Review: Caldrea Essential Collection

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the Caldrea Essential collection of home scents and cleansers at Target, and this past week I tried out a couple of items from this new line. To be honest, I was going to pass on it, just because the last thing I need (I thought) was more products to clean with. But the crisp, clean look of the packaging is hard to pass up, and the scents are hard to resist: there is Citron Ginger, Herbs of Provence, and Olive Oil to choose from, and each have their own unique appeal. I finally settled on the Herbs of Provence, which includes notes of Rosemary, Thyme and Sage… although I could swear I smelled Lavender in there, too. And sure enough: once I studied the ingredient list I found that Lavender, Mint, and Lily of the Valley are also thrown in the mix.

The first product I tried was the Countertop Cleaner. It seems to work well, and leaves a slight, lingering fragrance in the kitchen... but to be fair, it’s not for down & dirty jobs. You should still use soap, some elbow grease and even Comet if the job is really tough, especially in the sink. This cleaner says it can be used on tile, natural and synthetic stone, and finished wood. I also used it on our stainless steel range and hood, and it worked fine, but speaking of which… they have another product called “Stainless Steel Cleaner” which sort of baffled me. It seems to be aimed at stainless steel utensils, pots and pans, and to me, I just don’t get the point - ? Aren’t you washing these things anyhow? Why do you need an additional spray to get it clean & shiny?

I also purchased the fragrant candle (in the same scent) which comes in a short, squat jar and states it is a “Kitchen Candle”, although nowhere on the packaging does it claim to take away other offensive kitchen scents like fish or onions. While I do like this candle, for the same amount ($9.99) I'd rather buy another Liberty of London scented candle, as their packaging was prettier and the candle is actually larger (at 10 oz. vs 8 oz.).

From the 3 Target stores I’ve seen Caldrea at, it looks like the hand lotions are a top seller, as most are already sold out. I personally prefer unscented hand lotion myself, but with their rich fragrances, I can see why these would go quickly. Overall I like this line and will probably try other things from it, over time.