Category: Green Cleaning Tips and Tricks

The spring season is here, and if you are like me, you are getting ready to start the bi-annual cleaning at home.  For most people, this involves going out and purchasing cleaning products from the store.  But did you know that there are dozens of green, inexpensive ways of cleaning your home, many of which can already be found in your kitchen?

When it comes to cleaning, vinegar is my best friend!  I use one part vinegar and one part water mixed together in a spray bottle to clean the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room.  Vinegar not only disinfects, but it also deodorizes. I also use it to clean the bathtub, counters, toilet, sink, stovetop, and kitchen floor. Vinegar can also be used as a natural fabric softener.

Baking soda is another great cleaner. I use baking soda on surfaces instead of using an abrasive cleaning product.  i also keep a box of baking soda in my fridge, freezer, and closet to help keep these areas smelling clean.  

While borax should be kept well out of the reach of children and pets, it's a great alternative to bleach. I use this natural mineral to kill mold and bacteria.  i also use it to deodorize clothes and remove tough stains. Warm water mixed with half a cup of borax can shine china.  Try pouring three tablespoons down the garbage disposal and running hot water half an hour later.  

Most cleaning products smell like lemons these days, probably because lemons are a scent of freshness.  But lemon juice is also a great cleaning aid. Lemons help cut grease in the kitchen and cuts through soap scum and hard water deposits in the bathroom.  Try mixing one cup of olive oil and half a cup of lemon juice, to make a polish for hardwood furniture.  Stick some lemon peels in the garbage can to keep it smelling fresh.

Cleaning without using harsh chemicals can be easy.  You can save money and take care of the environment all at once.  

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 http://greencleancertified.com and http://maidbrigade.com.  To learn more about the asthma and allergy triggers in your home, or to learn more about household products and breast cancer, please log on to http://www.greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Spring is here, but with it comes seasonal allergies, which are affected by pollen from flowers, trees, grass, and a host of other factors right outside our windows.  For allergies to seasonal things, like pollen, or those in your home, like dust mites, there's a lot you can do to minimize the misery:

Hot Water For Laundry

Wash your bedding weekly in water that is at least 130°F to keep dust mites in check. These bugs also live in clothes and carpeting, but their highest concentrations are in beds. Washing with cold or warm water will not help get rid of dust mites, and the dryer alone is not hot enough to kill all of them.

Air Filter

Keeping the air clean in your home can bring relief from pollen, mold, and pet dander. HEPA (high-energy particulate arresting) filters are most efficient. This kind of filter has been shown to remove 99% of airborne particles without producing harmful by-products. They are ideal for bedrooms and living rooms.  When buying larger units, note the square footage a purifier can treat, listed on the package.

Dehumidifier

Keep your home cool and dry to decrease mold, dust mite growth and roach intrusions. One study found that levels of dust mites and other allergens dropped significantly in homes where the relative humidity was lower than 50%. To maintain this level, you may need to run your air conditioner along with a dehumidifier. However, remember to empty the unit's water often and clean it regularly, according to the manufacturer's instructions, to prevent mold growth.

Use your bathroom exhaust fan when taking a shower

This will help prevent to growth of mold in the shower. Cleaning your bathtub or shower liner is also important. Better yet, replace your liner every month or two, if you have mold sensitivities or asthma.

Keep your dryer vent clear

Build-up of lint in the dryer vent will cause an excess of dust in your house. Have your vents cleaned regularly to avoid aggravating your allergy symptoms.

Use a vacuum with a HEPA Filter

HEPA filter vacuums do not recirculate back into the air the polluting particles that the vacuum has just picked up. Make sure you have a true HEPA filter and not a HEPA-like filter. You can tell by looking at the manufacturer's test results of their filter. A true HEPA filter will have test results stating that .3 microns are 99.97 percent or above.

Get rid of clutter

Allergy sufferers need to be especially careful about controlling dust in their homes. And clutter is a major source of dust and dust mites. If you can't see your floors or walls in closets and basements, you have a clutter problem. Just as clutter clogs your house and obstructs the free flow of energy in your home, clutter also clogs your nose and obstructs the free flow of life-giving air into your body.
 

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 http://greencleancertified.com and http://maidbrigade.com.  To learn more about the asthma and allergy triggers in your home, or to learn more about household products and breast cancer, please log on to http://www.greencleancertified.com/greentv.

The sun is shining and the spring breeze is in the air.  For most of us, this is the perfect time to deep clean our homes, getting rid of those winter blues and welcoming warmer weather.

Here are some easy ways to get you into the swing of this year's spring cleaning:

Watch the sun shine through your windows.  Wipe off that grime that winter weather has left behind on your windows.  Clean them with a mix of white vinegar and water.  Use newspaper instead of paper towels to wipe your windows clean.

Once your windows are clean inside and out, open those windows and let the cool breeze clean your indoor air.  Since windows and doors have been shut all winter long, indoor air pollution builds up in the home.  Open those windows and air out your home.  After a few hours, close the windows and wipe up dust and pollen that has settled on furniture with a good microfiber cloth.  Vacuum your floors and carpets with a HEPA Filter vaccuum.

Clean out your refrigerator and get rid of old or stale items.  Wipe down the inside of the refrigerator and freezer with a liquid soap and warm water mix.  Clean out the cabinets and the pantry to make room for canning goods later in the season.

Pack up the winter blankets, hats, scarves, and gloves.  Store those winter flannel sheets and pajamas away neatly.  Donate unwanted or old items to Goodwill.  Make room for summer clothes and tons of fun!

        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 http://greencleancertified.com and http://maidbrigade.com.  To learn more about the asthma and allergy triggers in your home, or to learn more about household products and breast cancer, please log on to http://www.greencleancertified.com/greentv.

When choosing to go green, look for cleaning products that combine a natural and safe eco-friendly approach with a determination to make effective and convenient cleaning products.  With the rising trend in alternative cleaning products, many companies may promote themselves as green without giving consumers adequate information and proof of their claims.

A safer approach when aiming to switch to green cleaning methods is to use ingredients you may already have at home:

Lemon juice cuts through grease, removes stains, and deodorizes.  It also acts as a bleaching agent when exposed to the sun.  Using lemons in your cleaning routine also leaves a fresh, natural, citrus scent.

Baking soda is a natural sodium bicarbonate that is an excellent all-around cleaner that can be used all over your home.  It is also a natural deodorizer, and is great for use in the fridge, basement, or litter boxes.  Sprinkling it over the carpet before vacuuming is also useful in absorbing odors.  Mixing baking soda with water and spreading this mixture in the oven will loosen baked on grease and grime.  Safe to use around food, a baking soda and water paste is also ideal for cleaning the refrigerator.

Distilled white vinegar is about as multipurpose as baking soda.  It is a natural deodorizer and disinfectant, it breaks up grease and dirt, lifts out mineral deposits, and helps cut through mold and soap scum.  Use it as a spray, mixed with water, to clean windows, and even as a natural spider-repellant.  Mixing vinegar with organic salts will give it extra power and scrubbing action.  Vinegar mixed with hot water is also an excellent floor cleaner.

Olive oil is an excellent, all natural treatment for wood.  Use alone, or mix it with lemon juice for a safe and effective furniture polish.

Plant-derived essential oils may be used for added fragrance.  Some essential oils have the added benefit of acting as natural disinfectants and even antifungal agents.  Eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, and tea tree oils are popular essential oils.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about our environment and 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.  Watch our video on achieving work/life balance at greencleancertified.com/greentv.  To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in your home, log on to greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Spring is finally here!  It is a time when most of us do our heavy cleaning, which includes organizing, decluttering, and making room for new things.  Sometimes the idea of cleansing and getting rid of clutter can be completely overwhelming.  Here are some ways to help make this year's spring cleaning a little more easy and efficient:

--Before you start to clean, write down a list of main goals that you want to accomplish in your home, such as projects you want to finish, which rooms you want to focus on first, areas that need organizing and decluttering, or things that need to be cleaned.

--To help organize your efforts, jot down a list of specific chores that need to be done in each room.  This list can also work as a motivator, because being able to mark tasks off when they are completed shows how closer you are to accomplishing your final goal.

--Plan to take a couple of days to complete all of the cleaning and organizing tasks that you have planned.  Trying to complete all of the projects in one day or one weekend can be extremely overwhelming.  Making a schedule of what you want accomplished and sticking to it can reduce stress.

--Getting organized and clearing away clutter are very common goals of spring cleaning.  Learn to throw away items that have not been used in a long time, or donate clothes that do not fit .  Getting rid of excess items can help limit clutter and make your home more organized, clean, and easier to maintain.

These days, there are many cleaning products to choose from.  Supermarket and hardware stores are filled with different brands and types, most of them using harsh, powerful chemicals to do their job.

However, it is possible to clean just as effectively using natural green products which are less harmful to your health and the environment.

Baking soda is an effective natural cleaner and deodorizer.  Mixing baking soda with lemon juice, vinegar, or even water and making it into a paste will create a fantastic all-purpose cleaner and stain remover.  As a deodorizer, baking soda absorbs odors and also neutralizes them.  Use it to deodorize the dishwasher by sprinkling one-half cup baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher between loads.  Baking soda can also be used to help mask pet odors.

Sprinkle baking soda on carpets 10 minutes before vacuuming to get rid of any unpleasant odors that are lingering in the room.  Use baking soda to clean stainless steel items, and also to remove tannin stains from tea and coffee in crockery.  You can even use it to remove crayon marks from walls and wallpaper by gently scrubbing with a damp sponge sprinkled with baking soda.

Vinegar is very effective on solid stains, such as limescale and calcium deposits (soap scum) from hard water because it is a mild acid.  Use it to clean the shower and the bath and even to unclog the washing machine (once a month pour one cup of vinegar into the washing machine and run the machine through a normal cycle, without clothes).  Vinegar can also remove mold and mildew from bathroom tiles and shower curtains.

Vinegar is a great stain remover, whether it is food stains in pots and pans, stains in toilet bowls, perspiration from clothes, or animal urine stains in the carpet.  Like baking soda, it is also a great natural air freshener.  Place a small bowl of vinegar in the room or spray some into the air to help deodorize the area.

Lemon juice is mildly acidic and dissolves grease very effectively.  It also has a bleaching and deodorizing effect.  Use lemon juice to clean and deodorize cutting boards, clean kitchen sinks, brass, copper, or stainless steel cutlery.  Combined with salt, it can get rid of berry juice stains from fabric.

Salt is a fantastic stain remover.  Mix it with alcohol (1 part salt to 4 parts rubbing alcohol) to tackle grease.  Use salt to clean spilled red wine or to clean blood stains.  

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about our environment and 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.  Watch our video on achieving work/life balance at greencleancertified.com/greentv.  To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in your home, log on to greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Good news!  There are safer ways to clean your home without using harsh chemicals.  Believe it or not, most of the ingredients might aleady be in your kitchen cabinets.

Hydrogen Peroxide (3%) is a natural anti-bacterial, whitener and mold.

Castile Soap can be used as an all purpose cleaner for around the home.

Lemon Juice cuts grease, freshens and deodorizes.  It also fights household bacteria.

Borax is good for cleaning, disinfecting, and deodorizing.

Baking Soda is an effective replacement for harsh scouring powders.  It is mildly abrasive and naturally deodorizing.

Distilled White Vinegar is perfect for dissolving grease, dirt, soap, scum, and mineral deposits.  It also absorbs odors.

For natural, homemade spring cleaning recipes, log on to http://blog.maidbrigade.com.

Get ready...Get set....Spring Clean!

Spring weather is quickly approaching and if you're like me, spring weather means spring cleaning!  Because the kitchen is the busiest place in my house, I usually start my cleaning there.  Here are some helpful tips that I use to make my kitchen shine!

To clean the microwave, heat a bowl of water and lemon slices in your microwave for about 45 seconds, then wipe.  Stains will be easier to remove and old food odors are neutralized.

Half a lemon stored in your fridge will help control and eliminate unpleasant smells.

Hot lemon juice and baking soda is a good drain cleaner that is safe to use in septic systems.  If you have a garbage disposal unit, throw in some lemon peel from time to time while it's working in order to keep it smelling fresh.

Rub lemon juice into your wooden chopping board, leave overnight and then rinse.  Wood chopping boards appear to have anti-bacterial properties anyway, but the lemon will help kill off any remaining germs plus neutralize odors.

A teaspoon of lemon juice added to your dishwashing detergent can help boost grease cutting power.

For a great oven cleaner, combine 1.2 liters of warm water, 2 teaspoons borax, and 2 tablespoons of castile soap.  Spray on solution, wait 20 minutes, wipe with a cloth and rinse with clean water.

For an all-purpose cleaner, combine 3 tablespoons white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon washing soda, 1/2 teaspoon castile soap, and 2 cups of hot water in a spray bottle.  Shake and spray!

To remove rust, sprinkle a little salt on the rust.  Squeeze a lime over the salt until it is well soaked.  Let the mixture set for two to three hours.  Use the leftover rind to scrub the residue.

To make a cleanser that is great for countertops, mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 cup of warm water.  

To clean your floors, mix 1 gallon of water with 1/8 cup of liquid dish soap, and 1/8 cup of white vinegar and damp mop.

For a good window cleaner, mix 3 tablespoons of white vinegar with one galloon of cool water.  Wipe with a newspaper to avoid streaks.

Sprinkling baking soda in the bottom of garbage bags will help to control odors as you add trash.

To give your dishwasher a good clean, run it through a cycle and use baking soda instead of detergent.

Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge for cleaning out the fridge without scratching it.

Clean stainless steel sinks with a paste of baking soda and vinegar.  Don't let the foaming scare you - it works great!

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about our environment and 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.  Watch our video on achieving work/life balance at greencleancertified.com/greentv.  To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in your home, log on to greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Spring is almost here and what a perfect time it is to start green spring cleaning!  But before cleaning comes decluttering! 

Maintaining an organized, clutter-free environment is an essential part of creating a peaceful home.  After all, our surroundings have a strong influence on our ability to function every day.  For most of us, living in a disorganized space can lead to more clutter and chaos.

Learn how to make a successful decluttering plan by decluttering one room at a time.  Ask yourself the right questions on what to keep and what to toss.  Create a plan that will keep you from feeling overwhelmed:

~ Pick the room you want to focus on and make that room a priority.

~ Make a commitment to allow yourself only one hour per room, focusing on one room at a time.  

~ Make a general checklist for each room.  Try not to get caught up going through anything in detail, just get a basic idea of what is there and what needs to be done, and move to the next space.  Use the list as an overview to help stay focused and organized. 

~ Start decluttering!

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about our environment and 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.  Watch our video on achieving work/life balance at greencleancertified.com/greentv.  To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in your home, log on to greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Source:

http://howtodothings.com (how to declutter).

Spring is approaching, and many of us are getting ready to start our spring cleaning. For some people, this involves going out and purchasing cleaning products from the store.  But did you know that you can green clean your home using natural ingredients?

When it comes to cleaning, vinegar will be your best friend. Mix one part vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle, and clean your bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room.  Vinegar not only disinfects, but it also deodorizes. Use it to clean the bathtub, counters, toilet, sink, stovetop, and kitchen floor. You can also use it as a natural fabric softener.

Baking soda is another great cleaner. Use baking soda on any surface you would usually tackle with an abrasive cleaning product. Stick a box of baking soda in your fridge, freezer, closet or any other stinky area to help keep these areas smelling clean.  

While borax should be kept well out of the reach of children and pets, it's a great alternative to bleach. Use this natural mineral to kill mold and bacteria, as well as deodorize clothes and remove tough stains.  Try cleaning the garbage disposal by pouring three tablespoons of Borax down the garbage disposal.  Flush with hot water 30 minutes later.  

Lemons seem to be the scent of "freshness."  They are also great when it comes to cleaning.  Use lemons when cleaning the bathroomin, where they cut through soap scum and hard water deposits. By mixing one cup of olive oil and half a cup of lemon juice, you can make a polish for hardwood furniture. Stick some lemon peels in the garbage can to keep it smelling fresh.

Cleaning without using harmful chemicals is extremely easy. By doing so, you are saving money and taking care of the earth all at the same time.  Going green does not have to be difficult or expensive. It simply requires taking the time to become informed regarding various cleaning ideas and techniques. Some of them might surprise you, but all of them will be sure to work with you to keep your home sparkling clean.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about our environment and 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.  Watch our video on achieving work/life balance at greencleancertified.com/greentv.  To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in your home, log on to greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Did you know that you can clean your home with salt?  Salt is mildly abrasive and kills germs.

Here are some natural green cleaning tips to use the next time you clean your home:

1. Use salt to clean up oven drips and food spillovers from the floor of an oven. Sprinkle salt over the spilt food, and then allow the oven to cool down completely. Use a damp cloth or a brush to clean up the spill.
2. Clean drains regularly by boiling a solution of salt and water and pouring it down the drain.  This helps prevent a build up of grease, grime and bacteria.
3. Degrease greasy pans by scouring them with a paper towel and salt. Sprinkle the salt over the grease, set the pan aside for 30 minutes and then wipe up the salt and grease using the paper towel.
4. Get rid of burnt-on food from an enameled pot by filling it with an inch of water, stirring in four tablespoons of salt, then letting this soak overnight. Loosen the burned food the next day by bringing the salty water to a boil.
5. Remove food stains from glassware by rubbing the salt into the stain using a damp sponge. For stubborn stains, soak the glassware for 24 hours in a solution of 1/2 cup salt and 4 cups of vinegar. Wipe off the stain and wash as usual. This is also effective for getting rid of lipstick stains as well.
6. Make a paste of one part salt and one part lemon juice and use this to get rid of mold and mildew from kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
7. To get rid of rust, cut a lemon in half, dip it in salt and rub it over the rusty area. Wipe this off and allow the area to dry. Clean copper with a mixture of salt and vinegar.
8. Remove tea and coffee stains from counter tops by rubbing with a soft cloth dipped in a mixture of white vinegar and salt.
9. Polish tarnished silver by spraying the silver item with vinegar, sprinkling salt and then scrubbing with a soft cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly.

The beginning of every year is a perfect time to start re-organizing and de-cluttering your life and your home.  But where do you begin?

Here are some suggestions to help you get started:

Cupboards and drawers.  Take on manageable amounts.  Begin with a drawer or cupboard, perhaps the toothbrush/toothpaste drawer.  Throw away the extra toothpaste caps and frayed toothbrushes.  Put the head bands back in the comb drawer.  Dig the dental floss out from the back of the drawer and wipe the dried toothpaste off the drawer bottom.  Next, take on the toiletries drawer.  Stack the extra soap, shampoo, and toilet paper neatly.  Put the brushes back in the comb drawer.  Get rid of all the old hair ties that you found in the back of the drawer that you won't use anymore.  Move on to the linen closet.  Fold and stack the towels.  Sort the ratty ones from the nicer ones and tear the old ones into rags.  Put the washcloths in a box or plastic container to keep them contained.  Keep sorting through drawers and closets for as long as you can.

Clothes closets.  Tie a ribbon in the middle of the hanger rod, with all of your clothes hanging to the left of the ribbon.  After you wear something, launder it and hang it up on the right side of the ribbon.  After two months, see what is still hanging on the left and take it to Goodwill.  This method can work assuming you store your clothing seasonally, and you keep costumes, and special outfits and dresses in another place.  If you don't, this project may take up to a year until you have gone through all of the seasons.

Try and keep your closet floors for your shoes, not boxes.  This will keep your shoes from getting squished and ruined.  Closet floors are a magnet for boxes that hold things you don't know where else to put.

Basements and attics.  Out of sight, out of mind!  Moving something to the basement or attic usually means, "I don't want to deal with this now, get it out of my sight."  Attack these piles one at a time and get rid of those stacks once and for all!

Garages.  A thorough house cleaning is going to result in more junk in the garage.  There are going to be some things you just can't part with yet, but after reading about basements and attics, you wouldn't dare send the junk there!  Instead you will send it to the garage!  The garage is a project all in its own and needs time budgeted accordingly.  Begin sorting in the house so that by the time you get to the garage, you're a pro!

Remember:  The important part of de-cluttering is beginning.  Start de-cluttering today!

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about our environment and 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.  Watch our video on achieving work/life balance at greencleancertified.com/greentv.  To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in your home, log on to greencleancertified.com/greentv.