Category: Healthy Home

Every home contains enough allergens able to trigger a reaction in an allergy sufferer.  Household dust can appear in the cleanest home, resulting in year round allergies to the indoor air. 

Indoor allergies impact the lives of millions each year and have the potential to cause chronic health problems ranging from allergies, upper respiratory issues and asthma. However, these allergies can easily be managed by reducing the level of airborne allergens in the home. 

Dust consists of microscopic particles found in both indoor and outdoor environments. Typically, house dust allergies are triggered by common allergens such as pollen, dust mites, cockroach waste, pet dander and mold. Symptoms of a house dust allergy include sneezing, runny, itchy or watery eyes, nasal congestion and a runny nose.

Vacuum Cleaners.  Cleaning the surfaces in the home may not be enough to remove allergens and prevent their recirculation back into the indoor air. An essential tool for household cleaning is a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) vacuum. HEPA filters are designed to trap small particles such as allergens and prevent their recirculation – while traditional vacuums put allergens back into the indoor air triggering house dust allergies. 

Carpeting.  Carpets easily trap airborne particles and allergens such as pollen, dust mites and pet dander. Reducing trapped allergens and house dust requires:

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about you and your family.  For more information on healthy green cleaning and green living, please log on to greencleancertified.com and maidbrigade.com.  For more information on "Household Cleaning Products and Breast Cancer", please watch our video at greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Did you know that ...

...the burning of petrol, diesel, coal and gas to generate electricity and power produces heat trapping gases that cause global warming?

...that cutting and blazing innumerable trees each year is responsible for 20-25 percent of all carbon emissions?  We are cutting rainforests at the rate of 100 acres per minute.

...about 20 species of plants and animals become extinct every week?

...30% of the water used in most homes is flushed down the toilet?

...plastic waste thrown into the river or sea kills close to one million water creatures yearly?

...a laptop consumes five times less electricity vs a desktop?

...pesticides are causing irreparable diseases?

...tissue paper consumes 60 millions trees yearly?

...slow moving traffic contributes eight times more air pollution as compared to traffic moving at regular speed?    

... a dripping faucet consumes over 20,000 Liters of water in a year?

Going green means changing the way we live small steps at a time:

~ Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth and soaping your hands. This can save 11,000 litres of water per person per year.

~ Energy-saving light bulbs last around ten times longer than ordinary light bulbs.

~ A plant on your desk would act as a natural filter, absorbing pollutants & computer radiation while replenishing oxygen levels.

~ Walk for shorter distances instead of using car or scooter.

~ Try and switch to organic crops.

~ Minimize consumption of plastic bags and bottles.

~ Recycle paper, gifts, wraps and bags.

~ Switch off lights when not in use and don’t leave equipment in sleep mode.

For more information on healthy green cleaning and green living, please log on to greencleancertified.com and maidbrigade.com.  For more information on "Household Cleaning Products and Breast Cancer", please watch our video at greencleancertified.com/greentv.

 "Going green" does not have to mean expensive investments like solar panels, sustainable wood flooring, and nontoxic paints. Experts say that simple changes in your everyday life are all it takes to make your home a healthier, safer, greener place to be.

To help you get started, here are some environmentally friendly living for tips on how you can turn your home sweet home into home green home.

Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs.  These bulbs use just a quarter of the electricity of regular incandescent bulbs. Plus, they last up to ten times longer.

Turn off the lights.  You can even install movement sensors in your home so lights only activate when needed. Another way to save energy is to install automatic timers for lights frequently left on in empty rooms.

Set cooling and heating temperatures correctly.  Your refrigerator and freezer are probably the biggest electrical energy consumers in your house. Take steps to make sure they are not working harder than necessary. Refrigerators can be set around 37 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezers set at minus 3 keep things nice and frosty. Be sure to close the fridge and freezer doors. Leaving them open for just a few extra seconds wastes a lot of energy.

Get an electronic thermostat so your furnace heats your home to a lower temperature.  In the winter, set your thermostat at 68 degrees in the day and 55 degrees at night. In the summer, keep it at 78. Water heaters work most efficiently between 120 and 140 degrees.

Learn to unplug.  Electronic appliances, including TVs, computers, and CD players, can consume almost as much energy when in standby mode as they do during the amount of time they are being used.

Use appliances efficiently.  Wait for a full load before turning on the washing machine, dryer, or dishwasher. Clear the lint filter after every dryer load and air-dry clothes when weather allows. Use the air-dry function on your dishwasher. Preheat your oven only when necessary.

Let the sun shine.  The cheapest and most environmentally sound heat and light source is the sun.  Open blinds, drapes, and shutters to let solar energy warm and brighten your home naturally.

Fix leaks.  Plug, insulate, replace, repair, caulk, or seal to make your home as leak-proof as possible. This will also lower your utility bills.    

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. For more information on "Household Cleaning Products and Breast Cancer", please watch our video at greencleancertified.com/greentv.

A new study published in the September 2010 issue of Pediatrics found the careless use of toxic household cleaning products continues to poison over 11,000 young children each year.

The study also emphasized that nearly half of the poisonings resulted from spray bottle cleaning products and remained high noting that bleach continues to be the product most often associated with accidental poisoning.

Although this new study serves as a reminder that it is important to securely store cleaning products out of the reach of small children, it fails to encourage the use of safer, “green” household cleaning alternatives. Even with the most conscientious parents, accidents can still happen. These accidental poisonings are less likely to occur if household cleaners are non-toxic to begin with.

Because manufacturers realize there are more and more health conscientious consumers who want to protect themselves and their children’s health by using safer, non-toxic cleaning products, they have developed a clever marketing plan aimed at influencing the purchasing public.
This deceptive advertizing concept is known as “green washing.” There are many products that claim to be non-toxic or use the word “green” on their label and in their promotional materials but are not really green at all. Green washing has become a successful ploy designed to make busy consumers think they are purchasing an environmentally safe, non-toxic cleaner.  But when you actually examine the ingredients and warnings on some of these so-called “green” cleaners, you soon realize the products are anything but “green.”

Consumers should be cautious when they see words like “eco” or “environmentally friendly” and “non-toxic” on labels because there are no standards for these terms when it comes to conventional household cleaners.

Always read the warning labels and examine the ingredients and be wary of products that don’t disclose their full ingredient list. If there are products known to contain possible carcinogens, neurotoxins or endocrine disrupting chemicals in them, they are not “non-toxic” or “green.”

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.  For more information on "Household Cleaning Products and Breast Cancer", please watch our video at greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Save electricity by using organic beeswax candles instead of turning on extra lights. Although they won't be powerful enough to light an entire room, use them to create atmosphere on the patio or illuminate the powder room, for example.

Serve snacks created with organic foods like locally grown vegetables. Instead of imported cheese, opt for domestic artisan cheeses. If you're using convenience foods, organic frozen quiches and dips are also available in regular grocery stores. You can even find organic wines and other drinks to toast after the ball drops in Times Square.