Posts Tagged by housekeeping
Keep a Clean and Shiny Sink
| June 20, 2011 | Filled under Get Clean |
If housework is a chore and you let things build up over time…. then I suggest you try the Flylady system.
I’ve been receiving her daily digests (encouraging emails) that guide you step by step through simple routines that help you keep house in a minimum amount of time. I think what makes her system unique is that she deals with the emotional issues we might have that cause us to procrastinate and not do housework.
Anyway, the very first thing she asks you to master is “A Clean and Shiny Sink.” This first babystep is to make sure you don’t go to bed with a sink full of dirty dishes. I’ve been working on this for the last month and I can say it has really made a difference in my attitude. I feel better about myself and the house.
By the way, FLY stands for “Finally Loving Yourself.” Flylady is a great resource and encouragement to help you keep house.
Since she recommends a Clean and Shiny Sink, I thought I would review how I keep my sink clean and shiny (the green and natural way!)
How I Clean My Sink Without Toxic Cleaners
I used to use those spray and wipe products from the grocery store to clean my sinks until I was introduced to Shaklee’s Basic H and Shaklee Basic G nearly 20 years ago. I believed the lies the commercials told me about needing those harsh chemicals to kill the germs and keep my home clean. But, not anymore. Back then, I was mostly interested in saving money. Now, I understand the health consequences of using toxic cleaners.
Here’s a picture of my porcelain sink. It stains easily.
Next, I sprayed my sink with Basic H2 All purpose spray and then covered with Get Clean Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste. I let it soak for 2 minutes and then used a scrubby to scrub the sink stains. Then I rinsed it and whah-lah— all shiny and clean and no toxins to breathe!
You can order Shaklee Basic H2 and Scour Off at my Shaklee Store.
Email me from the “Contact Me” button above and ask about my Shaklee Specials.
Home Made Natural Window Cleaner vs. Shaklee Organic Basic H2 Window Solution
| March 12, 2011 | Filled under Get Clean, Shaklee |
Duel: Natural Window Cleaner with Vinegar vs. Natural Window Cleaner with Basic H2
Today is a face off between a home made recipe for natural window cleaner and my personal favorite, Shaklee Organic Basic H2 Window Solution. Yes, I am biased already. (Read my disclaimer here!)
Since I’ve been using the same green cleaners for nearly 20 years, I thought it would be interesting to try a home made cleaner and compare it to Basic H2. I’ve heard people say they think they can make their own cleaners for less than a concentrated cleaner like Basic H2, so I put it to the test.
First, I found a recipe for a natural window cleaner.
Home Recipe for Window Cleaner
3 cups water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Mix and Spray.
Time out! A little side trip required…
Believe it or not, I have no white vinegar in the house. I have rice vinegar, seasoned rice vinegar, and red wine vinegar. Go figure!
So off to the Piggly Wiggly I must go. Yes, there really are Piggly Wiggly’s in the South just like in the movie, Driving Miss Daisy.
So, I started my drive to Piggly Wiggly which is only a mile from my house and I started thinking. Now how green is this to run to the store for one bottle of vinegar? So I decided to stop by the dry cleaners and pick up my clothes to combine the trip with another errand. Then, I thought, OMG, it’s not very green to get your clothes dry cleaned! Well stick with me. I’m just a greener cleaning mom, not a real green mom.
Anyway, that will have to be another post.
At the Pig (that’s what we call it down here…really!) I found a 32 oz bottle of store brand white vinegar for $1.07. Not bad, right?
I came home (after stopping at the dry cleaners) and posed my two dueling cleaners for a picture and got them ready for the competition.
I decided to test them in 5 areas.
- Ease of mixing
- Ease of use
- Effectiveness
- Cost
- Environmental Benefits
Let’s get ready to rumble!!!!
How easy is it to mix?
The vinegar solution took longer to mix. I had to measure the vinegar, the lemon juice and the water. But, all in all it only took about 2 minutes. I can’t complain.
The competitor only took 2 drops of Basic H2 Super Concentrate and water. It took less than a minute to prepare. Quicker and easier!
Ease of Mixing Winner: Basic H2
(I did tell you I had a bias, right? You had fair warning…)
How easy is it to use?
I sprayed each solution on 1/2 the window and let sit for 1 minute. Next, I took a newspaper (recommended by many bloggers using home recipes for cleaners) and wiped the vinegar based solution side.
I used a microfiber glass cleaning cloth to wipe the Basic H2 side.
What Happened?
I was expecting the newspaper to be really messy because whenever I read my newspaper I always get newsprint on myself. But, it wasn’t that messy. I actually liked how it felt. It grabbed the glass and provided some friction for scrubbing action. It did leave a few scraps of paper behind and a small amount of newsprint on my hands, but it wasn’t the bad experience I expected.
The Basic H2 solution and the microfiber cloth worked well without any mess.
Both solutions took about the same amount of time to dry.
Ease of Use Winner: Tied
Which cleaner gets glass clearer and cleaner?
Since I am biased and opinionated on the topic. I asked my daughter who was not present during the test to take a look and see which side was cleaner. Without much hesitation she picked the side cleaned with Basic H2.
I asked,” Why do you say that?”
Her response, “This side is clearer and doesn’t have water spots.! It’s much clearer!”
Then I replied, “You picked the side cleaned with Basic H2!”
The home recipe did leave a few water spots, but other than that the glass was clean.
Effectiveness Winner: Basic H2
(To be fair, I later used the microfiber cloth with the home recipe and it still left water spots.)
Which costs less to use?
Vinegar Based Home Recipe:
32 oz of white vinegar is $1.07, lemon juice (a few pennies I won’t even count this!)
1 bottle of white vinegar (32 oz) $1.07
Makes 32 (16 oz.) bottles of window cleaner
$1.07/32 = 3 cents per spray bottle of window cleaner. Not bad!
Basic H2:
Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate is $12.15 for 16 oz.
Add 1-2 drops per 16 oz spray bottle filled with water.
Makes the equivalent of 5,824 bottles of window cleaner! For $12.15 you can make 5,824 bottles of window cleaner!
Winner: Shaklee Basic H2
Which is Greener?
Both are natural, non- toxic cleaners that work well. But, Shaklee Basic H2 is much greener because you would have to buy 182 bottles of vinegar to make the equivalent amount of cleaner. That’s 182 more bottles being shipped across the country (using gas and emissions) and 182 more bottles in the landfill.
While I was at Piggly Wiggly, I priced Windex Green Glass Cleaner and it was $3.49 for a 26 oz bottle. Now that’s over $20,000 for 5,824 bottles of cleaner! Not to mention all the bottles that will fill the landfills!!! And the gas and energy used to transport what is mostly water! Are you convinced yet?
If so, please become a greener cleaning mom and either make your own home recipe of window cleaner from vinegar or use Shaklee Basic H2 Super Organic Cleaner. You’ll save lots of money, keep your family safe, and help the planet be healthier too!
If you agree, grab my button and post on your blog…
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Email me for “my specials” on the Basic H2 Super Cleaning Concentrate by clicking on the link above that says, “Contact Me.”
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10 Reasons to Become a Greener Cleaning Mom
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