Generation's newest line of scents (seventhgeneration.com) and become a fragrance convert all over again. The subtle scents conjure up images of eucalyptus forests, freshly cut grass on a summer day, a bed of pine needles, and fields of lavender. I spray my countertops with Green Mandarin & Leaf Natural All-Purpose Cleaner ($4.59, pictured above) and love the fresh-meadow smell. My toilet bowl, rinsed with Emerald Cypress & Fir Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner ($4.59, pictured at right), emits a whiff of evergreen, and my clothes, washed with Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender Natural Laundry Detergent Liquid ($10.69 for 100 oz., pictured below left), carry the slightest scent of lavender.
Eva-Marie Lind, Seventh Generation's scent designer, says she thought about aromas in terms of where they should be in the home. For example, she felt citrus belonged in the kitchen, not the bathroom. She also considered how essential oils (the ones she uses come from responsibly harvested plants) would interact with a variety of household surfaces.
It's that kind of thoughtfulness that makes these scents work so well. I'm transported to my favorite outdoor scenario every time I use them, and I feel good about purchasing products that are biodegradable and free of chlorine, phosphates, and petroleum-based ingredients.
