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Some of the products that are used to clean the home can actually do more harm than good. 

Many all-purpose cleaners contain ammonia, which can cause rashes or burns when splashed on the skin.  Its fumes can also cause eye and lung irritation.  Mixing ammonia with another product (like bleach) will create toxic chloramine gas (perdue.edu). 

Safer alternatives to ammonia and bleach-based cleaners work just as well:

September weather is upon us.  Get ready for the sneezes, sniffles, asthma, and a variety of germs that follow, especially if you have children!

It is well-known that diseases and infections enter the body through mucus membranes on the face, and according to Dr. Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona, children touch their ears, nose, mouth and eyes more than 20 times an hour, which is why there is no time than the present to clean and disinfect.

According to Dr. Edelman, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association, the back-to-school months of September and October are when asthma attack rates and related hospitalizations are at the highest for children.  Children with asthma and their caregivers must take extra precaution to prevent asthma episodes during the autumn months.  As part of this plan, parents should try to minimize dust and other airborne particles around the home that may trigger allergies and asthma.

Routine cleaning with soap and water is the most useful method for removing germs from surfaces.  Some items and surfaces should receive an additional step, disinfection, to kill germs after cleaning with soap and rinsing with clear water.  Disinfecting works by oxidizing  the germs and breaking down their cell walls, or otherwise, deactivating them.  Proper disinfection provides an additional safeguard for areas where people come into contact with contaminated surfaces.

Disinfectants are supposed to make the world safer by killing germs on commonly used surfaces.  However, continued and repeat exposure to toxic disinfectants can cause health problems.  Products that contain chlorine can cause eye and skin irritation.  Extended exposure can cause respiratory irritation and distress.  The effects can be increased if chlorine is mixed with other cleaners.  Other disinfectant chemicals like ammonia can burn the skin and cause blindness if it gets into the eyes.

Natural disinfectants can be just as effective as chemical disinfectants and are safer for the environment.  Natural disinfectant alternatives are also safer for use around pets and children as the ingredients are all derived from natural ingredients.

If you want to disinfect your home but don't want to subject your family to toxic chemicals, try these two homemade recipes:

(1) Combine two tablespoons of borax, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 2 cups water in a spray bottle.  Cover bottle and shake until the borax is dissolved.  Add twenty drops of either tea tree oil or thyme essential oil.  Shake again and spray.

(2) Mix 2 cups white distilled vinegar with three drops tea tree, thyme, or eucalyptus essential oil.  Spray.  When making homemade cleaning products, please make sure to label the bottles.

Preventing cross contamination and properly disinfecting surfaces goes a long way in keeping homes and families healthy.  Cleaning your home with nontoxic natural homemade green cleaners will save you money, plus they are better for your family and the environment.

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 greencleancedrtified.com/greentv.  To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in your home, log on to greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Have you gone green yet?  More and more families are green cleaning these days because it is healthier, cheaper, and ir is better for the environment.

Keep your cleaning bucket stocked with these items:

--A plant-based liquid soap like castile soap (a safer alternative to petroleum-based soap).
--Distilled white vinegar (kills germs; brightens whites).
--Baking soda (deodorizer; oil and grease cleaner).
--Salt (removes garlic and onion scents; removes burnt food off of pan).
--Essential oils such as lavender, clove, and tea tree oil (Use one teaspoon of essential oil to 2 cups of water in a spray bottle.

Hydrogen Peroxide and Mold:

Hydrogen peroxide is an anti-fungal, an anti-viral, an anti-bacterial, and it can kill mold.  Hydrogen peroxide is a good alternative to chlorine bleach because it is safe to use and it doesn't harm the environment.  It also doesn't leave behind toxic residue or produce toxic fumes like chlorine bleach does.  Hydrogen peroxide is also inexpensive to buy.

Hydrogen peroxide kills mold effectively on many materials such as clothes, floors, bathrooms fixtures, walls and certain items such as kitchen appliances.  Since hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent, it can also help fade the stain that mold leaves behind.  Always remember to spot test hydrogen peroxide on the material before cleaning to make sure it won't fade the material colors.

Recipe for Killing Mold with Hydrogen Peroxide:

1. Pour 3% concentration of hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle.
2. Spray the moldy surface so that the moldy areas are saturated with hydrogen peroxide.
3. Wait about 10 minutes, then scrub the area making sure to remove all the mold and mold stains.
4. Wipe the surface down to remove residual mold and spores.

Vinegar can also be used with hydrogen peroxide during the cleaning to remove the mold more effectively.

Remember to store the spray bottle in a dark place since light diminishes hydrogen peroxide's effectiveness.

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

To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in the home, log on to  greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Did you know that chemical sprays used for cleaning could actually trigger asthma and allergies in adults?  

According to a study of more than 3,000 adults who did not have asthma when the study began, using cleaning sprays more than once a week can trigger asthmatic attacks, and the risk of asthma increased as the use of sprays increased.  

Sprays that could lead to asthma and allergies include glass cleaners, furniture cleaners, and air fresheners, the researchers reported in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Previous studies have shown that people whose work exposes them daily to cleaning products, especially spray degreasers, bleach solutions, and air fresheners, are more likely to have asthma or the kinds of respiratory systems, such as coughing and wheezing, that people associate with allergies.  Women who already have some type of lung infection or illness are at increased risk from spray cleaning products.  

Cleaning with homemade natural ingredients, like vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and washing soda, is a healthier way to keep your home shining!

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

To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in the home, log on to  greencleancertified.com/greentv.