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.

 

Spring Cleaning Your Car

 

     Spring may be a month away yet for many Midwest or Eastern states. When the next warm day comes your way be ready to do that all important spring cleaning and inspection of your car. Dirt, salt, sand, ice and snow all take their toll on the exterior of your vehicle. Here are a few tips to keep in mind so your car doesn't melt away with the last spring thaw. For more detailed information visit my website at www.goclean.com/go-clean.php. Click on the car, RV or boat for further discussions. 

 

Check weather-stripping: Inspect weatherstripping around windows for any mold, cracks or brittleness and replace them if needed. Silicone will help water bead away rather than seeping into the window. However do not use a silicone spray. Look for a libricant and wipe on with a cotton swab. A silicone spray will drift onto the windshield and the car itself. Silicone is very difficult to remove and leaves a film. That film can cause visual problems.

 

Check the underside for rust. Use a high intensity trebel light to check the underneath of your car. Sand, salt and ice do cause damage. Unless you work on cars, take your vehicle to a mechanic for repair. Look for rust issues on brakes, clamps, tailpipes or holes forming on mufflers. It is wise to have the steering and suspension systems insepected for winter damage. The last place you want to find out about winter car damage is driving 65 mpg down the highway.

 

Cleaning the locks: If you have issues with keys sticking or being difficult to work, spray a bit of graphite lubricant on the key then insert it into the lock. Be sure to clean the key with an old cloth. Spray door and trunk hinges with a small amount of petroleum-based lubricant to deter rust and squeeks. Be sure to hold an old cloth around the hinge to prevent the lubricant from overspraying onto carpet or other surfaces that will discolor from the lubricant.

 

Be careful out there and come back to learn how to properly clean your vehicle.

 

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.

TIRE WARNING!

 

     This post is not about cleaning but contains important information I felt very strongly that everyone should know. On this news clip from ABC news there may be a short commerical at first so please don't turn it off. This video talks about people who have been killed or in serious accidents because their tires are old even though they may be brand new tires. Please watch the entire video and don't turn it off until you get to the end where you are taught how to read the codes to check for the date of your tires. This is the most important part of the video and literally could save your life or someone elses if your vehicles goes out of control from a tire blowing. Then please pass it on. This is information everyone should know about.  

Click on this link :   http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897

Earth Friendly vs Human Friendly

Let's continue our last discussion concerning the benefits for you and Mother Earth when we make a few life style changes. Earth Friendly, Eco Friendly, Green Cleaner what is the difference and why should you care? Let me start by saying that a cleaner like my CleanEz is both Earth Friendly - because it is concentrated, and a Green Cleaner - it's EPA certified. A cleaner may be Human Friendly because it's certified. But if it comes with a sprayer then it's ready to use and not Earth Friendly.

One quart of CleanEz dilutes to make 32 quarts of cleaner. When you purchase any ready to use cleaner you must purchase 32 bottles to obtain the same amount of cleaner that one bottle of concentrated cleaner offers. Let's bump this up a notch. Say one million people buy a ready to use cleaner and one million people buy my CleanEz. The folks buying ready to use cleaners must purchase 32 million bottles to one million of my CleanEz. When you keep in mind that plastic is made from our precious oil, you begin to get the scope of the problem with ready to use products.

Now consider cleaners are packaged 12 bottles per case. If you do a little math it means that one million bottles of Clean Ez require 83,333 case boxes to ship. It takes a staggering 2,666,666 cases of cardboard boxes to ship 32 million bottles of ready to use. You have just cut down an entire forest just to ship ready to use cleaners. Not very earth friendly.

Next consider the tremendous amount of oil and fuel needed to ship 2,666,666 cases of ready to use product versus 83,333 cases of concentrated. Understand that two trucks are required to get products to the store. One semi-truck takes the shipment to a distribution center then a second truck to the store.

Still not convinced to make the switch? This next fact might get you moving. Say you order a ready to use cleaner online and millions of folks do. Ready to use products average $5 a bottle. One bottle of CleanEz is $25. Because you must continue to buy ready to use cleaners it means for every bottle of Clean Ez you buy for $25 you must spend $160 for a ready to use cleaner. You pay $10 in shipping for either product but 32 bottles later and you have spent $320 to ship a ready to use product and only $10 for CleanEz. Total cost for ready to use? A whopping $480 rather than $35 for one bottle of CleanEz.

When you purchase products, look for products that are not only human friendly but Earth Friendly as well. Purchase bulk whenever you can to eliminate packaging. Take your own reuseable bags to the stores. Become a Mary Moppins Greener Cleaner by visiting my website www.goclean.com for more earth saving tips and walk gently on Mother Earth.

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

Longer Lasting Razor Blades

 

     My son told me several months ago that water is the reason razor blades dull so quickly because the alkali in water wears the blade down. He said he has been using the same blade for a year now where before he was buying a pack of ten of them every few months. Jason has a heavy beard so he is a good test and he is right. One blade has lasted me 3 months so far and it's still quite sharp. Rather than rinsing off my blade I just pound it against the sink then wipe the blade dry with my towel. I also leave the cap off to make sure the blade doesn't build up moisture from shower steam. If you have small children be sure to tuck your blade in a drawer and not leave it on the counter where they can cut themselves. I purchase the more expensive blades as I found cheap ones nicked me and lasted about 2 shavings if that much. 

 

    Now just think of the savings to Mother Earth. One person does make a difference. With the number of mops I've sold so far, I've kept over 125,000 mops out of the landfill so far. When you multiple a pack of razor blades every six months by the say 100 million people who probably use them,  it's easy to see the savings to Mother Earth. Just this one small step reduces power wastage for manufacturing; packaging material including trees being cut down for shipping boxes; toxic ink used to print the packages and finally fuel for shipping to the distribution centers then again to the stores. Let me put it this way. If each person is buying a pack of blades every six months multiplied by 100 million people that is 2 billion - yes 2 billion razor blades a year that are not being thrown into the landfills. And that is just one very small way each of us can have a huge impact on Mother Earth plus save a bundle of money. I'll give you more sustainable living tips in future blogs.

 

     For more green cleaning tips be sure to visit my website www.goclean.com. Mary Findley copyright @ 2010.

   First Step to a Clean Home

 

     I started out the New Year determined to post daily memos on a step by step process to clean your home from top to bottom this year. I am now finding my tips posted on other websites without giving me proper credit. My content is copied word for word so I'm forced to stop this series. Instead I'll write a downloadable ebook. It will take time to complete but I promise I'll get it done. In the meantime read my book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Cleaning." It will give you a good start.  

   

    The very first step before you start any cleaning job is to refresh your cleaning supplies. Do you have a tote tray or are you trying to use an apron? Please stop using aprons. Triggers on bottles do get bumped and the spray damages furniture. Besides the additional weight around your neck slows you down and is literally a pain in the neck. Don't use them.

     If you don't know where or how to start putting a kit together this is the time to consider my Precision Cleaning Kit. This kit comes complete with various towels for dusting, cleaning windows, bathrooms, kitchen and floors. It includes my CleanEz concentrated all purpose cleaner, Benya, my streak free window cleaner and a signed copy of my book. Come Feb 5th, the kit prices go up. My free shipping will also go from a $100 purchase to $125. 

    Plus on my site you will find a list of the rest of the items you need for your kit, which are cheaper at the grocery store. Click on my website the click "my system" at the top. Clicking on the Precision Cleaning Kit above will also get you there.

     Now that your kit is ready to go, start by reading my blog from January 1^st forward to learn the beginning steps to cleaning your home. Don't put this off any longer as the weather will be warming up and the call of the sun will beckon you outside.    

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.