Posts Tagged ‘green cleaning Arlington’

In October I posted a summary of all the recipes I had blogged about so far:  The Joy of Cleaning!

Lots of good recipes. Below is a list of all recipes since that last collection for easy reference. Happy Cleaning!

Tile Cleaner: Q&A Forum: I’m Not Mad at You, I’m Mad at the Dirt!

Fill a bucket with water, 1/4 vegetable oil-based soap, 1/4 baking soda. and 15 drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance.

Record Cleaner: Watch the Stained Glass Explode/Praise the Union/Praise God!

Cotton ball with equal parts water and vinegar. Lightly touch record as it spins and work towards the center.

Rust Remover: Turf Wars!

• 1 tbsp. of cream of tartar
• 1/4 c. of baking soda
• 1/4 c. of hydrogen peroxide

Laundry: Q&A: Theology and Geometry!

For the wash cycle add 1/8 cup of liquid vegetable soap and 1 tbsp. of washing soda. (Note: Washing soda – not baking soda. It is a little harder to find than baking soda but Arm & Hammer makes it also.) Add 1/4 cup of scented vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Swimming Pools: Q&A: Dirty White Boy!

switch from a chlorine based cleaning system to a salt based cleaning system

Ice Treatments: Q&A: Brother Sun and Sister Moon!

equal parts water and vinegar for windshield

birdseed for driveways and sidewalks

IceClear

Green Cat Toys: Today’s Trash is Tomorrow’s Fun!

Business cards, paper bags, junk mail

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This Saturday the Fairfax City Farmers’ Market opens! Be there! Buy a bottle of MultiPurpose Cleaner!

The Market is every Saturday from May 7th through October 29th from 8AM to 1PM.

Located at West & Main Streets behind the Wachovia Bank and adjacent to the Historic Fairfax County Courthouse

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Did you ever notice that babies smell funny? Or that they look weird? Or that they are always crying or doing something annoying? OK, maybe it’s just me, but, I still think I have found out what’s making those chubby, little bundles of joy so cranky all the time. We slather them down all day long with gasoline! That’s right. Baby oil – and all of the other lotions and potions we smear on their bottoms and faces before putting them in those silly ‘onezies’ (I’d be cranky too if every time I stretched my toes it choked me) – is a byproduct of the production of gasoline.

Baby oil is mineral oil and fragrance. Mineral oil is a liquid byproduct of distilled crude oil for the production of gasoline. There is a lot of it and it is very cheap. It has been approved by the FDA as safe for human skin. So, it is used in the production of most baby oils, lotions, conditioners and cosmetics.

Despite the FDA’s opinion, serious health problems exist with the use of mineral oil. First, it clogs the pores making it difficult for the skin to release toxins. Once the skin absorbs it, the oil absorbs any fat soluble vitamins it comes in contact with thereby robbing the body of essential nutrients.

The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for mineral oil warns that it is harmful if inhaled, swallowed or if it comes in contact with the eyes. It also warns – and this is my favorite part – that mineral oil causes irritation to the skin! So, with all the risks and no benefit, exactly what is the point of using it? It’s making that diaper rash worse!

My research into baby oil has nothing to do with irritated bottoms. I was looking for a stainless steel polish. So, I needed to know what people use as an alternative to baby oil. The only baby with whom I am personally acquainted is Joshua C. in Columbia, SC. He’s not very talkative, so I contacted his Mom, MaryBeth, for a solution. She recommends Trader Joe’s 100% Jojoba oil. I bought some and noticed for the first time (I usually only look at food), that Trader Joe’s has really good prices on personal care items. They are, in many cases, less expensive than their toxic competition – which is unusual.

And I can tell you, honestly, that Joshua is not cranky at all. He is all smiles, curiosity and playfullness. He is more like a small person than a baby. Perhaps his parents deserve some credit for that. But, we cannot dismiss the fact that his diaper is a dumping ground for Joshua only – not for the oil companies!

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Just a reminder that GreenItUp! will be at the Loudoun County Market this Saturday. Please stop by for a bottle of MultiPurpose Cleaner or a refill. It was great working with Judy, the other vendors (it was especially nice to be right next to Simply Nut Free Chocolates… yummy), and all of the Market shoppers who showed up in all kinds of weather.

I hope to be back in Loudoun County next Winter. For the Spring, Summer and Fall GreenItUp! will be in the Fairfax City Market which is every Saturday from 8AM to 1PM beginning May 7th. The Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market in Alexandria is a possibility for Sundays – I will keep you posted on that.

Thank you and see you at the Market!

http://www.loudounfarmersmarkets.org/news_winter.php

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For those that do not know about boiling frogs, I will explain. If you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water he will jump out immediately. If you place a frog into a pot of water and slowly bring it to a boil, the frog will not resist. The image is often used to explain how we can become comfortable with situations and environments that might otherwise cause panic. Watch the news, look at your personal finances, turn on the radio, think about your job, watch an Adam Sandler movie, eat fast food, remember who you wanted to be when you were 18 – do any of these things and you will see how we are a culture of slowly boiling frogs.

We are resistant to change – even when the change is good for us – simply because change (of any kind) is scary. So, for Earth Day this year I propose that you begin the process of slowly changing who you are as a consumer. You don’t have to throw everything away for a life on the Ranch with the Manson family.  Take it one step at a time. Change one thing this Earth Day and make a plan to make another change every month. On the 22nd of each month, change some aspect of your routines or consumption that will benefit yourself and your environment.

I have listed some suggestions for actions you can take now. Not all of these apply to everyone so be creative – look around your home and at your life and find solutions that fit you.

1. Carry your own reusable water bottle.

2. Make sure you are recycling everything your city or county supports.

3. Change your bulbs.

4. Turn off lights and electronics that you are not using.

5. Support local farms – buy as many of your groceries as possible from a Farmers’ Market.

6. Don’t buy meats and dairy products with hormones.

7. Limit junk mail – ask companies to take you off their mailing lists.

8. Reuse scrap paper, packaging materials and bags.

9. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater.

10. Switch to cloth diapers and napkins.

11. Try to buy used items or repair broken items before purchasing new.

12. Drive the speed limit.

13. Give up paper-towels.

14. Wash your laundry in cold water and line dry.

15. Buy GreenItUp!’s MultiPurpose Cleaner!

Change can be scary but the alternative is far worse. Have you seen a weather report in the last two years? Heavy snows, crazy hurricanes, Japan, tornadoes everywhere, fires in Texas…  These are not changes that I am willing to accept. With Frankie’s arthritis, we would not make it very far on McCarthy’s Road…

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GreenItUp! will be at the Fairfax Earth Day / Arbor Day Event this coming Saturday April 16th. The Event will be from 9AM to 2PM at the Fairfax Government Center. Workshops and seminars will be available to teach adults and children practices for cleaner living. Come out and meet the vendors and non-profit organizational members who are making everyday Earth Day. Don’t forget to pick up a bottle of GreenItUp!’s MultiPurpose Cleaner!

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Eve is not my client – but she is my favorite work companion. My stepson would call her my “work wife”. (He refers to my cat, Verna, as his work wife – presumably because he divides his time between his home in Boston and visiting us.) Eve is my client’s miniature, long-(red)haired dachshund. She is terrified of the vacuum. I check on her after I run it. I always find her shivering and nervous. I try to comfort her, but I am the lady with the vacuum and so she lets me pet her – but with a suspicious look in her Bette Davis eyes.

When I am with her, her dog walker comes. I know it is getting close to the time the walker will come when Eve sits by the door. As the dog walker enters, Eve becomes ecstatic – jumping and giving kisses to her walker who kisses and coos right back at her. Eve’s walker is an Arlington Dog Nanny. If you live in Arlington, have a dog, and work long hours you need the Arlington Dog Nanny.

The business started in 2008 when Desiree, the owner, decided that her beautiful pups Chewie and Wicket, were not getting the level of attention or exercise she wanted from available dog walkers in Arlington. Desiree is an attorney who had been working for women and minorities in their small business ventures. The business grew quickly and she now has more than ten walkers. Desire is also one of the kindest, smartest people I know. I was lucky enough to have met her very soon after moving to NOVA. She is a constant, invaluable source of business advice and tips for me.  What impresses me the most about her is that (and this confused me a bit at first) when she speaks of her “clients”, she is talking about the dogs! Which is a comfort to those if us who consider our pets to be people too.

The business is successful because people recognize when they are getting something exceptional. The dogs get plenty of affection from the walkers. ADN offers hikes, jogs and trips to the park if desired. Also, the walker leaves a note daily for the client (I mean the client’s human companion) detailing the walk that day and the dog’s behaviour and bathroom business.

I know they are doing something right because after Eve’s walker leaves – and only then – does Eve seem OK with me. She rolls on her back and lets me scratch her tummy. She lounges in the open rather than hiding behind the sofa. While Eve is not my client, she is the Arlington Dog Nanny’s client. And I can tell you she is a very happy customer!

www.arlingtondognanny.com

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Every minute I stay in this room, I get weaker, and every minute Charlie squats in the bush, he gets stronger.

Listening to soap commercials these days could lead you to believe that there are flesh-eating bacteria around every corner, on every child’s toy, on every doorknob, on every part of your body and in the very air that you breathe. This also seems to be the common consensus when you consider that around 75% of liquid soaps on the market have antibacterial agents in them. Antibacterial agents can also be found in large percentages of laundry soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, body washes, dish soaps, and many household cleaning products. And don’t forget all those little portable bottles of hand sanitizing gel all of the healthier-than-thou-eugenicists whip out every time they touch anything. These “cleaners” are actually making us dirtier and more susceptible to infection. That’s an example of real irony, Alanis!

Antibacterial soaps were created for use in Hospitals to prevent the spread of infections. Of course, a billion dollar industry was created by marketing them to the rest of us. Although soap industries would have us believe otherwise, the CDC has maintained through all the antibacterial hype that we all just need to wash with warm water and soap for twenty seconds to avoid harmful bacteria. (For more information on soap and how it works, see my previous Blog: Soaps vs. Detergents!) Interestingly, antibacterial agents need to be on a surface for at least two minutes to work completely. In fact, a study demonstrated that an antibacterial agent would have to be four times stronger than ones that are used in soaps and sit on a surface for four hours to kill 90% of an E-Coli bacteria.

So, if antibacterial soaps aren’t killing the really scary stuff, what are they doing? The component that makes them work is triclosan which inhibits the production of a fatty acid vital to life within bacteria cells. One problem with this is that useful bacteria is removed. Our bodies are full (inside and out) of a variety of bacteria that protects us from harmful bacteria. Most often we get sick from a virus rather than a bacteria anyway.

Risking your own immune system is one thing, but what about the rest of us? The primary problem with antibacterial agents is that the bacteria that survives will usually mutate into a new strain that resists the antimicrobial chemical effect. Let me make sure you got that: more resistant, stronger, more virulent bacteria are created through natural selection. That means that when we get sick, we get really sick. And here’s the kicker – most antibacterial agents go after the same bacteria as antibiotics. This means that you won’t get better when you take your meds if the bacteria that got you sick is one of these new super-bugs that slithered up out of the mushy, soapy wasteland of your shower and learned to walk. That is until, of course, a stronger antibiotic is made and then –  well, the cycle could go on and on. (This is the way the world ends / This is the way the world ends…)

Clean yourself, your children, and your pets on a regular basis with soap. Take your vitamins and get regular exercise. Eat a healthy diet and choose organic foods when possible. If you still feel you must disinfect something use 3% hydrogen peroxide or salt and warm water – only after you have removed any soil from the surface. You will be okay. Afterall, the big, scary man at the center of the heart of darkness is just a short, fat, bald guy.

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A google of green cleaning in Northern Virginia or green cleaning in any NOVA city will bring up several company names. I checked them all out for two reasons. First, as a business I need to “know the competition”. Secondly, because of the nature of my business, I (Teresa – not just GreenItUp!) am pleased to see signs that our culture is moving in directions I support. What I found, though, is that “green” can be a meaningless marketing tool in the hands of some cleaning companies. Of course, we are already aware that “natural” and “green” are overused, unregulated terms. (See my Blog from last summer on popular green cleaning products:  The Dirt on Commercial “Natural” Cleaners!) The Executives at Clorox are one thing, but I expected a little more legitimacy from local businesses!

Other than one DC-based company, none listed the names of the products they would use in your home. Some claim, though, that their products have a green certification. While green certification programs usually have minimum required standards for product certification, typically this means only that the product in question has less impact on the environment and human health than other products that deliver similar results. But it does NOT mean that the product is non-toxic or harmless to the environment, as many of these labels seem to imply. Giving up heroin for Methadone does not make you any less of an addict, either.

To find out whether a cleaning product really is non-toxic or truly friendly to the environment, one usually has to do some hunting and questioning. When I inquired with one company, they provided the name of another company’s product they use. After some research and a call to the cleaning product’s manufacturer, I was able to find the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) on the product. It wasn’t Clorox, but it wasn’t what I would call “green” either.

All I am saying is know what you are purchasing. It is so easy with food – just look at the label and you know exactly what you are getting. Food has labels because people demanded to know. If a company does not disclose to you what they are using, ask them. Ask them what is in their cleaning products. Look up the MSDS sheets. Ask them if they use paper towels. Ask them if they use disposable mops and sponges. And if they won’t tell you, ask yourself why not. Then find a company that WILL be honest with you about exactly what they use and exactly how they use it.

As for GreenItUp!, my ingredients are already on my website: http://www.greenitupllc.com/products.html. I do not use paper towels. I use clean, recycled cotton towels and t-shirts that have outlived their usefulness as towels and t-shirts, as well as microfiber mops and sponges that are cleaned and disinfected for each reuse until they have no more life in them. I breathe easily and I do not lose any sleep at night.

“Green” and “Natural” are extremely fashionable marketing terms. To be a smart consumer you need to know exactly what you are getting. So, are you REALLY Green, or are you just wearing a ridiculously ugly dress?

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People who have known me long enough know that I love Dave Alvin. No, he is not brother to Simon and Theodore. He is brother to Phil – together they formed The Blasters (a blues, punk, rockabilly, yodeling band with lyrics fueled by politics, desperation and poverty)  in 1979 in Downey, CA. Phil sings with crazy energy and a manic and almost painful smile. Dave (the lanky, buck toothed look a like to Lenny from Laverne & Shirley) wrote most of the songs and played guitar. And to say that he played guitar is like sayng that Ansel Adams took pretty pictures. Ladies, to watch him play will make your knees melt and your teeth sweat!

The Blasters were never MTV sensations, but you may know them anyway. They were featured in several commercials and a lot of movies including From Dusk Till Dawn and have been covered by many musicians including Dwight Yoakam.

Living in Columbia, SC, I always had to travel to see Dave who has been a solo act since 1986. Despite a very successful career playing with X, The Knitters, The Flesh Eaters and The Gun Club and despite winning a Grammy in 2000 for Public Domain: Songs from the Wild Land and despite producing and recording with Sonny Burgess, Tom Russell, the Derailers and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, you can catch Dave in dive bars for about $10 to $15 per show.

I have never been abe to see The Blasters perform, however. They tour seldomly and when they do it is usually on the West Coast or in Europe. So, you can imagine my thrill to se that they are playing at the Iota Cafe in Arlington – practically down the street in NOVA language from me on March 15th! The performance, unfortunately, will not include Dave – I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each / I do not think that they will sing to me…

The Iota Cafe is open all day and night – tickets go on sale at 8PM. Tickets are $18. (You have to have one of their beers with double espresso shots in it! Also, X fans will appreciate this – John Doe is playing a week later at the Iota!) For more information on the venue and the band, see the links below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByOUeb5p22o

http://www.iotaclubandcafe.com/

http://www.blastersnewsletter.com/

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