Category: Healthy Body

Is Your City on the Allergy Hot List? How to Fight Back at Home

Posted on October 8, 2025 by maidbrigade - Healthy Body, Healthy Home

Sneezing Indoors? It’s Not Just Pollen Outside

If you’ve been sniffling, sneezing, or waking up congested – even after peak pollen season – you’re not imagining things. The 2025 Allergy Capitals Report from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has officially named the worst U.S. cities for allergy sufferers. Take a peek! Your city might be on the list or not far behind.

Even if you escape the top 10, you’re not necessarily in the clear. Indoor allergens are a growing concern, and they don’t care about your ZIP code. Dust mites, mold spores, pollen tracked indoors, and even pet dander can make allergy season feel year-round. And if you or your loved ones already struggle with asthma or seasonal allergies, your home can either help (or hurt) your health.

Which Cities Made the 2025 Allergy Capitals List?

According to the AAFA’s 2025 rankings, the top five worst cities for allergy sufferers are:

Wichita, KS
New Orleans, LA
Oklahoma City, OK
Tulsa, OK
Memphis, TN

These rankings are based on several factors, including pollen counts, allergy medication use, and availability of board-certified allergists. But even cities not on the list are dealing with rising pollen levels, prolonged allergy seasons, and indoor air quality issues.

Translation? If you’ve got itchy eyes or a scratchy throat, your home environment could be playing a bigger role than you think.

Should You Move if You Live in an Allergy Capital?

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) tackles this question directly in its 2025 Allergy Capitals Report: should people consider moving away from high-ranking allergy cities? Their answer is clear: probably not. While cities may differ in pollen counts, allergy triggers are everywhere. No matter where you live, you can experience seasonal allergies, because pollen and environmental allergens are widespread and often unavoidable.

This reinforces an important truth: your home environment plays a much bigger role in your daily allergy experience than the city you live in. Moving won’t guarantee relief, but making your home a safe haven can. That’s where the proactive cleaning strategies we’ll discuss in this blog matter most. When you keep dust, pollen, and other allergens out of your indoor spaces, you can drastically reduce symptoms and enjoy greater comfort without uprooting your life.

How Allergens Invade Your Home (and Stay There)

You can’t always control the air outside, but inside your home, you have options. Here’s where allergens like to hide:

Soft Surfaces
Carpets, rugs, curtains, and upholstery trap dust, pollen, and pet dander.
HVAC Systems & Air Filters
Dirty filters recirculate allergens and mold spores through your home.
Floors & Baseboards
Pollen and dust settle in the corners and cracks you often miss during light cleaning.
Bathrooms & Kitchens
Mold thrives in damp, humid spaces, especially around tile grout and vents.
Bedding & Mattresses
Dust mites love pillows and mattresses. Without regular deep cleaning, your bed can become an allergy minefield.

Even with regular tidying, most households don’t remove allergens at the microscopic level. That’s when symptoms stick around or get worse.

Signs Your Home Might Be Making Allergies Worse

Allergy symptoms that seem to “stick” after you’re home for a while are a red flag. Watch for:

Congestion that improves when you leave the house
Coughing or sneezing after making the bed or vacuuming
Itchy eyes or throat in rooms with carpet or heavy drapes
Worsening asthma symptoms indoors
Constant need for allergy meds, even on low-pollen days

If these sound familiar, a deep allergen-focused cleaning may help more than you think.

5 Ways to Reduce Indoor Allergens Starting Today

Here’s what experts recommend:

Upgrade to a HEPA Filter Vacuum
These trap particles that standard vacuums often recirculate.
Wash Bedding Weekly in Hot Water
Hot water kills dust mites and removes allergen buildup.
Use a Dehumidifier in Damp Spaces
Mold spores thrive in humidity above 50%.
Wipe Down Hard Surfaces Often
Pollen settles quickly on counters, window sills, and floors.
Schedule a Professional Allergen Cleaning
Services like Maid Brigade’s PUREcleaning® system use electrolyzed water and deep-surface disinfection to safely eliminate allergens without harsh chemicals.

PUREcleaning®: Safe, Science-Backed Relief for Allergy Sufferers

Maid Brigade’s PUREcleaning® process goes deeper than your average surface clean. In fact, it’s a wellness upgrade for your entire home. Here’s why it works:

Non-toxic and residue-free: No harsh chemicals, no lingering fumes
Disinfection power: Kills bacteria, mold, and viruses on hard and soft surfaces
Thorough clean: Penetrates fibers and crevices where allergens hide
Pet and kid safe: Safe for families, effective for allergy relief

When you're battling environmental triggers and local allergies, a clean home is a necessity. PUREcleaning® gives you a clean you can truly feel.

FAQ: Allergy Season, Home Cleaning, and You

Q: I don’t live in one of the worst cities for allergies. Should I still worry about allergens at home?
A: Yes. Local allergies reflect outdoor conditions, but indoor allergen buildup can happen anywhere, especially if you have carpeting or pets, or live in a humid climate.

Q: Does Maid Brigade clean air ducts or HVAC systems?
A: We don’t currently provide ductwork services, but we do clean the surrounding surfaces where dust, mold, and pollen collect. We can also recommend HVAC professionals if needed.

Q: How often should I schedule allergen-focused cleaning?
A: Seasonal deep cleans (every 3-4 months) are ideal, especially during spring and fall when local allergens peak.

Breathe Easier Where It Matters Most

Allergy season may be out of your control. But what happens inside your home? That’s where Maid Brigade shines.

Whether your city is allergy-prone or not, our expert team is ready to help you breathe easier, sleep better, and feel healthier, all starting with a cleaner home.Book your PUREcleaning® appointment today!

How Long Is Allergy Season, Really? Climate Shifts Are Prolonging the Pollen Problem

Posted on September 11, 2025 by maidbrigade - Cleaning Tips, Healthy Body, Healthy Home, Healthy Soul

If you’ve been sneezing long after the spring blossoms faded, you’re not imagining things. Allergy season used to have a beginning and an end: tree pollen in early spring, grass in summer, ragweed in fall. But today, the “season” seems endless. From March through October, itchy eyes, runny noses, and scratchy throats are sticking around longer than ever.

Why? Shifting climate patterns are giving pollen more staying power, and for allergy sufferers, that means more weeks of discomfort. Understanding why allergy seasons are changing can help you take smarter steps to make your home a place of relief, not another source of irritation.

Why Allergy Season Lasts Longer Now

Allergy season is no longer just a springtime inconvenience. According to a 2025 Climate Central report, allergy seasons in many U.S. cities are now several weeks longer than they were just a few decades ago. Here’s why:

Warmer temperatures extend the growing season. Plants stay active longer, releasing pollen well into fall.
Rising carbon dioxide levels fuel plants to produce more pollen overall.
Geographic shifts spread allergies to new areas, with northern U.S. cities now experiencing longer seasons.

The result? A bigger pollen problem nearly everywhere, affecting people who may not have struggled with allergies before.

How Climate Change Intensifies Environmental Allergies

Climate change doesn’t just lengthen the season. It makes it stronger, too. Higher pollen counts mean more exposure, and overlapping allergy seasons create double or triple the triggers. Tree pollen blends into grass season, which collides with ragweed. Instead of relief between cycles, allergy sufferers now experience back-to-back-to-back irritants.

For people with asthma or respiratory sensitivities, this extended exposure can be especially dangerous. The American Lung Association notes that worsening allergies can impact lung health and overall quality of life.

26% of adults and 19% of children experience seasonal allergies

Source: Climate Central

The Indoor Connection: Homes Matter More Than Ever

It’s natural to think that staying inside is the best way to escape pollen. But allergens don’t stop at your front door. Pollen particles hitch a ride on shoes, pets, clothing, and even hair. Once indoors, they settle into fabrics, carpets, furniture, and HVAC systems — places where they can linger for weeks.

That means even if your windows are closed, allergens may still be circulating in your home. For many families, the very place that should feel safe and refreshing can become another source of allergy symptoms.

PUREcleaning®: A Modern Solution for Allergen Removal

This is where Maid Brigade makes a difference. Our PUREcleaning® system is designed to remove allergens that build up in your home without exposing your family to harsh chemicals. Using electrolyzed water and non-toxic cleaning solutions, our team deep cleans both hard and soft surfaces while our advanced HEPA vacuum systems trap particles that ordinary vacuums leave behind.

We tidy up and actively create a healthier indoor environment by:

Lifting allergens out of carpets, rugs, and upholstery.
Neutralizing irritants on kitchen counters, floors, and other high-touch surfaces.
Refreshing the air with HEPA filtration that captures dust, dander, and pollen particles.

For families worn down by months of allergy symptoms, PUREcleaning® is more than a cleaning service. It’s a breath of fresh air.

Practical Tips for Allergen Removal at Home

While professional cleaning offers the deepest defense against allergens, simple habits can help, too. Here are a few ways to support a healthier home during the prolonged allergy season:

Vacuum frequently with a HEPA vacuum to reduce allergens in carpets and upholstery.
Wash bedding weekly in hot water to remove pollen and dust mites.
Change air filters often, especially during high-pollen months.
Leave shoes at the door to keep pollen from being tracked inside.
Wipe down hard surfaces regularly where dust and pollen can collect.

These steps, combined with Maid Brigade’s PUREcleaning®, can help reduce allergy triggers and make your home a sanctuary again.

Breathe Easier, Live Better

How long is allergy season? Longer than ever, but your family doesn’t have to suffer through itindoors. With the right approach, your home can be a safe, healthy retreat no matter what the climate brings.

At Maid Brigade, we care deeply about helping you breathe easier and live better. Our PUREcleaning® service goes beyond appearances, delivering a clean that makes your home truly healthier. Because when allergy season feels endless, your family deserves a haven that feels limitless in comfort.

Ready to experience relief? Schedule a cleaning with your local Maid Brigade today and let PUREcleaning® give you back the peace of mind and fresh air your family deserves.

Homework on the Screen, Germs on the Couch: What School Devices Really Bring Home

Posted on August 27, 2025 by maidbrigade - Healthy Body, Healthy Home, Healthy Soul

Imagine your kids at the end of another busy school day: backpacks dropped at the door, snack wrappers scattered around, and, of course, the glow and chatter of tablets and laptops. Screens represent the new era of homework and classroom connectivity, and as schools shift from paper assignments to more digital learning models, you have a new source of germs to worry about.

Lunch tables, classrooms, and buses are crawling with dust, grime, bacteria, and allergens that your kids will inevitably touch and bring home. And no matter how often or how well they wash their hands, their screens are keeping the score. It raises the question: How dirty is your phone screen?

Maid Brigade can’t sanitize your screens for you, but we can sanitize all the places those screens end up: couches, countertops, desks, and floors. We also believe that a healthy home is the foundation of a happy, fulfilling life, which is why we’re advocating for a new back to school cleaning routine featuring professional cleaners.

Seriously, How Dirty is Your Phone?

Did you know that your phone screen can be 10x dirtier than the average toilet seat? (Yikes!) It’s true! All touchscreens harbor bacteria, allergens, and viruses from buses, schools, cafeterias, and public restrooms. Your kids are using these devices everywhere, from their beds to the kitchen counters, and, chances are, they’re using your phone, too. Every time fingers move from a school desk to a device—and then that device rests on your couch, bed, or kitchen counter—germs get a free ride into your home environment.

Think your phone screen is clean? Think again: most phone screens are 10x dirtier than the average toilet

The Germ Trail: Where Devices Go, Germs Follow

Let’s take a walk through the average after-school routine:

Tablet on the couch: snack crumbs and screen time
Chromebook on the kitchen counter: bacteria next to dinner prep
Phone on the bed: allergens transferred to pillows and bedding

Now picture this same routine during cold and flu season. All those germs can pose a serious risk to your overall household health, but with regular cleanings of your shared spaces (especially soft surfaces like upholstery and carpet), you have a better chance of keeping germs at bay.

What Parents Can Do (Plus What Maid Brigade Does Best)

You can’t stop devices from coming home, but you can reduce the risk to your family’s health.

Simple at-home habits:

Clean devices regularly with an electronics-safe disinfectant wipe.
Encourage handwashing right after school and before meals.
Create a “tech zone” where devices are used, limiting their travel around the house.

Where Maid Brigade comes in:

We deep clean the surfaces that see the most device contact: couches, rugs, countertops, desks, and more.
Our non-toxic, high-tech cleaning methods remove dust, allergens, and bacteria without introducing harsh chemicals into your home.
We work around your family’s schedule, so cleaning day feels seamless and refreshing rather than disruptive.

The Safe and Healthy Home Promise

For us, cleaning is about protecting your family’s health and giving you peace of mind.

We know parents are juggling enough during the school year. Between homework, sports, and the everyday chaos of family life, you shouldn’t have to add “deep clean the couch” to your to-do list. That’s where we come in, with the care, reliability, and attention to detail that helps you enjoy your home without any added stress.

A Clean Start for the School Year

Your kids’ devices will always come home with them. The germs don’t have to stay.Start this school year with a home that’s as clean, healthy, and ready for learning as your child’s classroom. Schedule your cleaning today!

The Health Benefits of Commercial Cleaning for Your Business

Posted on December 12, 2024 by maidbrigade - Cleaning Tips, Healthy Body

What would you think if you walked into a corporate office for the first time and were greeted with dusty computer keyboards, grimy desks, and stale, coffee-scented air? You probably wouldn’t feel like sticking around and, at the very least, you’d have a poor first impression of the business.

As a business owner, a dingy office environment is the last thing you want to present to employees and customers. You want shiny floors, spotless screens, and the sense that your work environment is clean, healthy, and safe. That’s where a commercial cleaner like Maid Brigade comes in. We go deeper than aesthetics and impressions, meeting the unique needs of your office or building so you have a clean, sparkling path forward to all your important business goals.

This blog is your opportunity to address workplace wellness from a new angle: the CLEAN angle. We’ll explore the immediate and long-term benefits of maintaining a safe and sanitary work environment, plus how a commercial cleaner makes each benefit possible. You’ll also get an inside look at Maid Brigade’s very own commercial cleaning checklist.

A Healthier Work Environment for All

Employees and customers alike thrive in a clean environment. Cleanliness communicates reliability, professionalism, and the fact that your business values its people. Customers feel safe and confident as they sit in your conference room, ready to tackle your next big business venture, and employees feel able to attend meetings, use the breakroom, and share workspaces without worrying about getting sick.

In other words, a healthy work environment allows everyone to focus on what matters most: collaborating, communicating, and getting the job done. Here are some specific ways regular visits from a commercial cleaner support workplace wellness by sanitizing your surroundings:

Reduced Sick Days

You want your employees sharing ideas, not the latest strain of the flu. With so many high-touch surfaces such as doorknobs, desks, and the buttons on the water cooler, illness can spread quickly and force employees to use their sick days to recover. Over time, this kind of absenteeism can stack up, costing your business revenue and productivity.

Thankfully, a commercial cleaner can stop sick days in their tracks by sanitizing even the most hidden and forgotten areas around your office. As a result, your employees can continue to show up happy, healthy, and on time so that projects and performance stay on track.

Improved Air Quality

Office environments aren’t exactly known for being a breath of fresh air, but air quality matters. Poor air quality can cause headaches, fatigue, poor concentration, and respiratory irritation, especially for employees who are sensitive to the dust and allergens that linger in the air around them. You put health, comfort, and job satisfaction first when you hire a commercial cleaner who prioritizes air quality as part of their services.

Source

Better Productivity and Morale

Whether it’s dusty floors and ceilings or walls that look like they haven’t been scrubbed since Y2K, your employees simply aren’t going to feel motivated to do their best if their surroundings aren’t also in the best condition. Cleanliness can be a serious mood booster as well, creating a ripple effect of health and workplace wellness across your entire business. You handle the team building and training while a commercial cleaner handles ambiance and cleanliness of your everyday work environment.

Workplace Wellness Goes Deeper Than the Surface

At Maid Brigade, we understand that it’s possible for your workplace to be clean but not disinfected, meaning tons of invisible germs are left behind for your employees to catch and spread. We also understand that every office is unique, which is why we customize our cleaning strategy to meet the needs of every individual business we work with. Here is a general checklist of cleaning tasks our professionals will tackle to keep your office space sparkling.

Commercial Cleaning Checklist

Dusting: Dust builds up quickly, including behind and between furniture. Our detailed approach tackles both the obvious and not-so-obvious areas for a longer-lasting clean.
Vacuuming: Our HEPA-filtration vacuums improve air quality by 4x, giving your office that all-around clean feeling.
Cleaning/sanitizing surfaces: From quick lunches eaten at desks to sneezing, sniffling staff, there are a variety of ways for your business’s surfaces to get dirty. That’s why we focus on thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing everything from light switches to drawer pulls to chairs.
Emptying wastebaskets: No one wants trash and clutter spilling over into their workspace. We’ll empty wastebaskets and put on new wastebasket liners to ensure trash stays under control.
Safe/Non-toxic disinfection: PUREmist® combines EPA-certified hypochlorous acid with electrostatic sprayer technology to achieve 360-degree coverage of all surfaces and objects. It’s a safer, more effective way to disinfect high-touch office equipment, bathrooms, fitness centers, and more.

Maid Brigade is the Best Commercial Cleaner for the Job

You crack your office door and—ah, you can tell Maid Brigade has been there. The air feels fresh. The carpets have smooth, neat vacuum lines running from one end to the other. Your employees arrive and notice, too, as they sit down at desks with shiny, disinfected surfaces and make coffee on a break room countertop that’s free of grime and stains.

There’s so much to do and so much your teams will accomplish. Thank goodness you don’t have to worry about cleaning, right?

Keep in mind that a commercial cleaning service is not the same as a janitorial cleaning service. Janitorial cleaning typically happens overnight, allowing supplies to be restocked and general cleaning tasks to be completed out of sight and out of mind. Commercial cleaning, on the other hand, is more flexible in how it can be scheduled and will focus on providing a top-to-bottom service in sanitation and sparkle. Maid Brigade does not provide janitorial services.
Contact us today to schedule your first business cleaning.

How Often Should You Clean Bedroom & Bathroom Items?

Posted on June 13, 2019 by oi_admin - Healthy Body, Healthy Home

Ever since it was reported that Oprah has clean sheets on her bed every day – the rest of us wonder if that’s the standard we should be striving to achieve. If we had a staff like Oprah, we could have our sheets, towels and even our shower curtains changed daily. Sheets and towels absorb sweat, dead skin cells, body oils, drool and other body fluids. If they aren’t washed frequently, sheets and towels become a breeding ground for dust mites, mold and mildew. So, let’s balance our dreams of having the ultimately clean bathroom with practicality and see if we can determine how often we should be cleaning things in our bathroom and bedroom.

Towels – Hand towels in a bathroom should be changed out daily as they get used a lot. Towels used after a shower should be washed every other day. In between uses, the towels should be hung so that they can dry out completely throughout the day. Mold and mildew can start forming a few hours after using the towel.

Washcloths – Washcloths can be on the same cleaning schedule as your bath towels. Washcloths collect dead skin cells with each use so more than two uses are not recommended. They can be washed with the bath towels using hot water to help disinfect them.

Bath mats – Bath mats should be washed once a week. They accumulate dust, fibers, and hair as well as dirt from the floor. Washing once a week keeps them clean and fresh. It also helps to battle any mold or mildew that could be forming inside the mat fibers.

Plastic shower curtains – Plastic shower curtains should be cleaned once a month. Soap scum and mildew build up on the inside of the plastic. You can place a shower curtain in the washing machine and it will come out looking brand new. Just put the shower curtain in the wash using hot water and two bath towels. Add a touch of laundry detergent to the washer as well. Wash and rinse the shower curtain on a regular cycle. Hang the plastic shower curtain back up as normal to allow it to air dry.

Use your dishwasher --A quick tip for cleaning things on your vanity is to enlist your dishwasher. Your toothbrush holder, towel caddies, toothpaste holders and even brushes and combs can be popped into the top drawer of the dishwasher. Use the regular dishwashing detergent and a regular washing cycle. The items will come out clean and disinfected.

Sheets – Most experts agree that sheets should be washed at least once every other week. If you have night sweats or tend to sweat more than the average person, you should wash your sheets once a week. Make sure to wash your sheets in a gentle soap versus a detergent. Detergents can cause skin irritations. They don’t rinse totally out of your sheets. Soaps, on the other handwash completely out of the fabric.

Blankets – Blankets need to be washed frequently, but not as often as sheets. Blankets can become infested with dust mites. Most experts recommend washing blankets monthly in extremely hot water and drying them on a hot setting in the dryer. The high heat will kill the dust mites. If you deal with a dust mite allergy, you may need to wash the blankets more often.

Comforters – Down comforters can be cleaned on the same schedule as blankets. Down comforters are very difficult to wash and dry so if you want to remove the dust and allergens quickly, you can pop the comforter directly into the dryer and set it to the hottest setting. The dryer will remove the dust and the hot air will kill the dust mites.

Pillows – Pillows are not usually on our list of things to wash. But they can become extremely infested with dust mites as well as body oils and fluids. To prevent the pillow from absorbing fluids and oils, you can use a pillow encasement that will keep the pillows clean and keep dust mites away from the pillow filling. The encasement is much easier to wash than an entire pillow.

Quilts – Hand made quilts need special attention. They needed to be washed with care. You can place the quilt in the dryer on a hot setting for a few minutes to kill dust mites and remove the dust. You can also use a clothesline and hang it outside in the bright sunlight to help keep the dust mites at bay.

For more information from DIY green cleaning expert Leslie Reichert, visit https://www.facebook.com/GreenCleaningCoach/

Treating Common Springtime Stains

Posted on May 7, 2019 by oi_admin - Healthy Body

Battling stains can be very expensive if you don’t take the proper steps to remove them. It’s not the stain removal that’s expensive, but the damage done to the clothing if it’s not done properly. Using the wrong product to remove a stain can do damage to the fabric and also set the stain. Here are a few things to do when trying to remove a stain.

Try to remember what the stain might be. Knowing the source of the stain makes removing it much easier. Try to figure out if it’s an oil-based stain, a milk-based stain or possibly a blood stain. One stain remover does NOT work for all stains.

Have the right things on hand to battle the stain. There are five things that are the basics for stain removal: corn starch, rubbing alcohol, club soda, an enzyme-based stain remover, and hydrogen peroxide. Make sure you have these items in quantity so you are ready for any stain.

Corn starch is used to absorb much of the liquid or oil that is left on the fabric. It works extremely well on oily stains. Just sprinkle some corn starch on the area, rub it in completely, let it sit for a while and then brush it off with a stiff toothbrush. The corn starch will absorb whatever is in the fabric and carry it away when it’s brushed off.

Club soda is great for pre-soaking stains. No matter what you’ve spilled, you can just dab some club soda on the area and it will work to lift the stain. You can put a small spray bottle in your purse or glove compartment and be ready to battle a spill. There is no proven chemical reason why club soda works so well since it’s just water infused with carbon dioxide and a small amount of salt, but for some reason it really does work.

Enzyme-based stain removers are perfect for stains from grass, blood or chocolate. Enzymes are proteins or bacteria that actually break down stains by digesting them. They work as long as the stain is moist and then become dormant when the fabric dries.

Hydrogen peroxide is a diluted acid that works great on red stains such as red wine or blood. Nurses have known this for years. After a day at work, all they do is spray their uniforms with hydrogen peroxide and the blood stains totally disappear.

A few other things to remember about stain removal.

Never try to remove a stain by spraying it with a stain remover and then throwing it into a washing machine. It is much better to pretreat the stain before washing, rinse it with cool water and let it air dry. The heat of the hot water in the washing machine may actually set the stain before it can be removed.
Never put your clothing in the dryer until you are completely sure the stain has been removed. Placing the item in a hot dryer can set the stain.
Continue to treat, rinse and air dry the piece of clothing until the stain is removed. It takes patience but almost any stain can be removed if you keep repeating the treatment.

For more information from DIY green cleaning expert Leslie Reichert, visit https://www.facebook.com/GreenCleaningCoach/

Removing "Back to School" Stains

Posted on September 6, 2018 by oi_admin - Green Cleaning Tips and Tricks, Healthy Body, Healthy Home

For some families, back to school can be a terribly sad day in your household or parents are secretly throwing a “BTS” (back to school) party! It’s officially the end of the summer and the kids are off to school. For younger children especially, the school year brings stains and marks on their clothes. Be prepared to fight each stain with this Back To School Stain Guide.

Before we get into how to battle each different stain they might bring home, lets first get the supplies you will need to have on hand.

Hydrogen Peroxide
Rubbing Alcohol
Oxygen bleach
Chlorine bleach
White terry hand cloths
Iron
Bar of white soap (Ivory)
Cotton balls
Stiff brush
Distilled white vinegar
Small spray bottle

Markers – Place the stain face down on a white washcloth or a paper towel. Dab the area with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol. The stain will transfer to the cloth or paper towel. Do not pour the alcohol over the stain as it will bleed into the surrounding fabric.

Crayons – Scrap any excess crayon with a table knife or spoon. Using a hot iron, place a white washcloth over the stain and rub the iron over the area. You should see the stain transfer to the washcloth. Then use a drop of dish detergent and work the soap into the area. Rinse and let the fabric air dry. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.

Water-based glue – Place the stain in very warm water and let the water work to soften the glue. Peel the glue off as it softens.

Super Glue – Super Glue can be removed with an acetone-based nail polish. Place the stain in very warm water to soften the glue. Then using a cotton ball dampened with nail polish, dab the area. The glue should peel right off.

Lead pencil marks – Start by using a pencil eraser and rubbing the stain off the fabric. Then using a gentle liquid dish detergent, place a few drops on the stain and rub it into the fabric. Rinse out the soap and let the item air dry. Continue to repeat the process until the stain is removed.

Grass - Mix up a solution of one part distilled white vinegar and two parts water. Put it into a spray bottle. Spray the grass stain with the mixture and let it sit for 15 minutes. Using a stiff brush, rub the area until the stain is loosened and starting to come out of the fabric. Rinse the area and repeat by spraying and scrubbing until the stain is gone.

Salad dressing – Start by blotting the greasy stain with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball. Soak the entire area and let it sit for a few minutes. Using a bar of white soap on the area, rub it until it creates a lather. Rinse the soap and alcohol out of the fabric and let it air dry. If the stain persists repeat the process until it disappears.

Chocolate milk – Start by running cool water through the back of the stain. This may remove most if not all of the chocolate milk. Then mix up a paste of powdered oxygen bleach and water and rub it into the area. Let it sit for a few minutes and then rinse the fabric. Wash normally and let the item air dry. Repeat the process until the stain is removed.

Ballpoint pen – Treat the area with a cotton ball dipped in nail polish. The pen mark will disappear.

Keeping Kids Healthy This School Year

Posted on August 29, 2018 by oi_admin - Healthy Body, Healthy Home

It’s that time of year when our kids are getting ready to go back to school. One of the biggest concerns for parents around this time is how to keep them germ-free at school. With the right information and the right tactics your children can stop germs in their tracks. Teach your children these important steps to keep themselves healthy this year!

Wash Hands Often & Correctly - Doctors all agree that hand washing is the most effective way to stop the spread of germs. It’s also the best way to remove germs from your hands. Since schools are full of ‘germy’ items, (we see you handrails and water fountains) it’s a good idea to teach your children effective hand washing techniques. Just putting some soap on your hands and doing a quick rinse with cool water does not constitute correct hand washing. Using a lathering soap and warm water are essential. Lather the soap for a minimum of 20 seconds, which is the standard given by the CDC website on handwashing. Some classrooms have a sink where the students can wash their hands without disrupting the flow of the day.

Keep Hands Away from Your Nose and Face – Since you never know where the germs are, a good habit is to avoid putting your hands anywhere near your face. Teach your children to keep their hands and fingers away from their nose and mouth.

Cover Your Mouth – Seeing an uncovered sneeze or cough can make someone run out the door. Remind your child to always sneeze or cough into their elbows to keep germs from spreading.

Maintain a Healthy Diet - Eating healthy foods like fruits and veggies will help their bodies be ready to fight off an infection should they get one.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep – Go to bed early and make sure their little bodies are rested and strong. Viruses survive in bodies with weak immune systems.

Exercise Regularly – Have your kids get lots of exercise and have them do it outside so they get fresh air. This will keep their bodies strong and ready to fight off colds and flu. Consider giving your child the opportunity to join a school sports team. It is not only a healthy activity but great for teamwork and building lasting friendships.

Clean and Vacuum Bedrooms with All-Natural Cleaning Products and a HEPA Rated Vacuum – Clean your entire home with all-natural cleaning products. Nighttime is when your body gets to rest and repair itself. It doesn’t need to be fighting with the chemicals found in traditional cleaning products while it’s trying to rest. Instead use microfiber and a HEPA rated vacuum to clean the dust and dirt out of the room. Maid Brigade only uses HEPA rated vacuums and green cleaning products that will leave your home healthy and clean.

Feeling Sick? Keep the Germs at Home - While this seems like an obvious one, many kids and adults go to school or work when they’re sick. Make a new family rule that if you are sick you stay home. Don’t expose your student’s classmates to your germs. Take the time to let your kids recover completely before sending them back to school. All of your fellow parents will truly appreciate it.

Back to school time should be filled with learning and excitement, not germs! We want to help make your child’s school year the healthiest and most successful one yet. Having a clean home is another step to keeping the germs at bay. Maid Brigade provides house cleaning services for busy families. Our healthy cleaning products will leave your home sparkling and check one more item off your to-do list.

For more great cleaning tips, check out the Green Cleaning Expert, Leslie Reichert at greencleaningcoach.com

At home allergy treatments

Posted on March 28, 2018 by oi_admin - Healthy Body, Healthy Home

Dealing with dust allergies is a battle that affects many people, especially during the spring. To win the battle you need strategies that will help reduce the triggers in your home. Creating safe spaces where your lungs can “rest” is the key. Allergists refer to our immune system as a bucket that fills up over time. When our buckets become full we deal with allergic reactions. Each of us have different sized buckets, but we all need places in our homes where we can let our immune systems rest from dust, pollutants and irritants. Here are some things you can do in your home to create a clean and safe environment.

Cleaning more often – A simple, inexpensive step is to dust and vacuum more often. People in Europe use their vacuum to do most of their dusting. They use the dusting brush and go over all the wood and fabric surfaces with the vacuum. This makes cleaning quick and easy as well as very efficient. The vacuum captures and holds the dust. Wiping the dust with a dry cloth can put the allergens back into the air which defeats the purpose of cleaning.

Plants – Indoor plants are not only beautiful to look at, they also help clean the air we breathe in our homes. In fact, NASA calls plants “nature’s life support system”. By adding a potted plant like a Peace Lilly or Spider Plant to your home you will be naturally removing allergic toxins in your air. Place plants in the most used areas of your home, such as the living room and bedrooms..

Air purifiers – Our indoor air has been shown to be much more polluted than the air we breathe outdoors. We spend 90 percent of our time indoors, so it’s important that we clean it constantly. During most of the year we keep our windows closed to keep out the cold or heat. With limited air exchange we end up breathing the same air over and over again. Using a HEPA rated air purifier throughout the house will remove the allergens and keep pollutants to a minimum.

Mattress and pillow covers – We spend more than a third of our lives sleeping so an important place to focus on air quality is in the bedroom. Starting with your bed, find encasement covers for your pillows and mattresses to keep dust mite allergens away from your body. For some allergy sufferers, investing in hypoallergenic pillows and bedspreads may be the best solution. Down pillows are soft and very comfortable but can trigger allergies while you are sleeping. Wash pillows and blankets often in very hot water and dry on a hot setting to kill dust mites and remove their droppings

Remove stuffed animals and draperies – Dust accumulates in fabrics. Since we don’t dust or wash our draperies every time we clean, they tend to collect a tremendous amount of dust which can be a trigger for those suffering from dust allergies. Stuffed animals also collect dust in a child’s room and can trigger an allergic or asthmatic reaction. The safest alternative is to completely remove drapes, curtains and stuffed animals - especially in the bedroom. Instead, use hard window treatments such as window blinds and shutters. If your child has trouble parting with their favorite stuffed animal, place it in a pillow case once a week and wash it in hot water and dry on a hot setting.

Considering hard flooring vs carpeting – Carpeting, like draperies, are dust magnets. Even the best vacuum can’t remove all the dust and dander from a carpet. Allergist recommend removing all the carpeting in a home and replacing it with hard wood flooring. Hard floors are much easier to keep clean and the dust can be kept to a minimum. However, removing carpet throughout a home and replacing with hardwoods can get expensive. For a more economical solution, we recommend a professional carpet cleaning to reach the harmful dust mites hidden below the surface.

HEPA rated vacuum – Make sure you have a high-quality vacuum that has a HEPA rated filtering system. There are many different vacuums advertising they are good at removing allergens, but make sure you research the brand before making a purchase. There are only a few vacuums that are rated HEPA. Remember that you want to look for a vacuum that is rated HEPA not a vacuum that uses HEPA rated filters. A vacuum rated HEPA cleans the surfaces it touches as well as the surrounding air you breathe.

Dust mite sprays on furniture – Some people ask if dust mite removal sprays work and the answer is yes, but you need to be careful should someone in your home also have a chemical sensitivity. Spraying your fabric furniture with these sprays will kill the dust mites living in them, but they also add another type of pollutant to your air.

Keep humidity low – Dust mites like dark, moist environments so keeping the humidity low in your home is a great way to combat dust mites naturally. Use a dehumidifier all year round to keep the moisture in the air below 50%.

Keep pets out of the bedrooms – We all love our pets but their dander can be a trigger for someone dealing with allergies or asthma. Keep pets out of the sleeping area of someone dealing with allergies.

For more green cleaning and green living information, check out Leslie’s website.

For other allergy and asthma health tips, read these blogs:

https://maidbrigade.com/blog/support-your-immune-system

https://maidbrigade.com/blog/5-tips-to-get-you-through-an-earlier-allergy-season

How to treat head lice

Posted on March 8, 2018 by oi_admin - Healthy Body, Healthy Home

A case of lice does not reflect a lack of cleanliness or personal hygiene as some would like to think. Head lice cause itching and discomfort but are not found to transfer dangerous diseases in the United States like lice in other countries. Here are answers to the most common questions about lice:

How can I get infected with lice?

Head lice can be transferred by sharing things like brushes, combs and even hats. They can transfer from direct head-to-head contact and lice can transfer from pillows and sheets too. But there is no evidence that lice are transferred from pets to humans.

Do head lice jump from person to person?

Head lice don’t have the body type to jump. They are transferred only by direct contact.

How long do lice live?

Lice can only live 24 hours without a host, but with a host they can live up to 30 days. Lice reside in pillows and sheets and return to the host for feeding. Lice, like bed bugs, bite their hosts for blood. Their bites are annoying and itchy but are not dangerous unless they get scratched and infected.

What’s the best way to rid lice from hair?

Some feel that they should treat for lice even when they only suspect that there is an infestation. There are no shampoos that totally kill head lice and their nits so manual removal is the only solution. Wash hair with a specialized, over-the-counter shampoo, rinse completely and then go through hair with a nit comb. Remember that the shampoo is extremely strong and toxic so overuse is not recommended.

Two different types of louse combs used when treat of head lice.

How do I remove lice from my home?

Removing lice from your home is an extremely labor intensive project. All fabric furniture must be completely vacuumed. Pillows and stuffed animals should be put into a garbage bag for 10 days to make sure that any nits that hatch in that time period die, separated froma host. Other items can be put into the dryer for 30 minutes on a high heat. All sheets, pillows and comforters should be washed and dried on a hot setting. The entire house should be cleaned before treating the infected person.

How do I know if I really have head lice?

Persistent itching can be indication that an infestation exists. Professionals use a magnifying glass or a florescent light although some feel the florescent light highlights hair lint as well as nits and confuses the diagnosis. Regardless, lice are normally visible with a magnifying glass.

For more green cleaning and green living information, check out Leslie's website.

Healthy living begins now

Posted on May 28, 2016 by oi_admin - Healthy Body

“I feel fit and healthy.” When was the last time you said that and actually meant it?

No matter how many new year’s resolutions we make concerning our health, we just cannot seem to get it together. We all have good intentions on keeping fit and eating right but unfortunately, unless we make a plan and stick with it, life and all of its “business” tends to get in the way. So I like to take a gut check every few months.

For me, a healthy balance of mind, body and spirit is the ultimate feeling of well-being. Each and every step I take today will result in a stronger, healthier, “me” for years to come.

Runner athlete running on forest trail. woman fitness jogging workout wellness concept.

Living a healthier life is just within our reach, all we have to do is educate ourselves on the steps we need to take now that will pave our way for a healthier living tomorrow. Here are some tips to get us started on the well-being trail of life:

First things first – Evaluate your health and where you currently stand. This is the “preparation” stage and may require a little work. In order to move forward on the health track, we need to find out where we stand right now. Make appointments with your doctors and dentist for a complete check-up. Make sure all immunizations are up to date. Write down all questions you may have for the doctors and bring this and your current medications list with you.

Evaluate your physical activity. Be honest with yourself. How much physical activity do you get weekly? Is it working for you? What about the food you eat? Try and keep a food journal for a few days so you can get a good look at the kind of food and beverages you are actually consuming.

How about your energy? Are you sleeping enough? How has your mood been? Do you feel anxious, stressed, or depressed? Take a look at your connections with family and friends. Are they strong, supportive connections? Do your spiritual and/or social groups enrich your life?

Taking a good look at yourself and how you are today is a major step in setting goals towards your health and well-being. Don’t be afraid to dig deep and be honest. This is the time to do it.

Secondly, take a look at your habits. Whether it is smoking, alcohol, drug, or any other kind of addiction, now is the time to partner with your doctor and discuss treatment options. Chronic health issues, like heart disease, depression, or diabetes, that you may currently be dealing with, also requires a call to your doctor. Remember, educating yourself on where you stand today will bring you one step closer to what you can handle in the future.

Next, move it! Get physical but make it fun! Take a two mile walk every morning or evening. Go for a hike or bike ride. Take a cycling, swimming, or yoga class. Whatever you decide to do, make sure it keeps your interest so you don’t give up. Schedule exercise days on your calendar so you remember how important this is to your final goal of wellness. Set weekly goals that you know you can keep. Make exercising more fun by bringing along a buddy, creating your own routines, or trying to beat your own goal of “most steps walked per day” (hint: 10,000 steps is recommended each day).

Since you added physical fitness to your life, the next step is to upgrade your diet. In other words, be aware of what you are eating and make the right choices of what to eat. Take the “should” out of your vocabulary and replace it with “choose.” “I choose to eat more fruits and vegetables,” sounds much more positive than “I should eat more fruits and vegetables.” Keep the guilt out of the kitchen by stocking the cabinets with healthy food, snacks, and beverages. While eating, sit down and enjoy your meals. Hold off on the multitasking until after you eat. Relaxing and enjoying your meals helps you feel satisfied. Try and incorporate a rainbow of fruits and veggies into your daily meals (5 servings or more is a good number to start with).

Learn how to handle stress. For long-term stress, know where your baseline stress level is and develop coping skills to keep that baseline level in check. Meditation, yoga, exercise, and deep breathing exercises can help. When dealing with a stressful situation that has come up without warning, take a step back from the situation, re-group by practicing deep breathing techniques, and if needed, take a short walk. Re-gain and focus by asking yourself why you feel so worked up.

Sleep longer and better. Sleep time is when the body heals itself. Avoid alcohol or caffeinated beverages close to bedtime. Also avoid vigorous activity close to your bedtime. Chamomile tea and a hot bath will help “mentally” relax those that have trouble sleeping. Skip napping during the day if you have trouble sleeping at night. Sleep time is just as important as diet and exercise.

Include some brain teasers into your life and challenge your mind. Watch game shows on television, play board games with friends and family, or try and complete a daily crossword puzzle. The more mentally stimulating activities you do can reduce your likeliness of developing dementia.

Remember the road to wellness begins with the choices you make in your life.

5 Tips to Get You Through an Earlier Allergy Season

Posted on March 25, 2016 by oi_admin - Healthy Body

It seems as though our unseasonably warm winter has brought early spring blooms and pollen. [You didn’t think we could sail through an unseasonably warm winter without a catch now, did you?!]

More than 40 million Americans (my three children and myself included) have already begun wiping our watery eyes and blowing our sneezy noses because allergy season hit us a little earlier this year.

According to experts, a warm winter and a warm spring affects a plant's timing for pollen production: the warmer the weather, the earlier the pollinating season. Studies of recent years have shown milder winters nationwide, which meant tree pollen and spring allergies have been arriving earlier than usual. Many allergy and immunology experts think that allergies in general are increasing throughout the westernized world. They believe that global warming and CO2 levels in the air, pollen seasons are lengthened and more severe.

Despite the earlier allergy season that is now upon us, there are things we allergy sufferers can to do make our spring season happier and our allergy season tolerable.

Stock up. If you know you suffer from spring allergies, you may want to arm yourself with the antihistamine or nasal spray that works best for you. Common over-the-counter allergy pills are Allegra, Zyrtec and Claritin. Zyrtec may make you drowsy, so use only at bedtime. Allegra and Claritin are not sedating, and can be used throughout the day. Claritin, Allegra, and Zyrtec are recommended over Benadryl as an antihistamine because they seem to be more effective, with fewer side effects.

If an over-the counter antihistamine is not enough, try adding a nasal spray like Rhinocort, Nasacort, or Flonase, all of which provide great relief throughout the day. The nasal sprays help itchy, watery eyes, headaches, and sinus congestion. My children and I cannot get through the spring season without our Nasacort!

Because the early days of spring allergy season can be very difficult for people with asthma, it may be time to meet with your doctor and begin using any of the prescribed doctor-recommended drugs and sprays before the pollen season gets into full swing and your allergy symptoms begin.

If you're not someone who typically has seasonal allergies but seem to have come down with itchy eyes, clogged ears and a runny nose this year, it may be worth paying a visit to your primary care physician or allergist.

Longtime allergy sufferers who do not experience relief from over-the-counter drugs may want to consider allergy shots or immunotherapy pills, both work the same way and seem to be equally as effective. The pill, however, only works on grass and ragweed pollen allergies.

Schedule your day. Pollen levels are highest in the morning, so if you like to run or exercise outdoors, it may be best to plan that activity for the early evening. Educate yourself about pollen counts in your area by looking online or watching your local weather forecast. Try not to spend a lot of time outside when pollen counts are at a high. Avoid outside exercise on high pollen count days. If you must spend time outdoors, choose the afternoon if possible. During the warmer months, pollen counts tend to be highest between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Pollen counts tend to be the lowest right after heavy rains.Avoiding pollens completely is very hard to do because tree pollen can be blown as far as fifty miles away.

Keep pollen outdoors as much as you can. Before heading indoors, remove all outer clothing such as jackets, hats and shoes at the door, so you don't track pollen into your living room and bedroom. People with severe pollen allergies may want to consider showering before getting into bed to remove pollen. Avoid hanging garments outside to air dry.

Wash your hands! Washing your hands often will keep pollen and germs at bay. Avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, in case your hands have pollen residue on them.

If possible, stay inside. Avoid the outdoor pollen by staying inside as much as you can, or at least when the pollen count is at its peak for the day.

If you are lucky enough to only have a tree pollen allergy, your symptoms should start to subside by June. However, June is when grass pollen allergies usually begin, then comes mold and spores in July. The end of summer mostly brings ragweed allergies.

Remember, allergies left untreated can lead to more serious health issues, like allergic rhinitis, asthma, or chronic sinus infections. Take care of your allergies and your health!

Want more info? Check out this infographic (our #1 re-pin right now - go figure!) on Pinterest!