Freight Increases

     My best wishes that the New Year bring you bounty and much happiness. Just a heads up that freight charges are being raised substantially by UPS starting Jan 1, 2011. I am going to wait until Jan 5th before I raise my rates to give you time to place your order. They will go up $1.50 this time. Also my product costs will increase mid January as well. Some will see a substantial increase. So you may want to place an order to beat the freight and price increases.

Happy New Year, Mary Findley

How to Take Wax out of Carpet

In spite of my best efforts to warn people of the dangers of burning candles, I receive a dozen or more emails each year asking how to remove candle wax from carpet. With the holidays quickly approaching let's go over some important points to prevent accidental fires and candle wax from attacking the carpet.

First here are a few 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.

This article may only be rewritten giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. Copyright @ 2010 All rights reserved worldwide

A List of Holiday Cleaning Tips

 

     During the Holidays people love cleaning shortcuts, how- to tips and safety information. Since I've written past articles around holiday cleaning here is a list of my favorites going back to 2006 through 2008. Yes 2009 is not included. I was home transfering my father to a nursing home for Alzeheimers and caring for my mother who has cancer. The prior years contain dozens of excellent tips. Look to the right, click on the year then the month.  

 

November 11, 2008   Prevent Winter House Fires. Very important to read.

 

December 03, 2008  Safety Cautions for the Holidays from Underwriters Laboratories. Please make certain you read this article.  

 

December 07, 2008 through Dec 17^th. Ten Days of Christmas Cleaning. A simple cleaning schedule for the holidays.  

 

November 11, 2008 Prevent winter house fires – Another article that could save your home from fire.  

 

December 21, 2007 Last Minute Holiday checklist – handy review

 

December 14, 2007 Six Cautions for the Holiday Season – more tips to protect your home from hazards

 

December 13, 2007  Five Easy Cleaning Stress Relief Tricks for the Holidays.

 

Nov 26, 2006 Holiday Cleaning Tips – Handy tips for holiday disasters including how to remove red wine and punch stains.  

 

May your Holidays be filled with great cheer, joy and blessings from Creator. Joy to you for the New Year.

Mary Findley

 

 This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com.  Copyright @2010 All rights reserved worldwide

Ten Tips for a Green Holiday 

 

     My stomach turns into knots every year as I take my nightly walk on trash day just after Christmas. Trash cans overflow with non-recyclable plastics from toys and games while piles of cardboard line the streets. A week later Christmas trees are dumped along roads or in parks by people who pay $40 for the tree and refuse to pay $5 to properly dispose of them.  

 

     Let's take a look at easy, affordable if not free ways to reduce carbon footprints and have a very merry and green holiday season.  

 

1) Rather than buy name tags to put on packages, cut a small piece of wrapping paper instead. Close to a billion presents will be given this year. Eliminating that many tags reduces natural resources, energy to manufacture them and fuel consumed to get them to market.

 

2) Packages decorated with yards of ribbons and bows are pretty but they add to landfill waste and consume energy and fuel for manufacturing. This year go green and get playful instead. Children love being outdoors and feeding the birds. Decorate their package with a soot ball they can hang from a tree rather than a bow they yank off the box and toss in the trash. Is there a chocolate lover in the house? Tape a bar on the package and write the recipients name on the bar. Craft persons, wood workers, fishermen or hunters always need new supplies or the latest gadget and those items make a delightful and appreciated addition to a package. Small books are a thoughtful box topper.  Children love finger puppets so add a few to their box.  A recipe for your favorite dish is always enjoyed or perhaps an individual packet of hot chocolate or tea bag. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

 

3) Speaking of wrapping paper, young children love reading the funny pages and it doesn't matter to them if they have read them before. The funnies are colorful and the kids can read them as they sit under the tree. Even better, wrap their gift with art paper or coloring book pages and color their gift together. The Christmas my son turned 15, I wrapped his gifts with maps of various cities around our area. One requisite to his getting his driver's license the next year was he had to learn to read and follow a map.

 

4) When placing a phone order or an online order, tell the shipper to put your packing slip inside the box and not in the usual envelope they stick on the outside of the box. Those package envelopes are a huge waste of paper and resources and are not necessary. Remember to think large scope. If 300,000 boxes are shipped in the next two weeks, the reduction of paper is tremendous. Make this a year round habit.  

 

5) Put together a list of things needed for dinners, entertaining etc. and combine trips rather than make last minute darts to the store. Those extra trips consume thousands of gallons of fuel. Then keep up the practice all year.  

 

6) Just because tradition calls for putting up Christmas lights up during Thanksgiving does not mean they need to be turned on. Wait until the 15th of December to start turning on the lights. Then plug them into a timer that shuts off at 10 PM. The energy savings is tremendous.  

 

7) Opt for an artificial tree this year rather than a real tree. Goodwill and other thrift stores carry them and I've seen really nice trees for excellent prices in these stores. Thousands of gallons of fuel are consumed transporting trees to their destinations. Yes artificial trees require natural resources for manufacturing but it is a one time proposition. If you prefer a regular tree cut your own at a local tree farm. Buying local is good for the local economy and good for Mother Earth.  

 

8) This is not just for the holiday. Turn the heat down one or two degrees at night and 10 degrees if you are gone for even half the day. Then set the thermostate to turn up the heat a half hour before you arise or return home.  

 

9) Buy gifts from local craftspeople or local companies. These gifts usually don't come encased in plastic bubble packaging with a ton of cardboard surrounding it. Did I mention the benefits to buying local? 

 

10) This year give yourself a gift of a vegetable garden. It's the healthiest thing you can do for you and your family. If you don't have yard space, large hanging baskets make  excellent containers for salad fixings. Water them daily and feed them once a week.  Planter boxes are great for carrots, beets, onions, garlic, herbs and other small veggies. You will feel better and save a bundle of money at the grocery store. What better way to reduce carbon footprints than to grow your own food. Be careful - it's addictive!

 

This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website www.goclean.com. Copyright @2010. All rights reserved worldwide

Reduce your Heating Bill

 

     Each year heating bills generally increase as the temperatures decrease at the start of winter. Articles start appearing in magazines and newspapers giving tips on how to reduce your heating costs. Most suggest turning down the thermostate, which is a good idea albeit a chilly one. I faithfully did this only found even with layering my clothing, I froze. Last year during one very cold spell I covered my windows and sliding glass door with cardboard because cardboard is a good insulator. It prevented the cold air from drawing my nice warm air outside. The temperature immediately rose in the house and the furnace stopped running non-stop. 

 

     Only you can't see out the windows during the day and taking down and putting up the cardboard every day became a bit much. The hardware stores carry a box of thin plastic sheeting made for going over window frames. It comes with double faced tape that holds the plastic to the windows. The pocket of air created by the additional layer of insulation helps keep warm air inside. It costs around $10 to $12 a box, which insulates 2 large windows. We bought two boxes one for the largest windows and one for the sliding glass door, which had enough left over to do my cold north bedroom window. We turn our heat down 2 degrees, save around $35 a month on heating bills yet we stay warm.  

 

    If you need quick tips for cleaning this holiday season and year round learn to Precision Clean by picking up a copy of my book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Cleaning." My book contains a thorough stain removal guide so keep it handy when entertaining. They are also available at bookstores or on my website www.goclean.com.

 

Keep toasty, Mary Findley

Clean the Bathroom in 15 minutes

 

       With the holiday season quickly approaching and time getting pinched, this is a great time to learn insider tricks to clean your bathroom in 15 minutes. Laura Eckstein, a writer for AOL's Shelter POP, called me last week for an exact time table to clean a bathroom in 15 minutes. Did we have a ball. She has it posted for you to not only enjoy but gleem the fast way to clean a bathroom. Read the article here  http://www.shelterpop.com/2010/10/21/clean-a-bathroom/ then return to my website for more speed cleaning tips for each room of your home. http://www.goclean.com/go-clean.php.

 

This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Moppins and her website at www.goclean.com. All rights reserved worldwide. copyright@2010

Cleaning Windows 

 

     Specific calander dates are helpful when setting up cleaning schedules. Around my home the day the clocks are turned forward an hour in the spring is my reminder to change the Co2 and smoke detector batteries and ceiling lightbulbs. The weekend before Halloween is set aside to clean windows. Everyone loves my speed cleaning tips but hard as I've tried, I just cannot find a fast way to clean windows. I do have a few handy tips to make the job easier using the most unsuspecting tools. 

 

     1) Head to a hardware store for a 1 1/2 inch paint brush, a new empty spray bottle, several sponge paint brushes in various sizes and a dividable tote tray if you don't already have one

     2) Order a Dry Sponge; Benya, an earth friendly, streak free, concentrated window cleaner and Lint Free towels from Mary Moppins or gather your collection of these items

     3) Put a new blade in your window squeegee

     4) Grab several old terry cloth towels out of the rag bag and put them in a plastic bag along with the lint free towels, then grab a spare plastic bag to use as the dirty rag bag. 

    

     First mix the Benya with distilled water in the new spray bottle and put it and the dry sponge, paint brushes and window squeegee in the tote tray. 

NOTE: Due to water quality varying from town to town, distilled water gives consistent results.

 

     *Next use a terry cloth towel over your Mary Moppins mop head or broom and dust the cobwebs around the windows, skylights etc.

     *The day before you you clean the outside of the windows clean the inside windows. Start by placing a terry towel on the window sill to catch drips.

     *Lightly spritz the window with Benya starting at the bottom of the window and spray your way to the top. Begin at the left top of the window and wipe with your lint free towel straight across to the right then back to the left. I do not like using window squeegees inside the home because a window cleaner quickly drips down the window and onto the sill. 

 

     *Never clean outside windows while the sun is shining directly on the window. You can however clean the screens so remove those and clean the windows first.

     *Open the window from the inside and remove the screen. Use the paintbrush to brush away any cobwebs in the window frame and along the bottom of the window. Then dip the sponge paint brush in sudsy water to clean the crevices of the frames. Spray any mold or mildew with hydrogen peroxide or food grade distilled white vinegar. Close the inside window.

     *On the outside, first dust for cobwebs then place an old towel down on the bottom of the window frame. 

     *Spray the window in the same manner as you did the inside window. Only this time use a window squeegee starting at the upper left coming across the top to the right and back to the left continuing to the bottom of the window. Use a lint free towel to wipe any remaining Benya from the window.

     *Finally clean the screens with the dry sponge and replace the screen. Sand the dry sponge with a fine grit sand paper as it soils. The sponge will save you hours of time and gallons of water washing screens. Now sit back, enjoy a cup of coffee and watch the display of colors as trees show off their fall beauty. 

 

This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. Copyright @2010 all rights reserved worldwide.  

Mold and Mildew Smells

 

   A month has slipped past and I'm quite late posting about smells. Between trade shows, four articles and three projects, time got the upper hand on me just like mold and mildew sneaks in under your nose. So what about those moldy smells?

 

     First up: find the cause of the mold. Unless you find the source of the mold, it will only return after treatment. Mold only grows when moisture is available. It may mean crawling under the house, pulling up carpet or even calling in a janitorial remediation team to find the source of the odor, but it must be found. It is just as important to try to determine whether the mold can be self-treated or whether you need the help of professionals.

 

     Some molds are toxic and can cause grave illnesses. If you have been suffering unusual headaches, sinus infections, loss of energy or long term health issues that are out of character or the doctor cannot find a cause for your problems, you may be dealing with a toxic mold. Call your insurance company then a janitorial company who specializes in mold remediation. This is not a do-it-yourself project.

 

     Normally mold can be self-treated. Are there bushes or shrubs next to the outside walls of the home? If so, cut them back as they are holding moisture against the house and causing mold problems. If the cause is from humidity or an over abundance of rain then dehumidifier in each room or a whole house dehumidifies is necessary to prevent the return of the mold once it has been irridicated.

 

     Talk to your local janitorial supply company for organic, human and pet friendly remediation products to treat mold. It will be necessary to pull up affected carpet, treat the flooring, seal it and treat the carpet and the padding or possibly replace it or it may be necessary to crawl under the home. If at any time headaches or any reaction to the mold occurs, get treatment immediately and call a remediation team to finish the job.

 

     If the mold is in a closet, launder all the clothing, remove all boxes, shoes etc and treat them then replace the carpet in the closet with a hard floor surface. It is rare for mold to be growing in the wallboard but it does happen. It is best to call a janitorial company and have them test the wallboard and do the necessary treatments.  

 

This article may only be rewritten giving credit to Mary Findley and her website www.goclean.com. All rights reserved world wide.

 

    

Smelly Drains - Get Rid of the Odors

 

     Smelly Drains - what can be worse than fixing dinner with the odor of last night's fried onions hanging out in the kitchen drain? There are worse odors but drains can definately be offensive whether it be mold in the tub drain or food clinging on the side of your kitchen drains. Let's get a grip on these drain issues.

 

Get rid of Disposal odors: I always keep my used sink brushes for cleaning the disposal. Grab that, a box of baking soda and Mary Moppins CleanEZ. 

 

1) Run the water and disposal to remove any food that might be lingering. 

2) Warning: do not use a lot of baking soda or it could clog the disposal.

3) Dampen the sink brush then pour on just enough baking soda to scrub. Reach down in the disposal with the brush and scrub the inside thoroughly.

4) Pour some diluted CleanEz on the brush and scrub a second time.

5) Run the water to rinse the baking soda then run the disposal a final time.

 

Odors in standard kitchen and bathroom sink drains:

 

1) Turn off the water at the back of the sink and place an empty bucket below the sink under the counter. 

2) Remove the pipe allowing the water to drain into the bucket. While waiting for the water to drain, use a scrub pad to clean the interior of the pipe with baking soda and Mary Moppins CleanEz. CleanEz kills any mold and thoroughly cleans the drains.

3) Use a thin nylon bottle brush and pour a bit of baking soda on it and scrub the pipes as far as the brush will reach.

4) Reattach the pipe fitting and run the water checking for leaks under the sink.

5) Every month before going to bed pour a cup of Nature's Miracle or for my RV or boating friends - use Happy Camper - down the drain. These two products are enzymes that "eat" bacteria and get rid of the rest of the odors.

 

Unclogging tub and shower drains:

 

I've covered this topic in my blog but a repeat is always handy. To prevent drains from clogging, switch soap. Use a a glycern or organic soap. Stay away from antibacterial soaps. They do nothing to destroy germs on your hands and are made from chemicals that have been linked to cancer. Anti-bacterial products are marketing hype geared to make money for the manufacturers. Good ole soap does a fine job of getting rid of germs. Besides if you are going to take ill from a virus on your hands, it has attacked long before you get to any bathroom to wash your hands. 

 

Bar soaps are made from animal fat and lye. Animal fat clogs the drains, leaves soap scum on your shower walls and clogs the pores on your skin. The pores are there to help move air into your body and germs out. When you clog them with soap and lotion you keep your skin from breathing and letting go of the germs antibacterial soaps are supposed to kill. Switch soap and you solve a lot of problems!

 

Baking soda and food grade distilled white vinegar helps unclog these drains. Call a plumber if you suspect tree roots. Otherwise pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain followed by a cup of vinegar. Let that set a good hour or so and rinse with hot water. Pour one cup of Nature's Miracle or a scoop of Happy Camper down all the drains once a month to end your clogged drain issues and the odor problems. These two enzyme products also continue to "eat" debris in the city drains as well so you do the environment a huge favor as well as keep your drains running free.

 

There are articles pointing to the fact that when we urinate in a toilet, any vitamins or medicine that is unused by our bodies gets flushed into the water ways and is making it's way back to us in our water supply. The municipal water systems are not able to flush it out. The enzymes in Nature's Miracle and Happy Camper help eat these products as it finds it's way to the municipal water system. They won't totally solve the problem but they help.

 

Raw veggies and fruit also have enzymes that will help get rid of these excess medicines and vitamins in your body before it hits the toilet. Eat lots of raw foods then stay away from processed foods and you will stay healthy this flu season and the rest of your life. It's far safer and healthier to eat organic fresh fruit and veggies than to take a flu shot or down cold medicine.

 

This article may only be re-printed giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. Copyright@2010 all rights reserved worldwide.

The Cure for Smelly Socks and Shoes 

 

     Sorry guys, but nothing smells worse than the odors of socks or shoes of teenage boys. Okay in all fairness the underarms section of teenage girl's gym shirts comes close. I'm not sure if stinky sneakers and socks pose health issues but finding a cure for smelly household issues will improve air quality and should reduce a few germs. So for the next few blogs, let's cover these smells and ways to eliminate odors. 

 

     Let's start with the sock, shoe and clothing problems. Train your children early on to hang their socks or gym or uniform shirts on the side of the clothes basket after removing them so they can dry. Even easier buy a few of the plastic hooks that go over doors to hang clothes. They fit shower rods and glass shower doors as well and are quick and easy way for the kids to hang their clothes to dry.   

 

     Next buy a spray enzyme product like Nature's Miracle and spray the clothes before hanging them. Enzymes love to "eat" bacteria and will help irradiate these unpleasant atrocities. Launder all sports clothing including socks together. Never launder odorous clothes with other laundry or your other clothes could end up smelling as well. 

 

     Begin filling the washer and add your organic laundry detergent - Bio-Kleen is my favorite - and a cup of food grade distilled white vinegar. Swish that around a bit then add the clothes. Remember never fill a washer past 2/3 full. Clothing must have room to move otherwise the odors will remain and so will the stains. When the tub is filled turn off the machine and let the clothes soak for 5 minutes, then finish laundering. Never dry clothes if you suspect the odor still lingers. Heat permanently sets stains and odors. 

 

     Shoes: Never stuff socks inside shoes. Shoes must dry out or the trapped moisture increases nail fungus and skin disease. Spray the inside of shoes once a week before bed with Nature's Miracle to help control odor. It's always wise to avoid wearing the same pair of shoes two days in a row. They must dry thoroughly to prevent problems nail fungus and skin issues.   

 

     If you have specific odor problems you wish covered, please post a note in the comment section and I'll answer in my next blog.   

 

This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. Copyright @2010 all rights reserved world wide.  

 

More on Cleaning Schedule

 

     Many thanks Foxyenglishcrafter for your story on what happened to your life when you abandoned your cleaning schedule. My thoughts are with you as you re-establish that balance you once knew. It is amazing how quickly other areas of your life begin to slide when just one area is allowed to become lax. I too have struggled with lapses in both my professional and personal life. And I found a tremendous peace and power when I regathered and returned to balance. Please Foxyenglishcrafter keep us posted on your progress. 

 

     If you have not read her story, go to "Comments" on the right side of my blog and read her story and let it catapult you into writing down then working your own schedule. Post your story, your successes and your problem areas. I want this blog to be a community of sharing, where we support each other through encouragement, trust, ideas, laughter and camaraderie.

 

     Have you started writing a cleaning schedule yet? Well why are you sitting there reading this post? Get busy then share with us. 

 

This article may only be copied by giving full credit to Mary Moppins and her website at www.goclean.com copyright@2010. All rights reserved worldwide.

Five Free Ways to Reduce Carbon Footprints

 

      My sustainable living seminar attendees frequently comment that the information on reducing carbon footprints is confusing and they have all but given up trying to make changes. They complain that the suggestions they read are expensive and ask for free if not low cost ways to help our Earth. I agree installing solar panels and even replacing all your light bulbs with LED lights can be costly. Here are some cost free suggestions that reduce carbon footprints and will save you money! As you reap the savings perhaps switch your light bulbs to LED lights in one room per month.  

 

1) Each time you place an order to be shipped to you, ask the shipper to tuck your packing slip inside the box and not in a pouch on the outside of the box. Those pouches take years to biodegrade. There are over a million packages shipped each day. Eliminating these pouches is a huge overall reduction of paper and plastic. This one small step also reduces the precious energy used to manufacture the pouches as well as the fuel to ship them from the factory to the store. 

 

2) Stop using Styrofoam plates and cups. They do not biodegrade and are one of the biggest contributors to toxins in our landfills. Forgo using paper plates or plastic eating utensils as well. Although it is a bit of a hassle, take washable plates, silverware and cups to picnics or get togethers. Use only washable eating plates, glasses and utinsils  when you entertain at home. The holiday season is not far off and millions of people buy paper plates, plastic utinsils and paper cups to entertain as Mother Earth sheds another tear over the waste. Perhaps hire a high school student the night of your party and have her wash dishes as guests bring them to the kitchen. Whatever it takes but invest in reuseable dinnerware. You will save money down the road.     

 

3)  Use washable glasses in the bathroom and save the money buying paper cups. Plus they save landfill space, the energy used for manufacturing them, the paper used to box them and fuel for shipping. If even one million people stop tossing bathroom cups in the landfills each day, it reduces waste by a staggering 360 million cups per year. Now extend that by the 300 million residents of the United State for a total yearly savings of around 100 billion bathroom cups each year. Takes your breath away doesn't it?  Ten years from now it has saved over 10 trillion cups from finding their way to the landfill.

 

4)  Rather than spending money on paper napkins, buy washable cloth napkins. See the above numbers for the number of napkins kept out of the landfills if each person would switch to cloth napkins. Likewise invest in a few washable, reuseable towels like the Mary Moppins Swifter towels. Use them in place of paper towels in the kitchen. It saves you over $30 a year buying paper towels, reduces landfill waste, the fuel used for shipping them and energy used to manufacture them plus the plastic used to wrap them.  

 

5) Buy concentrated cleaners. On my website http://www.goclean.com/greenregister.php you can read the astonishing waste racked up by "ready to use" cleaners and how they affect the entire eco-system. Sign up to be a Mary Moppins Greener Cleaner and you will also receive a copy of my practical guide to convert your home into a healthy place to live - free of toxins.   

 

You have now walked far more gently on Mother Earth and saved a nice chuck of money doing it. Going green feels great doesn't it? Gee even the air smells fresher with less toxins being emited from the paper manufacturing plants and all for making just a few small changes.

 

Can one person make a difference? You bet you can especially when you share this with others. It takes each of us making small contributions to make a huge impact on the future of our lives and the life of Mother Earth.

 

This article may only be copied giving proper credit to Mary Findley and her website Mary Moppins www.goclean.com. copyright @2010 all rights reserved world wide.

 

 

Cleaning Schedule part 3

 

     Okay it's time for truth or dare. I dare to email me and tell me you did go through each room of your home and started working on your cleaning schedule. How far did you get? Yes I understand how little time you have. I'm hanging by a thread most of the time too. If you can't manage your whole home at one time aim for canvasing one room a week. I do recommend doing the entire home so you don't do one room and put off the rest. I am notorious for getting a project started and 3 years later it is still at the "start" stage. Trust me once you take the time to sort through the clutter in a room or just re-organize and write down how often you need to clean what in that room, you will love the time you save cleaning.  

 

     A set cleaning schedule also prevents damage to surfaces. I cannot tell you the number of cleaning gurus who say if a surface isn't dirty don't clean it. That is the #1 way to ruin a finish because that surface gets ignored far too long. For instance, wood dries and cracks because you don't remember the last time you applied a wood conditioner like our Wood Care. With the economy in the tank, it's more important than ever to take extra care of your things. Replacement is expensive and many of us cannot afford the luxury of replacing floors, cabinets or furniture. Knowing exactly when they need extra maintainenance prevents them from being damaged. Leather, vinyl and ultra leather furniture is the same. Schedule cleaning leather or vinyl regularly using our Leather Care to prevent drying and cracking.  

 

     Have you noticed I'm nagging you to get disciplined with your cleaning? Well I'm beat at the end of day too. But I know the weekend is coming and when I look at my schedule and can cross out a short chore, it leaves me a bit more "free" time on my weekend. Plus if you have children at home, they see your discipline and will follow your example. What a great way to teach a child to set priorities than for them to see you do the same.  

 

     If you have children at home, set up a cleaning schedule for them too. As you do a chore in the evening, they do one too. Kids love to help so encourage this at a young age. Any child who is walking can put away toys.

 

This article may only be copied giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. Copyright @2010 All rights reserved world wide.

Cleaning Schedule Step 2

 

      Cleaning schedules can be overwhelming until you understand the system behind this madness. So grab a tablet and pen and start a walk through your home. Write down each room and don't do this by memory. It really is time to take a serious look at your home. Maybe you have things you haven't used in years. Can you part with them? Your goal is not only to figure out a schedule but perhaps to weed out "things" that you really don't need and are slowing you down when you clean. 

 

     As you walk through your home jot down how often the room is used. Once a week? Once a month? Several times a day like the bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen? Are there items in that room that you could put in a garage sale and really not miss? Could any of your knicknacks be put behind a glass curio cabinet where they don't need to be dusted so often?

 

     Then jot down things in the room that need extra cleaning like brass lamps that must be polished or glass shower doors that attract water spots. By the way my book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Cleaning" gives you wonderful tips to prevent many of these issues. Next write down how often those items need extra attention. Is it weekly, twice a month, monthly every 4 months or once a year?  Make columns across the top of your tablet. Write down the time frames I just mentioned. Then as you come to each room write down all items that needs cleaning under the appropriate time. 

 

     Don't overlook things like baseboards, blinds, windows, cobwebs, lights, cabinets, appliances etc. Anything and everything in that room needs cleaning. It's up to you to decide how often. Also note how often the room needs cleaning. Spare bedrooms or formal dining rooms may only need dusting and vacuuming once a month. On the weeks you don't clean that room, you have extra time to dust baseboards or clean the refrigerator. 

 

     As you go through your home keep in mind your living conditions. Are you in a humid or rainy area where mold or mildew is an issue where you need to treat moldy areas? Are you on a country road or in an area of high dust that requires frequent dusting? What about pets, small children? All of these factors make a difference in your cleaning schedule. 

 

This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. All rights reserved worldwide.

Cleaning Schedule

 

     People ask me frequently how to set up a cleaning schedule. Face it, cleaning, let alone taking the time to learn the nuisances of green cleaning is not on the top of most people's priority lists. Although for the sake of your health and that of Mother Earth it should move to the #1 position. For the next few blogs, let's delve into a few ideas to help you set up a schedule.    

 

     EXERCISE: First and most important - exercise regularly. I know time is tight and the kids need attention. Take a serious look at your schedule and you will find plenty of time. What is more important - sending that text message or enjoying life through good health? You can't achieve good health texting on a cell phone or sitting watching American Idol. Nor does it come in a pill bottle. It's only through diet and exercise that you will look years younger and feel on top of the world. Even 30 minutes a day of a fast paced walk and the right diet void of processed foods, dairy, wheat and sugar that you will truly return to health.

 

     I've been told plenty of times to take a hike. Well I started doing that when my son was young. I took those 30 minute hikes during his ball practices or before his games. Then I started getting up 30 minutes early. Trust me you will feel invigorated and not miss the extra sleep. Diet and exercise are the miracle cures you have been looking for. After my next cleaning book is finished, I'm writing my life's story and how I've beat the medical world without their pills and scalpels. You can too.

 

     Next, grab a notebook and decide what schedule will best suit your situation. Do you have time on a specific day to clean your home all at one time? Or would it be easier to do one chore a day like dusting on Monday, the bathrooms on Tues etc. I suggest doing your most dreaded chore first. By the time the end of the week comes or you get to the end of your cleaning jobs, you start to wear down. Having the harder tasks out of the way helps you plow through the easy stuff. So save the easier stuff like dusting, for last.

 

     Today's assignment: Write down your cleaning schedule. Writing things down creates that psychological edge of  importance and it makes for a quick reference sheet as well. Then make up your mind that you will stick to it.    

 

This article may only be copied giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. Copyright @2010 all rights reserved worldwide.  

Cleaning Tips Gone Astray

 

     A well known cleaning expert listed ideas to avoid cleaning chores. Some of the ill-thought suggestions upset me. One tip was to keep your windows closed to prevent the dust from entering your home. This supposedly reduces the number of times per month you need to dust. It is a well known fact that women who stay home or people who work in their home, have higher rates of cancer than do people who work outside the home. Why? Because in the confines of a smaller area of the home the buildup of toxic fumes multiplies. Take carpet for instance. It contains over 100 chemicals. Add those fumes to what off gasses from the adhesive in flooring, cabinets, furniture and bedding and you have a toxic cocktail waiting to happen.

 

     Purchasing plants that absorb these toxic fumes helps, but the best way to release these fumes is to open the doors and windows several times a week so they can escape. For the sake of your health, give cleaning tip suggestions thorough consideration before implementing them. You will never regret that hour a week dusting if it helps prevent a life with cancer. Now pick up a copy of my book "The Complete Idiots Guide to Green Cleaning." You will learn all my tips for cleaning thoroughly yet rapidly. It teaches you how to: improve the quality of your indoor air, how to speed clean like the pros along with a host of preventive measures you can take that reduce cleaning time. 

 

This article can only be reprinted with giving credit to Mary Findley and her website www.goclean.com. All rights reserved world wide @2010

Go Green - Think Sustainable

 

    Who would ever think eliminating one small piece of paper would have a huge benefit for Mother Earth? A book was written years ago titled "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff." Well the small stuff does count but you don't have to sweat it for huge returns in your investment. Small changes if taken to heart by millions of people will help balance the scale in favor of Mother Earth. Right now she needs all the help we can give her.

 

     One small step is when you order products to be shipped ask the company to put your packing slip inside the box. This eliminates the pouch that holds the packing list on the outside of the box.

 

    There are a minimum of 2 million boxes a day shipped. If those 2 million people all ask to have the packing slip placed inside the box, it has saved over 250 million those packets a year. Staggering isn't it? Best of all? It's easy and free. Just ask the company to place the slip inside your box. The next time you hit a store with office supplies take a second to look at a pack of these packing slip holders. There are usually 25 of them per box. Now visualize eliminating at least 10 million of those boxes a year? Use your imagination and stack them up. Not only are you saving the packets but the box that holds them and the cardboard box they are shipped in as well. Not to mention the toxic ink used for printing, the fuel used to ship them and the energy used to manufacture them. 

 

    You'll find some of these suggestions on the front of my website www.goclean.com. Just sign up to become a Mary Moppins Greener Cleaner.

 

This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website www.goclean.com

Short Cuts to Difficult Cleaning Chores

 

     Here are some short cleaning tips that will save you time with some of the more time consuming cleaning chores. .  

    *  Long thin bottle brushes quickly clean the inside of  toasters and refrigerator coils. Remember if your refrigerator has coils running along the bottom, you must rent an air compressor twice a year to blow the dust off those coils or face expensive repair or replacement.  

   *  Mary Moppins dry sponge does a faster job than vacuuming when it comes to cleaning fabric pleated window shades, window screens or pet hair off fabric furniture.

   * Grab a 1 inch paint brush to quickly dust cobwebs, grit and dirt from around window frames, over the top of cornices or along door hinges. Dip a sponge paint brush in our CleanEz or your all purpose cleaner to remove mold and grime in widow frames.

    * If you see streaks coming down from the holes in your toilet, Pour 2 cups of food grade distilled white vinegar in the tank before retiring. The next morning turn off the valve at the back of the toilet and flush to remove the water. Then scrub with a baking soda and vinegar combination and a green scrub pad you find at the grocery store. This is a great time to replace worn out parts.

    * For streak free windows give our Benya a try. Please do not use paper towels or newspaper to clean windows. They are made from paper pulp, which can scratch glass. Recycle your paper and save a few thousand trees. Use lint free towels instead like old cotton tee shirts or Mary Moppins lint free towels. Microfiber towels are safe for glass. However, good ain't cheap and cheap ain't good. Get the good microfiber towels. The cheap stuff doesn't work and will only frustrate you.

NOTE: Our ready to use Benya is on sale as long as it lasts. Our concentrated Benya is coming soon

   * Copper polish: Mix your own copper polish (tomato sauce is expensive) by mixing equal parts of water, food grade distilled white vinegar and salt. Remove tarnish with toothpaste.

 This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. Copyright @2010 All rights reserved worldwide.

GREENER CLEANERS

 

      There isn't a better time to make a pledge to go green. Now it's easy by signing up from the front page of my website www.goclean.com. Not only will you be signed up to receive my monthly newsletter full of helpful green cleaning tips, but you will also receive an easy to implement room by room guide to remove toxic chemicals from your home. My front page has wonderful suggestions on how you can make a difference to your health and that of Mother Earth. My goal is to reach one million people to make the switch. Read the article and you'll quickly see the difference one million people can make. It's huge. Don't miss this easy program that won't stress your budget or your time.

 

This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com.

Truth about Olive Oil

 

    Okay so what do olive oil and cleaning have in common? Outside of the health concerns surrounding most brands of olive oil, several mis-guided people and their websides, recommend olive oil to treat hardwood furniture. First of all, olive oil turns rancid rapidly when exposed to air for even a short period of time. Unless you enjoy the smell of rancid olive floating through your home, don't use it on your furniture or cabinets. For a wonderful alternative check out Mary's Wood Care.

 

     The real issue with olive oil arose during a discussion of what temperature was safe for cooking olive oil. I am drifing away from my normal cleaning tips but feel this information is important enough to share. When purchased, used and stored properly, olive oil is a tremendous boost to your health. If not, it can cause a host of issues. I was ignorant of the proper use of olive oil and want to pass along what I've learned. I'll give you a website for the rest of the shocking news.

 

     Cooking Olive Oil: Never cook olive oil over 350 degrees and even that is pushing the high end of temperatures. Do not use olive oil or any oil when you BBQ, never allow it to smoke or use it when broiling food. When frying keep the heat turned down to medium-low. Rancid olive oil, which is caused by improper storage, purchasing and cooking destroy's the body's antioxidants and promotes free radicals.

 

    Storing Olive Oil: Store olive oil in a cool dark place. The refrigerator is best if you don't have another dark place that stays cool year round. Keep it out of the light and in a dark glass container with a tight lid or a high grade stainless steel container. Never store it in plastic as it will absorb the PVCs from the plastic. It will turn thick in the refrigerator so keep just out just enough to use for the week. Keep this is in a dark glass container and inside a cabinet. NEVER buy olive oil in a clear glass bottle or plastic container and choose a bottle from the back of the grocery shelf where it has been exposed to less light. 

 

     Buying Olive Oil: This is where we part company and I'm sending you to  http://www.living-foods.com/articles/oliveoil.html to read the nasty truth about the processing of olive oil. When it comes to cleaning chemicals, manufacturers can say what they want on a bottle label. That is true for the food we eat as well. It's no wonder we have a nation of unhealthy people.

 

This article may only be reproduced giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website www.goclean.com

 

 

 

 

   Cleaning Stainless Steel Appliances

Stainless Steel cleaning issues:   This seems to be the season for stainless steel problems. My glass cleaner Benya removes stubborn finger prints from stainless steel refrigerators. It will shine stainless stoves but does not remove burnt on food. Alternately mix a 50/50 solution of food grade distilled white vinegar and water. Some folks use straight vinegar but a 50/50 solution should work. Make certain your vinegar says "food grade" or it's made from petroleum.

Look for the Grain:  Stainless steel has a grain just like wood. Get up close and personal with your sink and appliances to find out the directions those grains run. Grease is going to stay right where it is unless you clean or scrub with the grain and not against it.

     Then get a grip on your cleaning cloths. Stainless steel and black faced appliances smear if your cloth is dirty. And you wonder why your counter tops look greasy after wiping them down with a used dish cloth. Use a clean cloth and make sure you don't use fabric softener, bleach or dryer sheets in the laundry. For an inexpensive and eco friendly alternative to these products, pour a cup of food grade distilled white vinegar in your rinse cycle.

     At least once a week, clean stainless steel sinks with a slightly abrasive cleaner to keep them shining. Use baking soda as other powdered cleaners have high health risk ratings. Besides, cleaning the sink with baking soda helps with odor issues in the drains.

     Mix a thin paste of baking soda and water to give the stove or fridge a good scrub. Be leery about using standard metal polishes on residential stainless steel. Most are made for industrial stainless steel and can damage residential appliances.       

    Stay tuned as I'm testing a new Benya formula. Its concentrated, which is far more earth friendly plus it saves you money buying my current ready to use product. Now be sure to pick up the May issue of Real Simple for more of my cleaning tips!

This article may only be copied giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. All rights reserved world wide.

A Few Money Saving Tricks

 

     We all look for ways to save money even in better economic times. Snagging a new pair of panty hose is enough to bring on the tears. Brush the tears away and save those panty hose.

 

      Long Live the Pantyhose: When you bring them home saturate them good in water and place in a zip lock bag - please make certain it does not leak. Put that in a plastic bowl and freeze it solid for a full day. Thaw at room temperature. Freezing hardens the fibers so they don't run. Then once a month after you wash them, refreeze them.

 

      Don't Toss Them Reuse Them: When you do get those runs, cut off the leg drop a bar of organic soap into the toe and tie that around an outdoor faucet. It's an easy way to wash your hands outside. Use the panty portion to polish your shoes.

 

     The War with Broadleaf Weeds: Rather than buy toxic and expensive weed killers, grab a bottle of food grade distilled white vinegar instead. Dig the weed first. Grab a food baster and pull some vinegar into the tube. Squirt about 2 tablespoons of vinegar directly on the root and it will never come back. Vinegar will also kill the surrounding grass so don't go overboard with the vinegar.

 

     For the Love of Vinegar: When you dilute a concentrated cleaner like Mary Moppins EPA registered CleanEz add two tablespoons of food grade distilled white vinegar to the mix and use less CleanEz. Vinegar boost the cleaning ability of the cleaner so you don't need as much.

 

This article may only be rewritten giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website www.goclean.com. Copyright 2010 all rights reserved worldwide.

Window Cleaning Tips

 

     If you are like me, I would rather darn socks than clean the windows. Here are a few tips to make this job a bit easier.

 

     1) Grab an old barely damp rag and place it around the Mary Moppins Cleaning head. Run this around the window and across the top ledge to dust for cobwebs. The end of the mop head glides along the upper edges of the window to thoroughly and quickly clean the entire window.  NOTE: Please do not use our precious water to hose off windows. 

 

     2) Remove the screen and clean it with a dry sponge. Guess what? No sloppy buckets of water. You'll find dry sponges at pet stores. They are used to remove pet hair from fabric furniture. I carry them as well. When they soil sand them with a light grit sandpaper and keep on going. 

 

     3)  Next use a 1 1/2 inch paint brush to clean the tracks of the window frames. Every few years these clean the tracks with a metal polish to remove the black oxidation so your windows slide easily.

 

     4) Windows are the only surface where it's safe to use microfiber. So grab a bottle of my streak free Benya and one of the courser microfiber pads as it will easily scrub the bug juice off the windows. Our Benya will put a super shine on the windows. Another NOTE: Please do NOT use paper towels or newspapers to clean windows. We need our precious trees.

 

     5) If you are seeing streaks after cleaning the windows, then grab a dry eraser used for dry erase boards and wipe the smears away!

 

This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website www.goclean.com. copyright 2010 all rights reserved worldwide.

Bacteria Laden Soap Dispensers

 

     Clean Link, a Jan San industry ezine just reported that studies found large amounts of bacteria coming from soap in public restrooms.  "We were surprised to learn that the soap from one in four bulk dispensers is contaminated with an average of more than three million bacteria, many of which are known to be opportunistic pathogens," said Carrie Zapka, microbiology scientist, GOJO Industries. "Exposure to such high levels of these organisms can be a significant health risk to individuals with compromised immune systems – estimated to be at least 20% of the population. In contrast, soap from sealed dispensing systems was free from contamination."

 

    This means that if the soap is dispensed from a sealed bag and replaced each time the soap runs out, the soap is not contaminated. If you are washing your hands and the soap dispenser itself is refilled each time, that soap contains high amounts of bacteria. Look closely at the dispenser. If you see a plastic bag inside, the soap is safe to use. If not then wash your hands using hot water only. Carry a tub (not a bottle because bottles spill) of hand sanitizer in your car. Then use them when you return to your car rather than washing your hands in a public restroom. And here we thought we were combating germs by washing our hands with soap and water. It turns out the soap contains the harmful bacteria in a restroom.  

 Quick & Easy Spring Cleaning Tips

 

      First of all re-read my early 2009 Blogs for a more thorough Spring Cleaning Guide. Here are a few green cleaning tips to make your spring cleaning just a bit easier. Use a Dry Eraser to clean window screens and fabric window shades as well as flat lampshades and fabric furniture. They do a great job removing pet hair from furniture. Find them at Bed Bath & Beyond or pet stores if you are not placing an order with Mary Moppins. Clean by sanding them outside with very fine sandpaper.      

     Window Pains: Speaking of windows, don't use paper towels or newspapers to clean your windows. They are made from wood pulp and the pulp will scratch glass. Mary Moppins carries some wonderful Lint Free Towels or use old cotton t-shirts. Remember to get your bottle of streak free Benya!

     Wood Floor Scratches: Remove some scratches in wood floors (not laminates) by sanding them very gently with 0000 steel wool pad dipped in paste wax. Call the store where you purchased your flooring to find the best paste wax. Flooring finishes change from day to day. What was good to use yesterday may not be safe today.   

     Remove Scuff Marks: Crayons, heel and scuff marks generally come off linoleum floors by rubbing them with a bit of toothpaste. Did you know you can remove some scratches from CDs by rubbing the surface with toothpaste and a very soft cloth like an old cotton tee shirt? Don't use toothpaste that contains baking soda. Rinse it with water and dry well. Be sure to work in circles or you will leave worse scratches. Toothpaste also removes black cutlery marks from fine china.

     Gutter Cleaning: There are excellent gutter scoops available at hardware store and worth the money. Otherwise grab an old gunny sack and tie it around the end of your down spout. When you hose the gutter, the leaves collect in the gunny sack and can then be hauled to the composter. You do have a composter right?

This article may only be reprinted giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website at www.goclean.com. Copyright @2010 All rights reserved worldwide.

Caution about Floor Heating Vents

 

     Folks I have read on several website to put screening inside floor registers and vents. It prevents small items from dropping down the vent or register. It's a great idea with small children but there is a down side to this trick. The screens actually inhibit the air flow. As a result you will see a marked increase in the cost of your heating and air conditioning bill. And the collection of dust on those screens blowing back into a room is hard not only on your heater but it's also not healthy for you. 

Car Cleaning Tips for Lasting Beauty

    

Washing your car: 

     Automotive stores contain shelf after shelf of cleaning agents. A variety of cleaners, wax, sealants, wax and wash products all beg for your billfold. Yet there isn't an owner's manual that gives advice on how to properly care for your vehicle. What Frank next door has used for years on his car may not work for your brand new vehicle since finishes are frequently changed by the manufacturer. Besides if it foams, it's toxic to our environment.

 

Let's take a look at some easy solutions and toss in a few quick tips.

 

·        Paint manufacturers recommend washing with soft 100% Lambswool Mitts. Lambswool will not scratch like some brushes and sponges.

·        Use mild soaps like Mary Moppins EPA certified Clean Ez. Most people use liquid dish soaps or harsh cleaners which deteriorate the shine and ruin the finish.

·        Wash early in the morning or evening to avoid water spots. Add one-half cup of food grade distilled white vinegar to your wash bucket. Vinegar neutralizes the alkali in water to prevent water spots.

·        Start with the roof and wash by section drying each section as you clean to avoid water spots. Once water spots form on a car or truck you have but one or two days to remove them. Water spots etch into the surface becoming difficult to remove.

·        Use a concentrated organic cleaner like Clean Ez to remove oil and grease. Remember give your product time to work. Rinse immediately.

 

     Windshields and tires present an entirely different set of problems when you clean. Glass is porous so water spots etch in quicker than they do on the body of a vehicle. If you see those nasty spots before your eyes, wipe on boiling vinegar in the evening. Keep applying every 5 to 6 minutes for about 30 minutes. For windows or windshields, scrub with a white scrub pad. Use a soft cotton cloth when working on the body of a vehicle.

 

Below are a few handy tips for working with windshields to make your view a bit clearer:

 

• Clean windshield wiper blades frequently to remove the oil buildup, which causes them to smear the windshield.
• Scrub window gaskets twice a year with a stiff bristle brush to remove the oxidation.

     For streak free windows try Mary Moppin's Benya, which even removes the film from the inside windows.

 

Tire Care: Scrub tires four times a year with an organic cleaner or CleanEz and a tire cleaning brush to avoid problems. Rubber naturally oxidizes and can leave the tires looking cracked. Scrubbing removes this oxidation. Sos pads work quite well removing dirt and grime on whitewall tires. Scrub and wipe with a shop towel then rinse. This prevents the SOS suds from going down the drain and into your streams and rivers.

 

     Think twice before using a tire treatment. If your tire should blow out and the tire manufacturer determines a tire treatment caused the blowout they will not honor the warranty. Warranties only cover manufacturing defects and tire treatments are not a defect. Most tire treatments contain petroleum distillates, which deteriorate rubber and over time can cause a blowout. Although one treatment may not affect the tires, a blowout on a major highway is not the place to find out.

 

Wax, protect or seal

 

There is a large selection of products made for protecting the finish of your car or truck. Let's first look at the difference between wax, protectants and sealants. All three usually contain petroleum distillates, which binds other chemicals together in a product.

 

     There are different kinds of distillates. High quality distillates may not damage the clear coat finish. Low grade distillates deteriorate the sealant leaving you with an oxidized vehicle.  

 

     There is a fail proof method to determine whether or not your vehicle is oxidizing. If you are applying a protectant three to four times per year and the paint is still coming off on your buffing rag then your wax contains the wrong kind of petroleum distillates. Changing products should correct this problem. If you are applying a protectant only once or twice a year then a more frequent application is needed.

     

     Here are guidelines to follow when purchasing a wax or protectant:

 

• Wax is made from Carnuba, which seals the pores of fiberglass and yellows most white or off white paint. 
• Protectants like Mary Moppin's Advantage are made from polymers, which do not seal but sit on the surface to protect against UV damage.
• Products containing silicone are certain death for your car. Over time, silicone slowly deteriorates the finish causing it to oxidize. Unfortunately silicone cannot be completely removed. Paint will not adhere to silicone so it peels leaving the car in a disastrous state.
• Sealants remove damaging oxidation, scratches and water spots. The bottle will read for heavy duty waxing or oxidation removal.

This Article may only be used or rewritten giving full credit to Mary Findley and her website www.goclean.com   copyright@2010 all rights reserved world wide.