Dry Cleaning the Greener Way

 

The local dry cleaners is a convenience that many cannot live without. For some it provides a convenient alternative to washing clothes at home whilst others use it for larger or special items every now and again. For some time though, experts and consumers alike have been worried about the heavy-duty chemicals used in the dry cleaning process and have questioned what effect they have on both the natural environment and human health.

 

Traditional dry cleaning processes involve washing clothes in a liquid solvent called perchlorethylen – which is commonly shortened to ‘perc’. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers perc to be a health and environmental hazard. The substance has been used since the 1930s but in the 1980s it was found to be neurotoxic and carcinogenic, leading to concerns about the effects of the chemical for dry-cleaning staff. In addition, consumers have become increasingly worried about the effects of perc as it can enter the body through inhalation or touch causing irritation to the eyes, skin, and nose and throat.

 

Many dry cleaners now offer green alternatives to perc and the substance may be outlawed within the next 10 years. If you are worried about the effects of this chemical, ask your dry cleaner if they offer alternative cleaning methods. Many are providing natural alternatives that are kinder to the environment and better for you too.

 

Alternatively, check the internet or local directories to find dry cleaners near you that offer green cleaning methods.

 

Categories: cleaning, cleaning methods, dry cleaners, dry cleaning, Effects, nbsp, offer green, perc, washing clothes

How Clean is Your Oven?

 

 

Your oven is one of the most important pieces of equipment in your kitchen. Take good care of an oven and it becomes easier and more enjoyable to make delicious meals for you and your family. One of the most important aspects of caring for your oven is to make sure it is clean.

 

Having a dirty oven can cause a range of problems – both for the quality of your cooking and for health and safety. Burnt on food or grease deposits can cause unpleasant smells and may even taint the taste of your food. In addition, greasy food remnants are unhygienic and can be a fire risk.

 

A clean oven is also more energy efficient than a dirty one – as it heats up more quickly and maintains an even temperature more easily. And with a clean oven door, you can easily see how your dishes are doing without constantly having to open the door – releasing precious heat.

 

The easiest way to keep your oven clean is to mop up spills as soon as they occur – once the oven is cool of course. Then give your oven a thorough clean on a regular basis – rather than waiting for it to get into a bad state before tackling the job. You don’t need to use harsh chemicals – you can make your own effective oven cleaners using bicarbonate of soda which will be kinder to you and to the environment. If your oven has become really dirty, you could consider hiring a professional oven cleaning company to restore it to its former glory – then you can maintain your new-look oven with a regular light clean.

 

For more natural cleaning tips, visit: www.thedailygreen.com

 

Categories: cleaning, dirty, Food, nbsp, oven

5 Small and Simple Steps to Better Environmental Wellness

You might not think environmental wellness is important compared to, say, fitness or good nutrition, but all of these elements are equally essential to your overall wellbeing. Environmental wellness, when you think about it, has far more of an impact on your health than you initially realise, because you rarely stop to consider how you feel in your environment, and how these environments may be affecting your emotional, mental and physical health.

 

According to Jessica Rhodes, of health and wellness website 123FeelBetter, ‘Environmental wellness does involve our connection to nature and our concern about the health of our planet, but there is much more to it than that. All the people, places and things around us make up our environment, and these things can have both direct and indirect effects on how we feel. Taking care of our home, car and work environments helps us to feel as though we are taking care of ourselves, creating spaces that we want to be in and in which we can thrive. Environmental wellness involves surrounding ourselves with supportive atmospheres which will help us feel nurtured and accomplish our goals. Appreciating nature, spending time outdoors and taking steps to care for our natural environment are also behaviours that help to build feelings of love and nurturance, and are an integral part of our overall environmental wellness.’

 

However, you don’t need to make big changes to make a big difference to your wellbeing; the following small steps will go a long way in enhancing your environmental wellness:

 

1. Spend five minutes a day cleaning: ‘In just five minutes a day, you can affect a simple but substantial change in your environment, and the way you feel about your surroundings,’ says Rhodes. ‘Wash the dishes. Do one load of laundry. Clean the toilet, but don’t worry about the rest of the bathroom. If you spend just five minutes each and every day de-cluttering or cleaning your home environment, you’ll see big changes with minimal effort, and you’ll enjoy your time at home so much more.’

 

2. Bring the great outdoors indoors: Rhodes explains, ‘Placing a few potted plants in your home will create a feeling of freshness and life. Surrounding yourself with living things like plants and animals helps you feel more connected to the energy of life, and caring for plants and animals helps you feel loved and nurtured as well. If you don’t think you have a green thumb, there are plenty of plants out there that require very little care.’

 

3. Clear your desk: Yes, environmental wellness doesn’t only apply to your home, but your workplace too. Rhodes advises, ‘Whenever you sit down at your desk to study for school or begin a work project, clear up the clutter. A few minutes spent de-cluttering and organizing your desk each time you sit down to work will help you focus on your work, find what you need and avoid frustration. This small investment of time and effort is well worth the reward of not having a big mess on your hands later.’

 

4. Keep some small plastic bags in your car: Rhodes instructs, ‘Each time you get out of your car at the end of the day, pick up any trash that has accumulated and throw it in the sack. Then simply take the sack in and throw it away. This is a really simple way to keep your car from getting cluttered, and it’s easy to make it part of your daily or weekly routine.’

 

5. Get rid of useless clutter: ‘If you haven’t used it, worn it or even touched it in a year, it’s time to get rid of it,’ Rhodes asserts. ‘Donate clothes, furniture and other durable goods to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, recycle anything else that you can and throw the rest away. If you’re not using it, it’s simply taking up space and cluttering your house.’

Categories: animals helps, cleaning, Clutter, Environmental, Environmental Wellness, feel, nbsp, plants, time, Wellness, wellness nbsp

Cleaning Tricks You Never Knew Existed Until Now!

Housework is a bore at the best of times, but when it comes to cleaning the trickier areas of the home, it can be daunting too. If you’re looking for some inexpensive ways to clean those stubborn parts of the home, from the showerhead and beyond, here are some tricks you’ll be eternally thankful for.

1 – Washing your fruit and veggies can be tiresome, especially if you buy in bulk. Put them in a clean sink topped up with water and a dash of white wine vinegar and let them soak for a minute or two to kill off the bacteria and leave your produce ready to eat in no time.

2 – You can magically remove floor cuffs easily with the use of WD-40 – this unknown household trick could save you plenty of time scrubbing the floors to no avail. Simply spray a little on the mark and scrub with a dry brush for a few minutes to lift the stain.

3 – For a clean shower head that’s free of limescale, mix 1/3 cup baking soda with a cup of white wine vinegar and put in a plastic storage bag. Place the bag carefully over the head of the shower and tie to the shower pipe, leaving for a couple of hours to let the solution break down the build-up. Be careful when putting the solution in the bag, as it’s a chemical reaction. Once it’s had time to sit, remove the bag and rinse the solution off the shower head.

4 – Got a spare sock and some white wine vinegar? If you have blinds which gather dust and can be tricky to clean properly, simply add a splash of vinegar to an old sock and place over your hand – you can now grip the bars of the blind carefully and slide the sock over the plastic to remove the grime and dust easily and effectively.

5 – If you’ve lost an earring behind the sofa or kitchen cupboard, don’t consider it lost forever. Simply tie the foot of a pair of tights over the end of your vacuum tube and switch it on – you’ll be able to suction it back up without losing it in the vacuum.

Categories: cleaning, Family, household, shower, shower head, simply, solution, Vinegar, White, white wine, wine vinegar

5 Tips for Spring Cleaning to Keep Asthma Allergies at Bay

Spring cleaning might seem the ideal solution to ridding your home of the dust and mites that can trigger asthma and allergies. But there’s more to achieving an allergy-free home than simply dusting and vacuuming behind the sofa.

Half-hearted cleaning does little more than move dust from spot to another while using certain cleaning products that contain chemicals can also add to the problem and actually make asthma and allergies worse.

Here are 5 tips to ensure your spring cleaning keeps your home and health in tip-top condition.

Keep dust to a minimum by using moist cloths or disposable wet dusting cloths to stop the dust going into the air. You can also buy dry dusters that are specially formulated to trap dust and stop it spreading.

Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, which removes dust and allergens more effectively than a normal vacuum.

If you have a pet, you need to deal with the pet dander that your animal will naturally shed – this is a combination of dead skin and hair, which will get into carpets, soft furnishings and clothing. Keep your pets out of the bedroom at all times and change your bed regularly, washing linens in a  wash of at least 40˚ to get rid of any unwanted dander or mites. Use anti-allergy bed linens.

Mould and dampness can be a major irritant to asthma sufferers and those with allergies. Air rooms thoroughly and use cleaning products to clean and kill any mould.

Take down curtains regularly and air or wash them to remove any dust or mites. If possible, replace curtains with blinds that can be wiped down and reduce the amount of dust in a room.

5 Tips for Spring Cleaning to Keep Asthma Allergies at Bay

Categories: allergens, allergies, Asthma, cleaning, Cleaning Products, dust, house cleaning, spring, spring cleaning