Author: oi_admin

Cleaning with vinegar and other non-toxic homemade cleaners is a great way to clean green.

As a degreaser, spray with straight vinegar and let soak for a while, then lightly scrub.  Wipe away and the surface will no longer have a greasy residue.

For the counters, the best way to clean counters is to first spray them with vinegar, wipe, and then spray with a simple peroxide solution (1/2 water and 1/2 hydrogen peroxide).  The 3% hydrogen peroxide can be used as a disinfectant.  Peroxide and vinegar, when used together, kills most bacteria, viruses, and fungi.  Do not mix the two as they are not as effective.

To clean windows and mirrors, spray with a solution of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water.  You can also use straight club soda for a streak-free shine.

For microwave cleaning, mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 cup water and microwave until it boils, then wipe.

For stain fighters, rub the stain with vinegar and wash.  For blood stains, put peroxide on the stain, scrub with an old toothbrush, and wash.

For bleaching laundry, instead of bleach, pour a cup of peroxide into the washing machine.

To clean dishes, use dish detergent but add a few tablespoons of vinegar to the dishwater to eliminate grease and odors.

Do you have any non-toxic cleaning recipes or comments that you would like to share?  Write to us and let us know what your favorite recipes are!

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about the health of you and your family.  For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to greencleancertified.com and maidbrigade.com.

Did you know that most households contain at least 20 toxic chemicals, most which are accessile to children? 

Whenever we spray an ammonia, use bleach based cleaners and disinfectants, use furniture polish or oven cleaner, we are releasing countless toxins into the air our families breathe.  Chemicals that have been sitting on the shelf unused for long periods are also a danger because chemicals react to heat, movement and age.  These chemicals get more concentrated and less safe the longer they sit there.  

Here are some safer alternatives to a clean and green home that are inexpensive, non-toxic and effective:

Vinegar. The acids in vinegar can cut grease and remove the most stubborn dirt and grime.  Vinegar makes an excellent floor, oven and window cleaner.  It can replace the toxic fumes and propellants of floor polish, ammonia and oven cleaners.  It is also safe for your skin.  Use vinegar straight for heavy grease or dilute it for window cleaning and lighter work.

Baking soda neutralizes and removes odors, purifies, absorbs moisture, scours and scrubs, polishes, disinfects, and cleans.  When mixed with vinegar, it will create a foaming action that will clean drains.  Say good-bye to poisonous drain cleaners!

Lemons. The acid in a fresh lemon cut will remove stains from metal pans, flatware, stoves, bakeware, and appliances.  Sprinkle some salt on the lemon for added abrasive cleaning for baked on foods in the oven, on the stovetop and on cookware.

Oven cleaners are among the most toxic of household chemicals.  Using lemon and salt may take a bit more elbow grease, but at least they are non-toxic!

Hydrogen Peroxide is an extremely potent stain remover and whitener.  Peroxide is an excellent substitute for bleach cleaners and additives in the laundry and bath.  It also cleans carpet and upholstery stains.  Peroxide does not remove color from fabrics like bleach does. 

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about you and your family.  Share your natural green cleaning recipes with us!  For more information on healthy green cleaning and green living, please log on to greencleancertified.com or maidbrigade.com.

Everyone likes a clean home, but few of us like the chore of cleaning.   Even worse, we often rely on a cocktail of hazardous substances to make our bathrooms sparkle or our floors shine. 

Dishwashing detergents often contain phosphates that pollute the groundwater, wood polish sometimes contains flammable toxins like nitrobenzene, and laundry detergent can contain bleach and other corrosives.

We lock our cleaning products under our cabinets away from children but do we ever stop to realize what these chemicals are actually doing to our own bodies?

Many cleaners irritate our skin, eyes, and lungs.  They also leave toxic residues or pollute the water when we rinse them down the drain.  But keeping our homes clean and avoiding toxic cleaners isn't tough to do.  Green cleaners are made from a range of safer substances that we already have around our house.

Stock up on a few safe, simple ingredients like soap, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, and borax.  These products can take care of most household cleaning needs.

A paste of baking soda, salt, and hot water makes a great oven cleaner.

To clean up mold and mildew, use a mixture of lemon juice or white vinegar and salt.

Baking soda and cornstarch are both great carpet deodorizers.

For an effective glass cleaner, use a mixture of half white vinegar and half water.

Instead of using drain cleaner, try pouring a quarter cup of baking soda followed by a half cup of vinegar down the clogged drain.  Close the drain tightly until fizzing stops, then flush with boiling water.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about the health of you and your family.  For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to greencleancertified.com
and maidbrigade.com.
 

Did you ever wonder about the ingredients that make up your cleaning products?  Since companies do not have to disclose all the ingredients in cleaning products, how do we, as consumers, know which ones might be harmful to use?

Here is a list of frequently found ingredients that can be toxic to you and the environment:

Ammonia is found in glass cleaners, floor cleaners and bathroom cleaners.  It is poisonous when swallowed.  Ammonia is a big irritant to the skin or when inhaled.

Diethylene Glycol is found in glass and bathroom cleaners.  It is poisonous when swallowed and irritating to the lungs.

Chlorine Bleach is found in a variety of cleaners.  It is very irritating to the eyes and skin and is an environmental hazard.

Triclosan is found in antibacterial cleaners and thought to be contributing to antibiotic resistant bacteria.

DEA and TEA are found in many products and used as preservatives.  When combined with nitrosomes, they can produce carcinogens.

Petroleum based ingredients are found in all kinds of cleaners.  They are very bad for the environment.

Fragrance is found in air fresheners and almost all cleaners.  Fragrance usually contains phthalates used to stabilize synthetic scents.  Fragrance is a known carcinogen and is a frequent cause of allergies.

1,4-dioxane is found in dishwashing and other household cleaners.  It has been found to be a cancer causing ingredient.

Formaldehyde is found in a variety of cleaners.  It is a known carcinogen.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services takes pride in educating consumers about toxic chemicals!

For more information on healthy green cleaning and green living, please log on to greencleancertified.com or maidbrigade.com.