Spring Cleaning With Nontoxic Cleaners
Spring cleaning goes beyond normal everyday cleaning. It's a major project of home revitalization: to make everything new by removing dust and dirt, to make sure everything is in good repair, and to put things in order, so that you will have everything in your household in working condition for the coming year. Here are some tasks that are traditionally included in a major spring cleaning:
- Put away winter clothes and take out spring and summer clothing.
- Sweep and vacuum floors, walls, and corners.
- Wash floors and carpets?
- Clean window panes, sills, and frames. Replace thick winter curtains that keep heat in with light summer curtains that allow breezes through.
Remove storm windows, hang up screens.
- Brush or vacuum stuffed furniture and remove spots.
- Wash every surface in every room that has accumulated dust or grime.
Cleaning products are the only household products regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission under the 1960 Federal Hazardous Substances Labeling Act, which requires products that contain hazardous chemicals to carry warning labels. In general, it is best to avoid using products that say "Danger," "Poison," or "Warning," on the label. Many safer products carry the "Caution" label, even though they are acceptable to use. Fortunately, the least toxic products voluntarily disclose their complete ingredients on the label, so you can determine for yourself the safety of the product. There are even cleaning products now made with organically-grown ingredients.
Nontoxic cleaning actually requires very few specialized ingredients. I do all of my cleaning with a squirt bottle of fifty-fifty distilled white vinegar and water, liquid soap, and baking soda. For laundry I use a natural soap powder and chlorine-free oxygen bleach. Other substances I have on hand for occasional cleaning needs are salt, lemon juice, borax, and chlorine-free Bon Ami scouring powder. SIMPLIFY YOUR CLEANING While scrubbing away at your spring cleaning, there are two things you can resolve to do in the coming year that will make cleaning easier.
These will also reduce the amount of cleaning products you use, saving resources and money. But the most important thing to me is that they save time and reduce the amount of cleaning needed. First, I incorporate preventive maintenance. I put a cookie sheet on the rack under a casserole that is likely to spill over, for example, which pre-empts the need to scour baked on food from the oven. If the casserole spills, the cookie sheet can be effortlessly soaked clean in a few inches of water in the kitchen sink.
I also keep in mind the adage "A stitch in time saves nine," which means if you take that first stitch to fix the tear before it gets bigger, you'll save having to make nine stitches later. In cleaning, this translates to wiping up the spill when it happens, cleaning surfaces before they are caked with dust and grease, just cleaning as you go while there's not much to clean. It's only when we don't clean that we may need harsh chemicals to tackle what would have been an easy job earlier. "Clean your room well," say the Shakers, "for good spirits will not live where there is dirt." Find nontoxic, natural and earthwise cleaning products at http://www.debraslist.com/cleaning..
Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a consumer advocate for products and lifestyle choices that are better for health and the environment since 1982. Visit her website for 100s of links to 1000s of nontoxic, natural and earthwise products, and to sign up for her free email newsletters. http://www.dld123.com Copyright 2005 Debra Lynn Dadddebra@dld123.com?VERIUNI? - earth- and family-safe cleaning products.
Also part of our new Veriuni line is our Veriuni Cleaning Products. Using all-natural ingredients for the ultimate in consumer safety and environmental health, VERIUNI delivers unparalleled cleaning power while eliminating dangerous side effects from the toxins found in many major cleaner brands. The Veriuni cleaning line is manufactured for SFI by The Clean Environment Company. The Clean Environment Company's cleaning products are used EXCLUSIVELY by the EPA at Yellowstone, Grant Teton, Yosemite, and other U.S. national parks.
The EPA tested numerous cleaning products. Those produced by The Clean Environment Company were ultimately selected as being the most effective cleaners and the safest to the people using them and to the environment.These are POWERFUL endorsements, and now these same wonderful products are available to you, your family, friends, and customers through SFI....AND COMING SOON:Veriuni All-Natural Hair & Body Shampoo Veriuni Gourmet Coffee-- For more information,...
?VERIUNI? - earth- and family-safe cleaning products.
Vacuum cleaners > ?VERIUNI? - earth- and family-safe cleaning products.
Getting Stains Out of Your New Rug
Most of us have stained a carpet at one time or another. Food, juice, paint, kids, pets--these are just a few of the hazards that beset many poor carpets. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to combat and remove tough stains.
Be sure to test an unseen corner of your carpet before trying any of the following solutions to make sure that the solution works for your carpet and doesn't hurt the color or fabric. Here are a few of the most common stains and ideas for removing them:
Blood
Water, ammonia, and dish detergent:
1) Blot with a white paper towel to remove as much of the blood stain that you can and
neutralize by spraying the stain with a solution of 1/2 cup cool water and 1 Tbsp.
of
clear ammonia, making sure not to wet the backing.
2) Blot with a white paper towel to remove excess moisture
3) Mix 1 qt. cool water and 1/4 tsp. of dish detergent, like Dawn or Joy, that doesn't contain...
Vacuum cleaners > Getting Stains Out of Your New Rug
Panasonic Vacuum Cleaners ? Advanced Technological Cleaning Power!
Panasonic vacuum cleaners might suffer somewhat from the popularity of the company's electronic devices besides vacuum cleaners, such as TVs and other entertainment equipment, but those in the know understand that Panasonic vacuum cleaners offer a great vacuum clean at a reasonable price. With a great selection of both Panasonic upright vacuum cleaners and canister models, this is a vacuum brand that is unlikely to disappoint.
Fitted with the same range of technological features found on their other electronic products, Panasonic vacuum cleaners offer what is arguably the best range of technological tools available in today's vacuum market. With features such as dirt sensors and automatic adjustment when you vacuum certain surfaces, Panasonic vacuum cleaners display the technological prowess that the company is famous for.
Panasonic vacuum cleaners have a style of cleaner to suit almost every household's needs.
With powerful suction as a uniform...
Panasonic Vacuum Cleaners ? Advanced Technological Cleaning Power!
Vacuum cleaners > Panasonic Vacuum Cleaners ? Advanced Technological Cleaning Power!
Exercise Resistant Fat Removed with Liposuction
Liposuction works best with people who are a normal weight but have localized areas of excess fat. These spots are usually found in the buttocks, hips, thighs, chin, knees, love handles, or along waistline. The abdomen continues to be the number one area treated by liposuction.Liposuction removes areas of fat using thin suction tubes. Small incisions are made and these tubes are placed into your body fat. The tube attaches to a vacuum and the excess fat is drawn out of your body.
The length of the procedure depends on the amount of fat being removed and the way your body responds to the treatment.It is important to remember that liposuction is not intended as a weight-loss technique. Liposuction is a procedure...
Exercise Resistant Fat Removed with Liposuction
Vacuum cleaners > Exercise Resistant Fat Removed with Liposuction