We all know that our actions can really impact the environment, and although most people would like to do what they can to make it better, they believe that green living can be hard - we’re here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be!
Here are some simple actions that will make your home environment greener and healthier for you and your loved ones and will also benefit our amazing planet.
What’s better than heading into the backyard and grabbing some fresh veggies that taste great, along with the knowledge that they are free of chemicals? Not only will your body thank you but so will the planet for reducing contamination to the environment.
When choosing what you’d like to grow, it’s a good idea to make a plan so that you can stagger the sowing of seeds to give you a constant supply of those fresh and seasonal veggies! Get the kids involved too – you might find that they eat more vegetables seeing as they helped create them.
When you’re done creating your veggie garden and have reaped those benefits, you can use those, along with other food scraps to create compost (your free organic fertiliser) and reduce landfill waste!
You can invest in a compost bin or you can just start a pile in a heap on the ground. It’s a good idea to keep your compost moist, not wet, and add food scraps, lawn clippings and coffee grounds to the mix.
It also will require some aerating so turning the compost with a fork once a week will help it along. Decomposition time varies and is dependent on what you’ve used to create your compost and the moisture and aeration of your heap. When it all looks and smells like very dark soil your compost is ready to be used. Use it in your garden to create an abundance of healthy soil for your veggie patch.
There are a few things you can do to improve the quality of air within your home, making it much healthier for your family to live in and is beneficial for the environment!
Firstly, you need to get rid of all those toxic cleaning products that are plentiful on our supermarket shelves these days. Healthier options are always available - one of which mixing a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 1 part water which cleans and disinfects!
Another thing that you can do for the air quality is to invest in a cold air oil diffuser. Using a variety of natural oils in a diffuser can neutralise chemicals and bacteria, eliminate the need for any synthetic air fresheners and keep your home smelling amazing!
We strongly recommend not to use air fresheners and avoid scented cleaning or laundry products that don’t disclose their fragrance ingredients on the product label. These products may trigger allergies and often contain suspected endocrine disruptors, such as phthalates and synthetic musks.
If we all do our little bit it will collectively amount to a lot - so do yourself, your loved ones and our environment a favour and start living green today!
Spring is here and it’s time to breathe some new life into your home with a good Spring clean!
Spring Cleaning
It’s a time when those neglected areas finally get some TLC, the de-cluttering of the pantry and cupboards finally happen, and those items stored in boxes that you haven’t needed all year can get used or perhaps get their marching orders. It’s time – you know it is…
Spring cleaning is not only great because it gets your home organised and clean, but it’s also an important thing to do for your health. One advantage that shouldn’t be overlooked is that you will burn a whole heap of calories, but more importantly you will also get rid of allergy culprits including dust and mould that may be lurking in your home.
Here are five tips to get you inspired – get started on your spring cleaning and have some fun along the way!
Inspect your home and make a list of what you need to do. List the order of priorities so that you know where to begin. Don’t forget to tick off the items as they’re completed. This is a great way to keep motivated and feel a sense of accomplishment once each item is done. If you really want to make it fun get some friends (or your kids) involved and reciprocate the favour when their house is ready for a clean!
Have some fun by creating and mixing up your own natural cleaning products. You’ll need some spray bottles, water, vinegar and baking soda – these products will clean just about everything!
Here’s an all-purpose cleaner recipe to get you started:
Equal parts water to white vinegar
Few drops morning fresh or dish washing detergent
10 drops of tea tree, lavender or lemon essential oil
Mix the essential oil and vinegar with a little water in a clean spray bottle. Fill it to top with water (based on 350ml bottle). Gently shake it and you’re ready to go!
Bi Carb Soda
Sprinkle bi-carb soda in the bath tub, sinks, vanities then spray with your vinegar product. Leave it for at least 10 minutes before giving it a good scrub.
Is there anything that you can up cycle in those stored boxes? There are so many clever ideas online for turning your old items into something new. Try your hand at some arts and crafts - create something unique that you be can be proud of.
This is a great time to consider donating old books, appliances, clothes, tools or anything else you may no longer need to charity. De-cluttering and helping someone less privileged – it’s a win-win!
Last but certainly not least, make a playlist of your favourite dance tunes and turn the music up! Music is one of the best ways to lighten the mood and keep you motivated – perhaps even help you clean at a faster pace - you’ll have the house beautifully clean in no time!
Our point here is that Spring cleaning doesn’t have to feel like a boring chore after all. You can have some fun along the way and you and your home will feel refreshed afterwards.
If you’d love a spring clean but simply can’t find the time we can also help. We only use eco-friendly cleaning products and methods to keep your home free of toxins and safe for all family members. Enquire now at https://blisshomecare.com.au/enquire-now/
With so many choices for vacuum cleaners on the market the choice can be difficult, particularly if you are seeking an environmentally friendly vacuum cleaner. Here we have prepared a list of things to help you pinpoint what you need to look out for when making your next vacuum cleaner purchase.
The purpose of a high performance vacuum cleaner is to get as much dirt and soil out of carpets to ensure your home is clean and fresh. During this process we should take note of the toll this may be having on the wider environment, our home environment and our lives, particularly if you are an allergy or asthma suffer or have family members who are.
These sucking machines consume energy in the form of electricity to operate efficiently. It’s important to note that corded vacuum cleaners are deemed more energy efficient than cordless/battery powered vacuum cleaners. This is due to batteries that require recharging which in the long run, increases your energy consumption. The batteries also increase the presence of toxic particles in the environment. So opt for a corded vacuum cleaner.
Let’s face it vacuum cleaners are dirt and dust collectors. Essentially that’s their purpose, however there are many vacuum cleaners that leak dust because they don’t have strong quality seals. If you suffer from allergies or asthma or someone in your home does, it can also increase the likelihood of health concerns if dirt and dust are being moved around in your home, rather than being eliminated. It’s also important to choose a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter which will be the most effective at reducing particulate matter in the air.
Bagless vacuum cleaners create less waste and are most cost effective because you don’t have to replace the bags. They are also easier to clean however, it’s important to consider how and where you dispose of the waste that collects in the canister. We recommend you wear a mask when emptying the canister because of the dust that is released, particularly if you are an allergy or asthma sufferer. However there are pros and cons for both bag and bagless cleaners. You can read more about these at: https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/laundry-and-cleaning/vacuum-cleaners/articles/bag-versus-bagless
If you are using vacuum cleaners that have cloth bags, you may have noticed odours coming from the vacuum. This is due to improper maintenance or not servicing the vacuum cleaners. The odours are caused by bacteria or mould that grow inside the bag. It is important to empty the bags to keep the vacuum running efficiently, it is also important to keep it emptied to prevent bacteria and mould from growing and causing foul odour. It is also equally important to clean or replace the filters regularly. If you vacuum any food items, strongly recommended to empty or change the bag daily. You may also consider investing in vacuum cleaners that have sealed HEPA filtration system. This will keep odour-causing bacteria from escaping the bag.
We hope this guide helps you when it’s time to make your next vacuum cleaner purchase. Look for environmentally friendly factors that give the best results whilst also caring form our future and our health.
If you're cleaning bathrooms the traditional way, you're probably using disinfectant cleaners, glass cleaners, and acid bowl cleaners. Although these products do a good job of cleaning, they can be toxic to the environment and to the people who use them. In addition, some cleaners are made from petroleum products, which is not a renewable resource, so using a product that is water based would be a "greener" alternative.
Many residential companies or home owners who clean in the traditional way also use white cotton cloths for cleaning surfaces. When using cotton cloths, you take a chance that you will cross-contaminate surfaces as they move from one area to the next.
Cleaning bathroom floors in the traditional way may include sweeping with a broom or dust mop, and then using a cotton mop, sponge mop, or cotton rag to clean the floors.
When you clean bathrooms using environmentally friendly products, tools and methods, you use safer cleaning products, and more efficient tools and cleaning systems. First, consider switching to products that are safer for the environment, aquatic life and human life. Check with your local distributor, as they should carry at least one environmentally friendly product line. Ideally, cleaning product is eco-friendly, non-hazardous and certified.
Bathroom cleaning involves disinfecting a number of different surfaces, so you want to avoid cross-contaminating surfaces. The best way to do this is to use color-coded microfiber cloths. Each color is used for a particular task. For example:
Cleaning floors using green cleaning equipment and methods means you'll use a good quality approved vacuum cleaner with HEPA filter to vacuum the floor, rather than sweeping, which spreads soil around and causes dust to become airborne.
Mopping floors using green cleaning equipment and methods means you'll use a microfiber mop instead of the traditional mop and bucket. Microfiber mops are lighter weight, use less water, and are able to trap more soil in the fibers than traditional mops. In medical facilities, you can quickly switch mop heads from room to room to avoid cross contamination.
As you can see, making a few simple changes in chemicals, equipment and cleaning methods can make a big impact. Not only will you be making a contribution to protecting the environment, but you'll also be protecting your family, pets and employees from toxic chemicals and outdated equipment that can cause unnecessary injuries.
In the world of cleaning, it is our responsibility as business owners to educate our employees on how to clean and sanitize the surfaces we care for. Bacteria growth is a big concern for our clients because they want to protect their families from unhealthy environments.
Understanding bacteria and how it grows and moves is one of the starting points in learning how to keep the environments we care for, clean.
Hand germs disease spread and the dangers of spreading illness in public as a health care risk concept to not wash your hands as dirty infected fingers and palm with microscopic viruses and bacteria.
Bacteria don't spread on their own. Here are some ways bacteria find their way to other surfaces.
By having an understanding of bacteria and how it spreads, you can make more informed choices on the products you choose to use and what areas may be at higher risk of bacteria growth.
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Until recently and even at present time, most cleaning companies cleaned for appearance which is what their clients were looking for. However, more and more home owners are concerned with the chemicals that are used in their homes and are looking for better alternatives. Green cleaning is not only cost effective, but it is better for a home’s indoor air quality and making it better environment for families.
But with so many products on the market these days, how do you know which ones are truly "Green"? Here are some suggestions on what to look for when choosing green cleaning products:
Once you've decided to make the switch to green cleaning products, use this as your guide for making the right choices.
Microfiber is no longer a "buzz word" that is taking the cleaning world by storm. Most cleaning companies should be using them on a daily basis as a basic cleaning tool.
How to choose the right microfiber cloth for your all cleaning needs. There are different grades of Microfiber for different types of tasks and most manufactures will carry at least 3 different types of Microfiber cloths. The most common types are:
When purchasing for your Microfiber cloths, visit your local cleaning suppliers, as they more likely to supply high quality Microfiber cloths. You can usually tell a good quality Microfiber cloth by doing couple of tests. First, run the cloth across your hand. Does it seem to catch? This is caused by the dense fibers and indicates quality Microfiber. Next, put a small amount of hand lotion on mirror and then wipe your mirror cloth to see how many passes it takes to remove the lotion. A good quality Microfiber cloth will remove the lotion in only one or two passes.
Microfiber cloths come in variety of colours and the reason for that to prevent cross contamination. You certainly would not want to use to clean a toilet and then use the same cloth to clean your kitchen bench tops.
when washing microfiber cloths, it is best to wash and dry them separately from other laundry items such as cotton cloths, towels or clothing. If you don't wash them separately, they will pull the lint off these items and become so loaded it may make them useless. Avoid using bleach and fabric softener. Bleach will damage the fibers and fabric softener will reduce the static charge, which is an important part of what makes Microfiber cloth works so well.
when cleaning Microfiber, use about half the amount of laundry detergent you would normally use for a load of laundry. Microfibers release soil very easily when washed, so more is not better in this case. It is recommended that your water temperature not to exceed 95 Celsius. Microfibers can air dry (Microfiber cloths dry very quickly) or you can use a machine to dry them as long as you use a low heat setting and do not add a fabric softener sheet.
Green cleaning is much more than using few chemicals labeled as GREEN. Green cleaning is defined as a system of cleaning promotes healthy surroundings for children, families, visitors and pets that we love. It is equally important and detrimental to environment that we live and share.
We are becoming more concerned and aware about the health of the environment. Awareness is also growing about importance of air quality.
Did you know that the air in our home can be more toxic than the air outside....
The air inside your home can be two to five times more polluted than the air outside. If you are not regularly airing your home (allowing fresh air to enter) will have stale, stagnant and filled with chemical pollutants. Poor air quality in your home can lead to health problems such as allergies, respiratory problems, eye irritation and tiredness.
We are also constantly adding to the air pollution in our home with products we use such as hair spray, deodorants, perfumes, cleaning products, pesticides etc. and we are constantly breathing this polluted air in our homes. The air in the home is not moving around and refreshed by winds and renewed by plants. Pollutants and soil is brought in all the time with our shoes. Cleaning is an important part of removing dirt and pollutants from your home and allowing fresh air to flow in pushing stale air out will create healthy breathing for you and your family.
It has been, and still is a traditional practice, in many countries to air out the blankets and rugs on a daily cleaning ritual. This would remove dirt and toxic spores and the sun light would kill and re-freshen bed coverings and rugs. These days houses are sealed, covered to avoid nastier from coming in but what we are doing is trapping pollution from the outside and concentrating the fumes from hundreds of products we use inside in our homes (air fresheners, deodorants, insecticides, cleaning products) which can lead to toxic indoor atmospheres.
How a home is cleaned can be a major factor in the quality of indoor air. It is important to eliminate individual sources of pollution or reduce their emissions. A simple practice is to OPEN THE WINDOWS on a regular basis to let fresh air in and help move the stale stagnated air to move around. Good practice to air your home on a regular basis, especial your bedroom after you have woken up let some fresh air in. When cleaning your home open the doors and windows.
Another is to use non-toxic and eco-friendly cleaning products in your home.
