Cleaning Products

Keeping Chemicals Out Of Your Drains

by Jennifer | No Comments Monday, January 16, 2012

When you flush something down the toilet, pour something down the sink, or take a shower, the waste goes from your home to a water treatment plant. While the plants are very effective at giving us safe drinking water, they may not be able to erradicate all chemicals, potentially making the water hazardous to others and the environment. Everyone should know by now that is is dangerous to flush medication, but it can be easy to forget another culprit: cleaning supplies. Products such as toilet and drain cleaners may be cheap and convenient, but there are equally inexpensive (and often cheaper)environmentally sound alternatives to consider.

Toilet Cleaner

To clean and sanitize your toilet bowl, As Explained Here, simply pour 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar into the toilet and let sit for 15 minutes. Then scrub with a toilet brush and flush. And since you should know by now that vinegar is our favorite all purpose, use Our Formula to clean and sanitize the outside of the toilet and the seat as well.

Unclogging A Drain

We all have to deal with this from time to time, whether it be hair in the shower drain or food backing up the sink. But with just baking soda, vinegar, and water, this problem can be easily fixed. Go Here For The Details.

Doing Your Dishes

Making your own dish detergent is easier than you think, and a whole lot cheaper than store bought cleaners. The only downside is you need to make sure everyone rinses their dishes before loading them. For the Recipe, Check Out This Link. Also, about once a month or so you will want to run your diswasher empty on a short cycle with 1 cup of vinegar to keep the system fresh and void of foul odors.

Laundry Detergent

In the amazing recipe Given Here, this green option is just as effective as regular detergent, and much cheaper. It is also so easy that it won’t take much time out of your life. What have you got to lose?

Yard Care

Going organic on your yard care is not only great for your lawn, but it keeps pesticides and other chemicals from ending up in the sewer. For more information and resources, try Organic Lawn Care 101.

Your Shower

It’s easy to think you’re not really getting clean until you’re covered in foamy lather, but the truth is you don’t need it. Those bubbles are typically a chemical called sodium laurel sulfate, and are only added because they make a the lather and a cheap detergent. They can actually be harmful to you over time, leaving a residue on your vital organs. Go to Environmental Enthusiasts’s Blog for more information, as well as easy to find product alternatives that will get you just as clean and fresh. Or if you have the time, Click Here  if you want to really go 100% natural (which will save you a great deal of money as well!)

Check out our other blog on making you own Ultimate Green House Cleaning Kit as well to keep your home sparkling without any chemicals!

Keeping Your Car Interior Clean

by Jennifer | No Comments Thursday, January 5, 2012

If you’re anything like me, you practically live out of your car. If you’re not careful, there can be a mass pileup of trash and grime all over the place so fast you’ll wonder how it even happened. The obvious answer, of course, is not leaving anything in there at the end of the day, which is the best advice, but sometimes you just want to go straight to the couch when you get home from a long day. If you don’t have it in you to maintain your car daily, or can’t justify paying for someone else to clean it for you every week, try these helpful tips on keeping your car from becoming a hazard and an eyesore.

Keep A Trash Bag Where You Can Easily Reach It From The Drivers’ Seat.

That way, you don’t have to worry about food wrappers and miscellaneous trash ending up on the car floor. Keep extra bags under the seat, so that when you take the trash out, you can instantly replace the bag. If you have kids (NOT small children,) anchor a bag somewhere in the backseat for them to dispose of any trash they have as well.

Shake Out The Floor Mats and Vacuum The Seats Once A Week Or As Needed.

If your car regularly accomodates more than just yourself, you will want to do this once a week, to keep out any unwanted snacks, leaves, dirt, etc. from building up in your car. If you have the car to yourself most of the time, you could probably get away with doing it just as needed, but no less than once a month.

Keep Cleaning Supplies In Your Dashboard.

You always want to have baby wipes, disinfecting wipes, and window cleaner in your dashboard. Baby wipes work well for minor messes, such as removing liquid from the cupholder that spills out of the cup. Disinfecting wipes are a must, such as if you sneeze on your steering wheel. It is a good idea to use a wipe on the wheel and door handles regularly as well, to prevent spreading bacteria and viruses. Window cleaners are also a great tool. Being able to see clearly out of your winshield and windows is vital to your safety and of those riding with you. If you have leather seats, keep leather conditioner with you and give them a good wipe down once in a while, to keep them from drying out and cracking.

Go Ahead And Splurge On The Professional Cleaning Once In A While.

By keeping up with the basic maintenance of your car, it won’t be necessary to pay for a professional cleaning regularly, but it is still a good idea to do it at least a couple times a year. They will do things that you may not want to make time for, such as shampooing the rugs and upholstry, and detailing and dusting.

Keeping your car in good condition is beneficial to your health and safety, and can also have a great impact on the resale value of your car. For more great information on keeping your car interior clean, check out Ehow.com’s Article On Detailing Your Car Interior!

 

The Ultimate Green House Cleaning Kit

by Jennifer | 1 Comment Thursday, August 25, 2011

It’s easy to clutter your cabinets with cleaning products of all kinds, usually with specific purposes, and often with harsh chemicals that can be harmful to your family and pets. The good news is that you don’t need much to keep your house clean, and you don’t need a lot of money to do it. Going green has never been easier! Follow these guidelines, and you will have everything you need to keep your home fresh and clean.

Tools:

-A small or medium sized bucket to keep everything together, organized, and portable.
-One toilet brush for every bathroom.
-An extendable duster (Like this, for example,) for ceiling fans and cobwebs.
-A broom.
-A mop, such as the Sh-mop or a steam mop such as this one.
-Rags.
-Microfiber cloths.
-Magic Erasers for the stubborn grease, soapscum, and grime.
-1 spray bottle.

Products:

-White distilled vinegar.
-Essential oil of choice. We recommend peppermint or tea tree oil.
-Baby oil for stainless steel if you have it. To see how it works, click here.
-If you have hardwood floors, we recommend Bona.
-If you have granite, marble, or other natural stone countertops or floors, we recommend Method Daily Granite Polish.
-Also, for the natural stone surfaces, you don’t want to apply any vinegar to them, so keep Clorox Green Works Wipes handy in case raw meat or other potentially harmful substance gets on the counter/floor.

To make your all-purpose cleaner, simply add two tablespoons of vinegar with two or three drops of essential oil to a spray bottle, and fill to the top with water. Label properly, and keep refridgerated. Discard any unused product after 6 months. This all-purpose solution will be your go-to product for almost everything, and is also a natural disinfectant, so it is ideal to clean counters, laminate or tile floors, and even toilets.

How To Remove Pet Stains With Vinegar

by Jennifer | No Comments Thursday, August 18, 2011

If you have read some of our previous blogs, you know by now that we are big fans of Vinegar. It is antibacterial, anti fungal, leaves behind no residue, and is 100% green. If you have pets, you know that from time to time your little friend will leave a little mess behind, and Vinegar is especially useful for removing the stain and killing all bacteria and potential viruses.

All you need is 1 cup of vinegar per quart of warm water. You can use it straight from a bucket, or put it in a spray bottle and save what’s left for Around The House Cleaning. Pick up whatever “gifts” your furry friend left as much as you can, and blot the area with a dry cloth. If you choose to use a clean cloth, get it wet with the vinegar solution and generously dab onto the mess. If you are using a spray bottle, simply spray the area until soaked. Let it sit a few minutes, then simply blot the area with a new, clean cloth until the area is clean. Let dry, and repeat if needed.

The newer the mess, the easier it is to clean, and will usually all come up with one application. For older stains, like under the bed or the back of the closet that you were just cleaning out, it may take several tries to get it all out, and it would be useful to let the vinegar solution sit for a few hours. But rest assure, once the area is clean, it will be safe to the touch, and the money you save by using vinegar as opposed to carpet cleaner will make it impossible to be upset with your pet.

Click Here for more information on removing pet stains with vinegar.

At Bit a Bliss we are dedicated to providing extraordinary maid service in Plano, Frisco, Dallas and the surrounding area.  Everyone deserves a Bit a Bliss!  www.bitabliss.com

 

What Is A Magic Eraser?

by Jennifer | 1 Comment Friday, August 5, 2011

Magic erasers, generically known as dirt erasers, are by far our favorite tool in cleaning. Its applications are numerous, and we highly recommend every house keeps them in their personal cleaning kit. But what exactly is a magic eraser? It is actually used for home insulation, among other related things, but was discovered to be a fantastic cleaning tool. Visit the Wikipedia page on magic erasers here.

At Bit a Bliss we are dedicated to providing extraordinary maid service in Plano, Frisco, Dallas and the surrounding area.  Everyone deserves a Bit a Bliss!  www.bitabliss.com

 

The formal name can be a little deceptive, as it is called formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer, in short melamine foam. We know what you’re thinking, “Oh no, formaldehyde!” But don’t worry, the chemical is not present in the product, nor is any other dangerous chemical for that matter. Think of it like sodium chloride, or table salt. For further explanation of the safety of magic erasers, click here.