Archive for the ‘Natural/ Green Cleaning’ Category

Microfiber has literally revolutionized cleaning as we know it. Made from fibers 1/100th the diameter of a human hair, microfiber has unmatched scrubbing power, and is capable of removing 99% of bacteria on a surface using water alone. It attracts and traps dirt, dust, and bacteria in the cloth like a magnet, to be simply washed out later. Microfiber is highly absorbent, holding seven times its own weight in liquid, and is completely lint free, making it perfect for dusting and mirrors. Use dry for dusting, or wet for scrubbing. 

Microfiber must be properly cared for to retain its unique properties. Wash separately from other fabrics in cold water, with no fabric softener. 

Excellent, high quality microfiber cloths can be purchased in packs of 25 from Sam’s Club for $11. I recommend starting with two packages, and keeping a small waste basket under the sink to collect the used cloths in until you have enough to run a load of wash. 

Most people have a large collection of cleaning supplies – after shower spray, soap scum remover, rust/limescale remover, soft scrub, scouring powder, glass cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, disinfectant spray, floor cleaner. Sound familiar? And that is just for the bathroom!  Really only a few products are needed to get the job done. Why do people collect cleaning supplies like it’s a hobby? Everyone is looking for the magic bullet – the one product that will clean the bathroom for you, effortlessly. 

What a lot of people don’t realize, is it is not the products that do the work for you, it is the tools. I still remember being eighteen years old in my first apartment, scrubbing fruitlessly at my countertops with a rapidly shredding paper towel (now I am embarrassed to even admit to ever using paper towels!) I, like most people, bought into the magic bullet theory, and blamed the product (spray cleaner) instead of considering my tool (paper towel.)  

There are a few tools every natural cleaner needs in their bucket. They are:

• Microfiber cloths
• A natural pumice stone
• A plastic putty knife

I think I’d better make this one a mini-series. Look for more posts in the coming days detailing how having the right tools can help you make the switch to natural cleaning painless. 

I came across an article today on TipNut.com that provided instruction and recipes to make your own laundry detergent. Read the full article here. It occurred to me after reading this article that although I make almost all of my other cleaning products, I have never even thought to make laundry detergent! I personally use Bi-O-Kleen Premium Powder and love it. Being the kitchen chemist that I am, I think I’d better give some of these recipes a try though. I plan to make these two this weekend:

Recipe #1 Liquid

1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda

• Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.
• Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
• Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
• Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).

Powdered Laundry Detergent – Recipe #9

12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated)

• Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
• Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.

I will report back in a couple of weeks after I’ve had some time to test them. If anyone else tries any of the others (or has any recipes of their own) I’d love to hear your comments.

1. Use in place of your regular scouring powder to scour sinks, showers, and bathtubs, and to remove stains from countertops
2. Clean yellow stains off of piano keys with a mixture of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart warm water
3. Use as a natural deicer on your walkways in the winter. Unlike salts and commercially available chemical deicers it won’t harm floors if tracked in
4. Remove crayon marks from walls by scrubbing lightly with a damp cloth dipped in baking soda
5. Polish your silver with a paste of baking soda and water. Rub on to remove tarnish, rinse in warm water and dry with a soft cloth
6. Mix baking soda with water to form a paste, and use it to clean and polish stainless steel and chrome
7. Apply a paste to barbeque grills, allow to dwell, scrub and rinse
8. Dry clean the dog – rub baking soda into Fluffy’s fur and comb out
9. Mix baking soda into cat litter to help control odor
10. Scatter baking soda around vegetable gardens to keep rabbits out
11. Got ants? Pour a solid line of baking soda across points of entry – ants won’t cross it
12. Sprinkle some baking soda into your vacuum bag to prevent odors from being released into the air when vacuuming
13. Remove coffee and tea stains from china. Dip a damp cloth in baking soda and gently rub the stains away
14. Relieve heartburn by drinking a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in half a glass of warm water
15. Wash new baby clothes without any harsh detergents – just use some mild liquid soap and 1/2 a cup of baking soda
16. Add a teaspoon of baking soda to vases of fresh cut flowers to extend the life of your blooms
17. Add two teaspoons of baking soda to your baby’s bath water to clear up diaper rash
18. Forget those expensive scrubs – a paste of baking soda and water makes the best facial exfoliant you will ever try! 
19. Clean mildew from shower curtains  by soaking them in baking soda and water
20. Sweeten your tomatoes by sprinkling baking soda on the soil surrounding your tomato plants

One of the first questions I am generally asked by those considering a switch to natural products is “but do they really disinfect?”

Borax: Natural Disinfectant

Homemade Natural Disinfectant

Mix ½ cup Borax with 1 gallon hot water, and add a few sprigs of fresh thyme or a couple drops of (not much!) Tee Tree oil, or Peppermint Oil, let steep 10 min., strain (if you use thyme) and keep in a spray bottle.

1/2 cup borax dissolved in 1 gallon of hot water was tested for one year in a California hospital, and found to meet all state germicidal requirements, according to The Clean Water Fund.

There are many, many other natural disinfectants available as well. Here are just a few:

• Microfiber alone removes 99% of bacteria with nothing more than water, giving even most commercial disinfectants a run for their money.
• Steam cleaners (which can be purchased online or at stores such as Wal-mart for as little as $30) offer complete surface disinfection with no chemical use whatsoever.
• Vinegar and peroxide are both natural disinfectants.
• Tea Tree Oil is a powerful natural antiseptic, germicide, antibacterial, and fungicide. I recommend 7 drops per 32 oz bottle to disinfect.
• Grapefruit seed extract has been proven in laboratory tests to be more effective as a disinfectant than chlorine, colloidal silver, and iodine. The United States Department of Agriculture tested GSE and found it was even effective against Foot and Mouth Disease and Avian influenza. I recommend 20 drops per 32 oz bottle to disinfect.

Found this on YouTube today. Building biologist Jeanie McLoughlin shares some simple recipes for cleaning your home naturally in this great video. Enjoy!

I will be offering completely free workshops on natural cleaning to any group of 5 or more who would like to book one. This is a public education outreach effort on behalf of my company, but will not be about my company or a sales presentation for it. In this workshop you will learn:

1. Why you should make the switch to natural – health benefits, allergies, chemical sensitivity issues, environmental impact, etc.
2. How to go about making the switch – what to do with all those old products lurking beneath the sink.
3. What products to use – store bought or homemade? Brand reviews and recommendations, recipes and more!
4. Tips, tricks, and solutions from an industry expert. 

All participants will receive a booklet on Natural Cleaning, a sample bottle of all-purpose cleaner, and a special microfiber cleaning cloth. Workshops last between 30 minutes and an hour, depending on the amount of time your group wishes to allocate and audience participation. 

Give me a call to book your group’s workshop today at 970.215.2224 or email laura@cleaningallstars.com for more information.

Go ahead. Pull all those bottles out from under your sink and have a look. Here is what all those warning labels are really trying to tell you:

Danger! A taste to a teaspoon could kill you. 

Warning! A teaspoon to an ounce could kill you. 

Caution! An ounce to a pint could kill you. 

These estimates are based on a 180 pound adult male. Small children and the elderly may be harmed by even lesser amounts.

To me, clean smells like vinegar. I don’t routinely use vinegar in the homes of my clients, because it is a very love-it or hate-it type of smell that many find offensive. In my personal home though, vinegar is our cleaner of choice for just about everything! Vinegar cuts grease, disinfects, deodorizes, and leaves no scent behind once it has dried. 

• Use a mixture of 1/2 distilled white vinegar and 1/2 water in a spray bottle to clean counters, sinks, toilets, walls, cutting boards, windows, mirrors, and more! Avoid using vinegar on granite, marble, and other natural stone, or on gold colored taps. 
• Remove pet odors – if your pet has an accident, blot up as much as you can, and then saturate the area with white vinegar. Let dwell for several minutes, and then blot well and rinse with warm water. The vinegar will remove the smell, and discourage your pet from resoiling the same area. 
• Remove soap build up and odors from your dishwasher by filling a juice glass with vinegar and placing it right-side up in the top rack. Run the dishwasher empty (except for the juice glass) once per month. 
• Clean and deodorize the microwave: pour 1/4 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of water in a small bowl, and microwave on high until it boils. The steam will loosen stuck on food so it will simply wipe away, and the vinegar will get rid of the burnt-popcorn smell that haunts your microwave. 
• Vinegar is a natural fabric softener and reduces static cling – use as you would a traditional liquid fabric softener. 
• Unclog and deodorize drains – pour a 1/2 cup or so of baking soda down the clogged drain, followed by 1 cup of hot vinegar, and let sit for 30 minutes. Flush with hot water. Read the rest of this entry »

While there are about a million reasons to choose natural cleaning over chemical, here are some of the more compelling reasons to make the switch:

Within 26 seconds after exposure to chemicals such as cleaning products, traces of these chemicals can be found in every organ in the body.
-Chec’s HealtheHouse, the resource for Environmental Health Risks Affecting Your Children

Cancer rates have increased since 1901 from only 1 in 8,000 Americans, to 1 in 3 today. By the year 2010, this disease will afflict 1 of every 2 individuals.
-American Cancer Society

Cancer rates have continued to increase every year since 1970. Brain cancer in children is up
40% in 20 years. Toxic chemicals are largely to blame.
-NY Times, September 29, 1997

Women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work away
from home. The 15-year study concluded it was as a direct result of the much higher exposure
rate to toxic chemicals in common household products.
-Toronto Indoor Air Conference 1990

The toxic chemicals in household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than air
pollution.
- Environmental Protection Agency report in 1985