Author: oi_admin

Are Your Products Really Organic?

Posted on July 27, 2010 by oi_admin - Healthy Body, Uncategorized

The Organic Consumers Association has been working to clean up the "organic" cosmetics industry since 2004. Unlike organic foods, many health and beauty products are falsely labeled as "organic."

The word organic is not properly regulated on personal care products like toothpaste, shampoo and lotion unless the product is certified by the USDA National Organic Program.

Due to this lax regulation, many personal care products have the word organic on their product label, but unless they are USDA certified, the main cleansing ingredients and preservatives are usually made with synthetic and petrochemical compounds.

The Organic Consumers Association recommends consumers look for the USDA organic seal on personal care products that claim to be organic. Although there are multiple "organic" standards all around the world, each with its own varying criteria, the USDA Organic Standards are the "gold standard" for personal care products.

If you are looking to purchase a product that is totally organic, look for the USDA organic seal. If it doesn't have the seal, read the ingredient label to find out how many ingredients are truly organic and how many are synthetic.

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

Clean Your Car Upholstery the Natural Way

Posted on July 17, 2010 by oi_admin - Green Cleaning Tips and Tricks

Did you know that car upholstery can be cleaned with baking soda and water? Combine the two ingredients to make a paste and apply it with a used toothbrush. Wipe with a wet sponge.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services wants to hear from you! Share your natural cleaning tips and ideas with us! For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to greencleancertified.com or maidbrigade.com.

Toxins in the Environment

Posted on July 16, 2010 by oi_admin - News, Uncategorized

Chemicals in plastics and other products seem harmless, but mounting evidence links them to health problems — and Washington lacks the power to protect us.

With so many scary-sounding, potentially toxic compounds turning up in our household products, it's hard to know which agents are really worth worrying about. Here is a guide to some of the most commonly found toxins:

Bisphenol A (BPA):

What It Is: A chemical used in plastic production.

Found In: Water bottles, baby bottles, plastic wraps, food packaging.

Health Hazards: The government's National Toxicology Program has concluded that there is some concern about brain and behavioral effects on fetuses and young children at current exposure levels.

What You Should Know: Switch to glass products when possible.

Flouride:

What It Is: A form of the basic element fluorine.

Found In: Toothpaste, tap water.

Health Hazards: Neurotoxic and potentially tumorigenic if swallowed. The American Dental Association advises that children under 2 not use fluoride toothpaste.

What You Should Know: Government studies support current fluoride levels in tap water, but studies on long-term exposure and cancers are ongoing.

Phthalates:

What They Are: Chemicals that give plastic its resilience and flexibility.

Found In: Toys, raincoats, shower curtains, vinyl flooring, detergents, food packaging, shampoos.

Health Hazards: Animal studies show reduced sperm counts and reproductive abnormalities. There is evidence of a link to liver cancer in humans.

What You Should Know: Congress passed legislation in 2008 to ban six phthalates from toys and cosmetics.

Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA):

What It Is: A component of Teflon nonstick coatings.

Found In: Tap water, nonstick pots and pans.

Health Hazards: Has been found to cause hormone disruption and reproductive abnormalities in animal and human studies.

What You Should Know: The EPA is urging makers to stop using PFOA by 2015. Until then, avoid heating empty Teflon cookware to high temperatures.

Perchlorate:

What It Is: An oxidant in rocket fuel.

Found In: Drinking water, soil, some vegetables.

Health Hazards: Disrupts thyroid's hormone production.

What You Should Know: Environmental groups are urging the government to lower perchlorate levels in drinking water.

Decabromodiphenyl Ether (DECA):

What It Is: A flame retardant.

Found In: Electronics, furniture, carpets.

Health Hazards: Permanent learning and memory deficits, hearing defects, decreased sperm count in animals.

What You Should Know: Following EPA advice, the industry began phasing out the chemical in December 2009.

Asbestos:

What It Is: A naturally occurring fibrous mineral.

Found In: Housing insulation, drywall, artificial fireplace logs, toys.

Health Hazard: Mesothelioma, a fatal cancer.

What You Should Know: Asbestos in products is not always labeled, and while most manufacturers have abandoned it or reduced its levels, it's still not banned by the U.S. government.

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 or maidbrigade.com.

A Free Gift Just For You...

Posted on July 2, 2010 by oi_admin - News

To celebrate the beginning of summer, Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services would like to give you a gift...

...a free 22 page guide to healthy green cleaning and green living!

This guide is stock full of information on green cleaning and why it is important to your health. The guide also lists toxic chemicals that every family should be aware of. Try our many tips and recipes on how to live an eco-friendly and "green" lifestyle and share your comments with us!

To get your free guide, visit https://maidbrigade.com/green-house-cleaning/e-guide-green-cleaning/

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services wishes everyone a happy, healthy, and "green" summer!

Controlling Fleas Without Chemicals

Posted on July 1, 2010 by oi_admin - Green Cleaning Tips and Tricks

Flea and tick treatments, even when applied as instructed on the box, may contain toxic chemicals that can poison pets and harm people. Avoid toxic chemicals by taking care of your pet. To reduce and control fleas, comb and bathe your pet, and vacuum your house regularly.

Combing. Regular combing of a pet can help reduce fleas. Fleas caught in the comb should be drowned in soapy water.

Bathing. Soapy baths are a great way to control fleas. Fleas tend to accumulate in bedding, so wash your pet's bedding in hot water at least once a week. Washing the bedding will also reduce the spread of flea eggs and larvae that may be contained in it. Try bathing your dog in a mixture of rosemary tea and vinegar. Fleas do not like vinegar!

Vacuuming. Vacuuming picks up fleas and eggs from the carpet, floors, crevices, and furniture. Immediately after vacuuming, throw away the vacuum bag to prevent fleas from escaping and reinfesting your home.

What about Rock Salt and Baking Soda? Sprinkling baking soda or rock salt on carpets and under beds, desks, and even heaters will dehydrate fleas and kill them. Adding some low-sided pans of water in areas where your pets can't get to also helps. The fleas will jump into the pan and die.

Outdoor Areas. Keep grass and shrubbery clipped short in areas where your pet spends time. This will increase dryness and sunlight, which helps the flea problem. Nematodes, can also be used as a nonchemical, biological aid to help control fleas in these areas.

Natural or Herbal Proucts? Not all essential oils used to treat fleas are safe for animals.

Products containing cedarwood, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary, or thyme are probably safe.

Avoid the use of any flea or tick product containing pennyroyal oil. It can cause seizures, coma, and death in animals.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about the health of your family and your pets. Share your comments on how to get rid of fleas with us! For more information on healthy green living, please log on to greencleancertified.com or maidbrigade.com.

Go Green this Fourth of July

Posted on June 29, 2010 by oi_admin - Healthy Soul

Celebrate Independence Day this year and save the environment by throwing a little green into your mix of red, white, and blue!

Get outside and party before the fireworks. Consider a daytime party and make the most use of natural light. If your partying does run into the evening hours, consider soy candles to add ambiance without the expense or waste.

Ditch the Disposable Partyware. Disposable plates, cups, and utensils are convenient for parties with a lot of guests, but they are not so convenient for the environment. Do your best to use normal tableware that can be washed and reused. Cloth napkins and reusable cups are other eco-friendly options.

Use Propane for grilling. According to a study by the Environment Impact Assessment Review, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) as a fuel, is more efficient than charcoal in its production and more efficient in cooking. When purchasing a propane tank, make sure there is a trade-in option. Most retailers will let you bring in an empty tank in exchange for a discount on your next tank.

Save and Reuse Decorations. Make a centerpiece by floating candles in wood bowls with rose petals in them. Arrange daisies in a glass vase. Buy small American flags at the dollar store and plant them in with the flowers. Reuse the flags next year.

Go Organic. Serve plenty of organic fruits and vegetables along with the whole food dishes. Avoid pre-packaged foods as much as possible to cut out the waste.

Use Large Water Containers. Plastic water bottles are convenient, but they can add up fast. Store water in large containers so family and guests can re-fill their cups.

Recycle! One of the easiest ways to go green is to recycle your waste. Be sure to put a clearly marked "recycle" bin out at your party.

Green your Fireworks. Fireworks are hardly an environmentally-friendly activity, but they are a tradition. If you plan to set off your own fireworks this year, be sure to use fireworks rich in Nitrogen. They might cost a bit more, but they put out less smoke in the environment.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services would like to hear your comments on going green this Fourth of July. Write to us and let us know! For more information on healthy green living, please log on to greencleancertified.com or maidbrigade.com.

Getting Rid of Flies Naturally

Posted on June 22, 2010 by oi_admin - Healthy Home

If you are trying to get rid of flies around your home and you don't want to use harmful chemical repellents, try out these natural methods:

Essential Oils. There are many scents flies cannot stand, and one of these is eucalyptus oil. Place a few drops of eucalyptus oil on absorbent cloth or in small containers to keep flies at bay.

Herbs. There is one particular herb that naturally repels flies and will keep them away from your home, and that is basil. Flies cannot stand basil, so consider buying or planting a few basil plants around the perimeter of your home. Mint can also be a deterrent, and has a pleasant scent. Make a few sachets out of crushed mint and hang them in areas of your home where flies seem to be a problem.

Homemade Fly Paper. Make your own fly paper by using ingredients from home. Combine equal parts of corn (or maple syrup) and sugar in a shallow pan or dish. Cut about 1 inch wide strips from a brown paper bag. Cut a hole through the top of each strip so string can be inserted through and used to hang the fly traps. Soak the strips in the mixture for a few hours. Hang your homemade fly trap anywhere in your home where flies are present. Pleace a small cup or bowl underneath to catch any drips.

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

Getting Rid of Those Pesky Flies!

Posted on June 21, 2010 by oi_admin - Healthy Home

The warm weather is here...and so are those pesky little flies. One fly alone has the potential to lay 9,000 eggs! Here are a few things that will help eliminate, or at least minimize the number of flies in your home.

1. Try and keep the doors closed as much as possible. If the doors are shut, the flies can't get in.

2. The smell of cooking meat is a strong attraction for flies, and they will congregate at the screen door waiting for an opening. Even the scent of hamburger defrosting on the kitchen counter can attract them.

Whenever you are cooking in your home, make it a rule to keep the doors closed as much as possible. Try and clean up the food right after meals.

If the door must open and close often during meal-preparation such as barbecues, point a fan from the inside toward the open door. Flies do not like wind.

3. Animal feces are one of the biggest fly attractants. It is not a fun job, but someone will have to remove it from the backyard. Bury it, flush it or seal it in bags in a trash can.

4. The lids of your trash cans should fit and seal tightly to eliminate any space for flies to get in. Keep lids on your kitchen wastebasket as well. Do not let any decaying matter sit around.

5. Flies love the protection of piles of brush and tall grass, so try and keep the yard manicured as much as possible.

For those who compost, a compost heap is an ideal breeding ground for flies, so it might help to keep the compost heap as far from the house as possible. Try not to keep the compost heap too moist. Turn it often. Do not add meat or oil products to the compost.

6. Flies also love moisture and standing water. If you cannot figure out why flies like your yard, check your bird bath or search for any undrained water. Although there might not be anything you can do about living near a pond, lake or swamp, you can drain the water that collects near your house on the lid of trash cans or in buckets.

7. Cover the Fruit. Fruit flies are those tiny gnat-size flying insects that magically appear a few days after you put the fruit bowl on the counter. Get rid of fruit flies by placing fruit in a muslin cloth bag.

8. If your house is still infested with flies and you just cannot figure out why, you may have to go on a search. A dead rodent or even potted plants could have played host to a fly breeding ground. Clean the house thoroughly and lift all carpets to check for maggots. Pour boiling water down all open drains, then cover them.

9. Try using fly-offensive plants. Citronella is known for its mosquito-deterring properties, but it can also work on flies. Other plants that have fly-repelling reputations are false indigo, lavender, elderberry, basil and mint.

10. Use Reflectors! Some people claim that hanging CDs, or hanging plastic ziploc storage bags half full of water with a few pennies in them near an entryway will keep flies away. The sun’s reflection is the key. It makes the flies dizzy and they will stay away.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about your health. How do you keep those pesky flies away? Write to us and share your comments! For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please go to greencleancertified.com or maidbrigade.com.

Important Reasons Why Chlorine Should Not Be Used

Posted on June 17, 2010 by oi_admin - Green Cleaning Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized

Chlorine is the bleaching agent found in some household cleaning products. Though it will get whites whiter, this chemical is extremely irritating to the lungs, skin, and mucous membranes. Did you know that chlorine was actually used as a powerful poison in World War I?

Chlorine is the household chemical most frequently involved in household poisonings. It also ranks first in causing industrial injuries and deaths resulting from large industrial accidents. The residues left behind, known as organochlorides, have been linked to many cancers, including breast cancer. Studies have also shown a link between chlorine exposure from pools and the development of asthma in young children.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about the health of you and your family. Please share your stories, tips, recipes and ideas on healthy green cleaning and green living with us. For more information please log on to greencleancertified.com or maidbrigade.com.

Do Cleaning Products Really Clean?

Posted on June 11, 2010 by oi_admin - Green Cleaning Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized

When you clean your oven, toilet, bath tile, kitchen floor, or windows, you can smell the toxins. The product label even tells you to wear gloves, avoid contact with skin and eyes, and do not breathe the fumes. If the cleaning products are too dangerous to touch, how are they cleaning your home? What kind of residues are left in your oven, where you prepare food for your family? What about the kitchen floor where your children are crawling, or the bathtub they are sitting in?

These everyday products diminish indoor air quality by introducing a variety of harmful chemicals. Is it possible that the air inside your home is more toxic than the air outside? If you use bleach, traditional cleaning products, air fresheners, dry cleaning services, or other common household chemicals, it probably is.

The EPA reports poisonings as the #1 cause of hospital visits by children. Some hospitals report 79% of all poison control center cases involve children, with 64% occuring in children under age 5. The toxins commonly found under a kitchen sink are often the culprit. We welcome toxic chemicals into our homes in the name of cleanliness, but how clean is a home full of carcinogenic residues?

Green alternatives are the only solution. As the truth about the chemical and petroleum industries leaks, consumers are faced with harsh realities. People want to protect their families, but it is hard to read between the advertising lines. Companies put flowers on bottles of poison, and use the word "green" to distract consumers from a petrochemical additive, and leave out ingredient listings all together. The fact is chemical companies don’t have to list the ingredients on household cleaning products.

The green cleaning product revolution is evolving. There are numerous products on the market that aim to protect you, your family, and the environment. But no two eco-friendly products are alike. Look for cleaners that are enzyme-based, plant-based, and fragrance-free. Perfumes and dyes contribute to respiratory problems and multiple chemical sensitivity disorders. Make sure the products you are using have the Green Seal of approval on the label. Another alternative is to make your own green cleaning products at home.

The first step to protecting yourself and your family from common household toxins is information. When it comes to protecting your health and the environment, it is best to be choosy.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services would like to hear from you! Let us know how you feel about harsh chemicals in your cleaners! For more information on healthy green living, please go to greencleancertified.com or maidbrigade.com.

Are You Attracting Mosquitoes?

Posted on June 10, 2010 by oi_admin - News

Mosquitoes have complex methods of detecting hosts. Different types of mosquitoes react to different stimuli. Most mosquitoes are active at dawn and dusk, but there are also mosquitoes that seek hosts during the day.

What Mosquitoes Like:

1. Dark Clothing. Many mosquitoes use vision to locate hosts from a distance. Dark clothing and foliage are initial attractants.

2. Carbon Dioxide. More carbon dioxide is given off when you are hot or have been exercising. A burning candle and fire are other sources that give off carbon dioxide.

3. Lactic Acid. More lactic acid is released after you exercise or eat certain foods (salty foods, high potassium foods).

4. Floral or Fruity Fragrances. In addition to perfumes, hair products, and scented sunscreens, watch for the subtle floral fragrance from fabric softeners and dryer sheets.

5. Skin Temperature. The exact temperature depends on the type of mosquito. Many mosquitoes are attracted to the slightly cooler temperatures of the extremities.

6. Moisture. Mosquitoes are attracted by perspiration because of the chemicals it contains and also because it increases the humidity around your body. Even small amounts of water (like moist plants or mud puddles), will draw mosquitoes. Standing water also allows mosquitoes to reproduce.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about the health of you and your family. Do you have any tips about keeping mosquitoes away? Share them with us!

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

Cleaning Your Shower Door Tracks

Posted on June 7, 2010 by oi_admin - Green Cleaning Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized

Having trouble trying to get your shower door tracks clean? Here is a quick tip to use:

Plug the drain holes in the door track with a little bit of paper towel made into a ball.
Pour in undiluted white vinegar.
Let this soak for 30 minutes.
Unplug the holes and rinse the track with a spray bottle of water and run a rag down it. This will flush the accumulated build-up out of the track.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about you and your family. Share your comments with us!

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