Cleaning With Vinegar

In residential cleaning, vinegar is very effective against stains from most alkaline materials such as hard water deposits. It has also been found to be a mild degreaser dissolving fats and oils (even perhaps cholesterol!) Vinegar reduces the microbe count on those against which it is effective. We use it as a green alternative to bleach, which is a commonly used disinfectant and we use it often when we service the homes of our customers. Vinegar makes a good base for making your own cleaners too! Here are a few ideas to use vinegar around the house: Kitchen •Chrome fixtures: mix 2 tbsp. salt with 1 tsp. vinegar into a paste, rub onto fixture and then wipe off. •Coffeemakers: fill water reservoir with equal amounts of vinegar and water and run through a coffee cycle (no filter or coffee) and then rerun a cycle with just water. •Cookware: wash as usual then wipe with vinegar (for tough stains- boil equal amounts of water and vinegar and soak cookware for a few minutes for washing) •Dishwasher Rinse Aid: Fill rinse aid compartment with vinegar for each load. •Drain De-Clogger: put a kettle of water to boil. pour 1 cup baking soda (all at once) down the drain. Add 1 cup vinegar. (It will bubble up a bit). Wait 10 minutes and then pour the boiling water into the drain. •Fruit Flies: mix 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (white will work as a substitute) with 1 tsp. sugar and 5 drops dish soap in a bowl on the counter top. This will attract the flies and kill them. •Grease Remover: mix equal parts hot water and vinegar, apply to greasy surface, allow to sit, then with a cloth dampened in the solution, wipe clean. •Hard Surface Sanitizer (cutting boards, counter tops): use all purpose vinegar cleaner (see recipes) •Microwave Cleaning: In a bowl, boil ½ cup vinegar with ½ cup water for 1-2 minutes. The steam left behind will allow you to wipe the inside clean. •Stainless Steel Appliances And Cookware: for appliances- dampen a soft cloth or microfiber with vinegar and apply in circular motion. Bathroom •Glass And Mirror Cleaner: 2 ounces vinegar to 32 ounces water in a spray bottle. Spray on surface and wipe dry with newspaper, microfiber cloth or coffee filter. (for hard to clean windows, use heavy duty glass cleaner recipe in recipes section) •Hard Water Stains: soak paper towels with equal parts of water and vinegar, apply to the glass like bandages and let sit while cleaning the rest of the area (don't let dry on glass), wipe clean with newspaper dampened with glass vinegar solution. *to keep shower doors from getting future hard water stains, keep a bottle of half water/half vinegar in the shower and spray doors after each use. •Toilets: spray under the rim and inside the bowl with full strength vinegar. Let sit while cleaning the bathroom then apply vinegar to toilet brush and scrub bowl clean. If extra power is needed, scrub with pumice stone. Polish furniture: mix equal parts of vinegar and olive oil, wipe on with the grain of wood, and buff off with a soft cloth/microfiber. (will also remove water rings on wood furniture) Laundry And Textiles •Blinds: with cotton cleaning gloves or a sock dampened with vinegar, wipe blinds from end to end, wrapping your fingers around both sides. •Silk Floral Pieces: mist with full strength vinegar until dust is gone and let dry. •Stain Remover: (clothing) soak in full strength vinegar before washing; (household) 1:1 vinegar to water, let sit on stain before rinsing (solution may be heated up for more stubborn stains) Floors •Carpet Stain Remover: mix 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water in spray bottle, spray carpet, blot dry and repeat. For tougher stains, mix a solution of equal parts of water & vinegar, blot excess water and then sprinkle with baking soda and let dry then vacuum. •Floors: light cleaning for most floors: mix 1 cup vinegar to 3 cups water and mop clean (not to be used on natural stone flooring). For a deeper clean, use the floor cleaner recipe. •Grout: spray full strength vinegar onto grout brush or old toothbrush and scrub removing soap scum or bathtub stains: wipe full strength vinegar onto surface with microfiber, then sprinkle baking soda onto your scrub brush to clean. •Label And Gum Dissolver: Blot a mixture of 2 parts vinegar to 1 part water onto the sticker, label or gummy substance; allow to sit to dissolve and then wipe clean •Varnished Wood (Repairing Cloudy Marks): as long as the moisture in the varnish is not down to the wood: mix a solution of 1 tbsp. vinegar and 1 quart warm water, dampen (not wet) a microfiber, rub into the cloudy area and then wipe dry with a clean microfiber. To see most vinegar ideas, check out this webpage: http://www.taraspersonalcleaning.com/green-cleaning/vinegar-recipes/

Top Ten Cool Green Cleaning Tips...Naturally

Cleaning around the holidays can be such a chore. We're all still working our regular schedule, taking care of the kids and all the homework. Trying to maintain the daily routine, AND we're planning all of the stuff involved in holiday parties. Who has time to clean?

I've put together a few helpful tips so you can keep it clean and green without taking too much time away from the important stuff.

1. To clean a ceiling fan, hang an umbrella upside down from the fan mount or blades while dusting so the dust falls into the umbrella and not on the bed or floor.

2. To ease the pain of cleaning your fireplace, sprinkle a few dashes of salt into the fire each time you use it. The salt will keep the soot loose in the chimney making it easier to clean.

3. Baby spit up on your couch or your clothes? Sprinkle baking soda onto the stain before it sets in and then wash as usual. For extra cleaning power, add club soda or vinegar to the baking soda after shaking it on the stain. The baking soda will break down the proteins and neutralize the odor.

4. Hard to remove stains on your grout or tile floor can be removed with an old toothbrush and toothpaste. The toothpaste is a mild abrasive and works wonders! (This also works on jewelry and diamonds)

5. To clear a smoky odor, whether its cigarettes or a burned dinner, boil a saucepan of vinegar and water. The vinegar will neutralize the odor.

6. For that hard to clean microwave, boil a bowl of water and lemon juice for 5 minutes This will loosen the debris making it easier to just wipe clean.

7. To clean your iron, sprinkle some salt on the ironing board and run the hot iron over the salt. Ironing over the salt will help loosen anything stuck to the iron plate.

8. To shine up your stainless steel appliances, use a microfiber and a little olive oil, apply in circular motions.

9. To clean the inside of your decorative bottles that you just can't get into, mix warm water, a few drops of dish washing detergent and crushed eggshells or small pieces of pumice, swirl and shake vigorously until the residue comes off the bottle; then rinse with clean water.

10. Have a copper sink that has stains? Use a crumbled piece of aluminum foil and gently rub the surface of the sink then rinse with water.

There you have it! These tips will save you lots of time so you can get back to wrapping presents and planning the holiday seating arrangement. Uncle Milton, you know the one who always likes to point out the fact that you haven't cleaned up to HIS standards, will never know!

Clean that dirty microwave, naturally

www.taraspersonalcleaning.com

Easy Tip to Cleaning your Microwave:

Instead of those harsh chemicals and fumes, try this easy, little effort two-step process to clean your microwave. Take a bowl of water, and if you want extra cleaning power add a few drops of lemon juice from a lemon. Boil the water in the microwave for 5 minutes. This will create steam on the interior. Just take a microfiber and wipe clean!

For more natural cleaning tips, visit us at http://taraspersonalcleaning.wordpress.com/

Do You Have Mold?

After the storm, many homes have been impacted by flooding. Our Long Island Cleaning Company is trained to handle this problem naturally. Anything that can't be replaced and is non-porous can be safely cleaned using a natural cleaning solution of Tea Tree oil, Eucalyptus or Vinegar. There is no need to use bleach. To use vinegar as a mold inhibitor, it must be used full strength. Spray it on and leave it to dry. This will prevent about 86% of mold growth. The smell of the vinegar will dissipate after a few hours. White vinegar can be easily purchased at any supermarket. Look for at least 5% Acetic Acid on the label. Eucalyptus oil or Tea tree oil may be a little harder to purchase but are extremely effective mold and bacteria fighters. You can find them at most health food stores in half ounce bottles. The oils can be mixed using a ratio of one teaspoon oil to one cup water and put in a spray bottle. Let this solution stay on the surface to kill any mold spores and prevent the future growth of mold. Wiping the surface with a microfiber cloth after ten minutes will help polish the surface and absorb any remaining mold spores.

Air Fresheners, Naturally

We all like a “clean” or “fresh” smell in our home. After all isn’t the impression if it doesn’t smell clean, it’s not clean? When in fact, most of the safest cleaners have no smell at all. However, the fact still remains, we like the aroma. The best air freshener of all is just plain, ol’ fresh air- open up the windows and let it in. As we all know that’s not always possible though. First let me say a few words about the air fresheners sooo readily available to us: most are aerosol- toxic to our indoor air quality, our health and our environment (even those plug ins aren’t healthy). And then not to mention what’s actually IN that air freshener…toxins like camphor, phenol, ethanol, formaldehyde, and artificial fragrances (see our website for more info). Now. Do you really want to compromise health for just a temporary fix of a wiff? Try these instead:
Bamboo reeds (diffuser) with a few drops of your favorite essential oil in the container (lavender, chamomile, peppermint are a few of our favorites)
Simmer a pot of water with cut up fruits and spices (adding more water as it steams away)
Simmer a pot of water with a few drops of essential oils (a few drops go a long way- AND choose the oil based on symptoms in the home at the time- thyme or eucalyptus is good for colds, lavender will soothe the moods..)
Make an air freshener spray from essential oil, water and alcohol (vodka is healthier to use than isopropyl alcohol), shake in a spray bottle and use around the house-avoid spray surfaces of wood though.

Holiday Gift Certificates

Holidays Gift Certificate

Holidays Gift Certificate