Shampoo is not just for carpets.

The same deep cleaning that carpets receive when you shampoo them can also be applied to your furniture. Instead of replacing your furniture when they start to look worn with stubborn stains try renting a carpet shampooer and rubbing down your furniture. Here’s an instructional video for a common carpet shampoo machine.

Make sure you rent a machine with the upholstery cleaning option. At about 1 minute and 37 seconds into the video you can see the switches to change the shampoo mode the machine will operate in. At the 4 minute mark in the video it will show you how to use the upholstery attachment on the cleaner.

For spot cleaning, these cans of Blue Magic are great for common accidents and spills. You can use this in between renting a commercial carpet cleaner.

 If you’re a fan of owning instead of renting the Bissel Little Green PROheat is an economical and compact cleaner. This cleaner is good for large house holds or just stain prone people but if you’re looking for something that can handle commercial applications you may want to upgrade from this model.

Mary Moppins: Candle Burning Precautions

In our search for earth friendly cleaning we discovered Mary Moppins, a former house cleaner turned inventor.

We’re reposting this article from her blog here because of our friends who love using scented candles in their homes. Hope you find these tips useful!

Candle Burning Precautions:

NEVER burn a candle near flammable material. They do not belong on window sills, next to walls or near lamps or furniture. Here are a few tips for safe handling:

1) Place all candles, burning or not, on a glass plate. Wax sweats even if it is not being burned and will leave un-removable color stains on furniture.
2) Never move a lit candle or one that has been blown out. Heat sets a stain and the color from hot wax is permanent.
3) Look for candles without lead wicks and made from soy. Soy candles emit less smoke and therefore fewer toxins into the air.
4) People love scented candles. Only the scents could be causing lung and breathing issues as well as allergic reactions. Burn unscented candles and instead simmer a pot of cinnamon sticks, cloves or other fresh herbs on the stove. Or place cinnamon sticks in small bud vases around a room.
5) Avoid the scented air fresheners as well. They numb your sinuses so you can’t smell odors, the fragrances are often toxic adding to indoor air pollution and the chemicals in them can cause polyps and sinus infections. Plug-ins and the fresheners that go off when you walk past them are even worse.

How to remove candle wax from carpet:
1) Scrape off what you can with a blunt knife.
2) Grab a hair dryer and several white paper towel – never use a printed paper towel
3) Turn the heat on the hair dryer to medium high and beging heating the wax.
4) As the wax softens, dab it with the paper towel.
5) Continue heating the wax and blotting until all the wax has been removed. If the candle was colored, the heat from the wax has set the color and is nearly impossible to remove.

Battle of the house hold cleaners. What do you use?

Gizmodo has a new article out “Homebrew Cleaners vs Corporate Chemicals: Who Wins?” that pits different DIY home cleaner recipes to their store bought equivalents. They tested the following combinations:

• Dish soap and baking soda vs. Multi-surface cleaner
• 1:1 ratio of olive oil and vinegar vs. Wood polish spray
• 1 part Rubbing Alcohol, 1 part white Vinegar and 2 parts Water vs. Glass Cleaner
• One cup vinegar in One gallon of water vs. Wood floor polish

We won’t spoil the results, can check them out here on this link. We will offer you information on a middle ground between these two extremes. Here’s a list of products that are green and readily available online or in stores.

Sierra Natural Cleaners have enough products to stock a janitorial closet. They even have non chlorine whiteners and all natural air fresheners.

Mrs. Meyer’s makes cleaning products from natural essential oils. They also have a lot of fun scents like geranium and baby blossom.

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap is a bit of a legend and even an urban legend. You may have seen this soap with the wrap around message across the label but did you know they now make a lot more products?

Bonus link: Check out someone’s test of the different uses of Dr. Bronner’s soap here.

Are you drinking 4 bottles of water a day?

We all know that we are supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day and most of us prefer bottled water over tap. A typical glass of water contains eight ounces, so ideally we should each consume 64 ounces per day which is equivalent to four bottles of water.
In 2007 only about 14% of water bottles were recycled. If every person in the United States had received their daily recommended amount of water from bottles that year, over a billion water bottles would have been tossed in the trash per day.

Bottled water is packaged in polyethylene terephthalate plastic, which emits harmful toxins such into our air and water during production. A single water bottle in a landfill can take as long as 1,000 years to biodegrade, meaning that all the plastic of every water bottle ever produced is still in the environment. In 2006, it took 17 million barrels of oil to produce water bottles that year; that amount of oil is enough to power over a million cars for a year.

Recycling is a great, simple solution to the high number of bottles in landfills.  Recycling a ton of plastic water bottles saves about 3.8 barrels of petroleum that would otherwise be needed to manufacture the plastic. It would also save the energy equivalent of over 300 gallons of gas. Recycling plastics and other solid waste saves enough emissions to equate taking 33 million cars off of our highways. When a single bottle is recycled, the energy saved would be enough to power a 60-watt light bulb for six hours.

The best solution to the threat water bottles pose to the environment is to reduce the use of plastic water bottles altogether. There are some great reusable options on the market right now that are cost effective and safe for both the environment and our health.

Polycarbonate bottles are durable yet lightweight plastic bottles. . It has been shown that some polycarbonate compounds can leach a synthetic hormone, bisphenol-A (BPA), so be should to check that your bottles is BPA-free.

Aluminum bottles are also very durable and keep beverages cooler for longer periods of time. Stainless steel bottles are nearly indestructible and have no risks of leaching.

Filtering water bottles are becoming very popular. These are typically plastic and have filters built-in so you can fill it up anywhere and know that the water you’re ingesting has been purified.

What You Should Know About Bed Bugs

Bed bugs have been stirring up quite the controversy within the last year, and their

presence is unfortunately more copious than any of us are comfortable with. Hotel

guests are taking precautions to not take any unwanted souvenirs with them, and home

owners are getting paranoid with each surfaced bite. It is important that we all know how

to properly prevent, identify and exterminate these pesky pests.

Bed bugs are small non-flying insects about the size of ticks. They are reddish brown in

color and thrive off of human and animal blood. Bed bugs can hide in all areas of the

home and tend to reside in cracks and other hidden places such as inside box springs,

behind picture frames and even in popcorn-style ceilings. They earn their names by

concentrating in areas where people sleep and feasting on their blood as they sleep.

The face, neck, hands and arms are common feeding spots of bed bugs. The most

common sign of their bites are small bumps that are sometimes red, swollen and itchy,

much like mosquito bites. A distinguishing factor of bed bug bites is that they are often

lined up in a row. Bed bugs tend to leave dark fecal spots on bedsheets, which is also a

great indicator.

The removal of bed bugs can be a difficult process and usually requires the help of a

professional. For extermination, pest-control experts use sprays, dusts and aerosol

insecticidies, which must be applied in all areas where the bugs can hide. Mattresses

sometimes need to be disinfected or discarded. Mattress, pillow and box spring

encasements can be used trap the bugs with no way of escaping.

Prevention tactics are recommended for all home owners and hotel guests and are

worth not ever having to go through the grueling process of getting rid of bed bugs. In

the mornings open the windows and throw back the sheets because bed bugs do not

like light or fresh air. Change your sheets weekly and wash them immediately using the

hottest water and heat settings. After checking in to a hotel, examine the room for signs

of bed bugs by checking the sheets for stains and lifting the furniture to check hiding

places. Keep all luggage or personal items elevated on racks aways from carpets and

beds. Examine all personal belongings before checking out to ensure you wonʼt bring

any pests into your home.

What you need to know about the radiation leaking from Japan and the effects it can have.

In the wake of the tsunami and 9.0 magnitude earthquake, the fourth largest earthquake in the world since 1990 and the largest ever recorded in Japan, thousands are left dead, over 500,000 are recovering and people all around the world are fearing the release of radiation from four nuclear reactors in Japan.

Those who reside in the 19-mile radius around the leaking plants at Fukushima have been advised to wear masks and stay indoors; however it has been reported that the slightly elevated radiation levels are too small to threaten the community. About 100 times the normal levels of radiation were detected;however, this is still far from being fatal and would only pose a threat after a long period of exposure.

The two main threats of radiation exposure are the release of reactive iodine that can cause thyroid cancer and the release of cesium that is absorbed by the environment and human bodies, staying in organs and tissue. Cesium would be more of a threat on a broader scale because it can travel further being carried by rain and wind and accumulating in vegetation.

Two major groups are most at risk of radiation sickness: the cleanup workers at the nuclear reactor plants and the general Japanese population. Those under 18 are at a higher risk because their body cells
divide more actively.

Thankfully, there is little need to panic thus far. Only a small amount of cesium has been released because the reactors at Fukushima have containment vessels to minimize this dangerous type of radioactive material. Experts have said that for now, America is in the clear. If the states were to be affected, radiation could be detected in California but it’s certain that it would not be dangerous.

At this moment, there is little cause for concern of radiation exposure in America. If a change in this state occurs, it is important to be informed of the serious symptoms linked to radiation sickness. Nausea and vomiting are the earliest symptoms; these symptoms worsen with higher exposure of radiation. Radiation depletes blood platelets, so any spontaneous bleeding is a major concern. Skin that has been
exposed to radiation often has the appearance of a sunburn which may blister or develop open sores. Radiation damages hair follicles and those who received a big dose of radiation lose their hair two to three weeks later. The risks of bacterial, viral and fungal infections become heightened due to the reduction of white cells in the body as a result of radiation symptoms. Hair loss, severe fatigue, fainting,
and mouth ulcers are also serious signs of poisoning.

Anyone at risk should take potassium iodide at a protective measure. This would cause the thyroid glands to use the potassium iodide rather than the reactive iodide.

Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning is good for your home, health and overall well-being! Check out these tips for the deep annual clean.

The first step of spring cleaning is to make a checklist and a schedule of what to clean and when. Try to include the areas of your house that don’t usually get attention like ceiling fans, lamp shades, the space behind your fridge, etc.

Recruit family members to tackle the tough jobs like cleaning out the garage and landscaping the yards. Competition always makes everything more fun, so divide up in teams and see who finishes their chores first! Listening to music is always a great motivator too.

Take pride in your hard work! A clean home is a happier, healthier home and well worth the work. This article from MedicineNet.com lists the benefits a good spring cleaning can have on your health. Here are some of tips we found most helpful:
Thoroughly dust your home and clean air filters, ducts and vents to decrease your family’s exposure to allergens.
Remove toxic trash from your home, this includes old and/or expired cleaning products, paint cans, and batteries. Remember to properly dispose of these items at hazardous waste centers!
Clean mold and mildew from damp areas with non-toxic cleaners.
Also remember to donate any items you no longer need and recycle everything that you can.

After you finish reward yourself with some new green décor, like these eco-friendly accessories from Pottery Barn!

And of course, have us here at Total Home Cleaning come by regularly to maintain your clean home!