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Just found a great article about HEPA filters. Rather then copy the whole thing I thought it would be easier to link you to it.
We use HEPA filters in our vacuums as they provide a much better filtration which is especially useful for allergy sufferers.
This is a great marketing idea that is dead cheap and an effective way to get even more great customers.
How it works
When you’ve finished cleaning someone’s carpets and you’ve done a good job ask the customer if you can post a letter through their neighbours doors. Show them what you will be putting through the door and get their authorisation. It’s important that the customer agrees to this as you may need them for a recommendation if the neighbour asks.
What to send
Write a letter on your PC that explains to the neighbour that you’ve just cleaned their neighbours carpets and introduce yourself to them. We have a letter that simply explains the benefits of having carpets cleaned and why they can trust us to provide a great service. We invite them to ask the neighbour what they thought of us which is great as the neighbour is getting a recommendation first hand.
Print a load of these and keep them in your vehicle ready to give 10-15 out after each job. As the letter can be a little large to keep we also attach a business card to the letter so they have something a bit smaller which they can keep with our contact details on them.
This is a good way to make your carpet cleaning company more aware in your town and is a great way to show the customer you have confidence in your work as you’re inviting them to seek out your previous work.
I have a copy of this letter saved so if you’d like a copy leave a comment below and i’ll get one sent.
You can buy Borax Substiture from our natural products online store
Borax is a natural, powerful cleaning agent which has been used for over 4000 years. It boasts a range of green qualities that make it an ideal product to have around the house; it’s great as a natural laundry booster, multi purpose cleaner, disinfectant, floor cleaner, and even as a general deodoriser.
Although Borax is an environmentally friendly product, it’s actually mildly toxic to children and pets if consumed, and can kill plants in high doses, cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation, so if used, should be used with caution. As a result Borax is no longer available in the UK, but have no fear, a better, safer alternative can be found, called Borax substitute. Borax substitute still has all the same cleaning and laundry uses, but you get a safer alternative for your money.
Borax Substitute has a number of qualities that make it ideal for a variety of tasks around the house. Although Borax substitute is much safer then Borax, it should still be used with caution; we recommend you always wear rubber gloves just to be safe.
I mainly use it as a natural laundry booster. It converts tiny amounts of water into Hydrogen Peroxide, giving it a mild bleaching effect; perfect for stained white clothes. Borax Substitute also softens water, increasing the efficiency of the laundry detergent, and therefore meaning less detergent is needed per wash saving you money. Borax is also a natural deodoriser and degreaser, making it great at removing the oils and smells from particularly dirty clothes.
Borax Substitute also works great as an eco friendly degreaser. Mix with water and lemon juice or white vinegar, and then apply to a greasy surface such as the hob and the tiles around it. Leave for a few moments and then simply wipe the dirt away.
I have tried using it for cleaning my bathroom and it performed better then expected. The grim in the tub was noticeably much better with very little effort from me. It’s amazing for cleaning really dirty toilets such as those found in rented student houses. Mix Borax Substitute with a small amount of vinegar to make a paste. Apply the mix directly onto stains in the toilet bowl and leave for at least 5 hours. Come back later and the dirt will have gone.
Although Borax can be used to clean the oven, in my opinion there are far better, quicker, and easier alternatives. If you want to give it a try here’s how. Make up a paste of 1/3 Borax Substitute, 1/3 soda crystals and 1/3 vinegar. Apply it to the oven with a sponge and leave it to do its work overnight if possible. Wipe away the dirt the next day with a damp cloth and you’re done.
Do you have any other uses for Borax substitute? We’d love to hear any creative ways you’ve come up with to us it around the house.
You can buy Borax Substiture from our natural products online store
Most people that choose green cleaning products do so because they care about the environment – and with good reason.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, cleaning products are released into the environment during normal use including rinsing down the drain a residual product from cleaned surfaces and sponges. Certain ingredients can be hazardous not only to humans – typically through skin and eye irritation – but also to aquatic species in waters that are not suitably treated. For example, ingredients containing phosphorus or nitrogen can lead to adverse effects on water quality and contribute to nutrient-loading in water bodies.
By looking for products that contain no toxic ingredients, no optical brighteners, no solvents (except for water) and no enzymes, individuals can make a difference because the fewer harmful chemicals that enter our water treatment system the less damage they can do. You can also buy cleaning products in reduced or recyclable packaging that cuts down on waste and transportation energy.
If doing your bit for the environment isn`t reason enough to think green with cleaning products then also consider the following:
- Health benefits: When cleaning products are used in homes we are exposed to their ingredients. It might be that they are sprayed on to surfaces that we eat from or touch so we absorb the chemicals; or it might be that we inhale their fumes. This can have a significant impact on our respiratory and immune systems. If you are in a home with young children or pets then you should be particularly wary as their basic body systems are more open to exposure and it could even impact their brain and internal organs. Just take a look at any number of conventional cleaning products and look at the warning labels – whether they read `do not inhale` or `if swallowed seek medical attention`, it`s clear that they can do serious damage to our health. So why expose yourself, your children and your pets to these risks when there are non-toxic products available such as those used by Green Clean Solution.
– Tackling allergies: Do you have asthma or hay fever? Perhaps eczema or dermatitis? These conditions can be aggravated by the cleaning ingredients that are trapped in furniture and carpets. Carpets act as a filter for this contamination in a home and if you use green cleaning products and regularly clean your carpet you can eliminate these issues and control the build up of dust mites and pollen grain contamination.
Don`t forget that regular cleaning and keeping your home in a good state of repair can impact your home insurance. Insurers may refuse claims if they deem that you have been negligent with your property prior to an insured event; while many insurers also only cover on a `wear and tear` basis meaning they reduce the payout they offer on select contents, such as carpets, based on depreciation. As such, upkeep and regular cleaning can help a claim run smoothly and help you receive a suitable payout should an insured event occur.
If you suffer minor accidental damage in your home it can also be more cost effective to hire a cleaning company to deal with any spills or stains for you rather than making a home insurance claim – most policies carry an excess and making claims may cause premiums to rise during your next renewal. When the time does come to renew, it`s well worth shopping around for cheap home insurance to ensure you are getting value for money.
Green cleaning is a great new method of cleaning; you can get all the same results using non-toxic products, with minimal affect on the environment, and more importantly there is no risk of harming yourself or your family. Green cleaning unfortunately isn’t doing as well as it should be and one main reason is because it’s still fairly new and an unknown area, making it hard to know what is a better alternative to the toxic products currently used, and what the best green cleaning products are.
To help people along the way on becoming a better green cleaner I have decided to do a green cleaning guide called What’s in My Bucket?. I plan to regularly create new articles with a different item that I carry around in my bucket when I’m out and about cleaning houses and offices. You can view all the articles in this category on the What’s in My Bucket? page, or if you’d like to follow the articles via rss click here.
I was given a wind up torch this Christmas and have been meaning to review it for a while now. I have found a minute free to shorten my to do list and this review is right at the top. I was given a silver 3 LED dynamo wind up torch made by Active Products; currently available to buy for roughly £4.50 both online and offline.
My first thought when I unwrapped it was how great it’ll be to finally have a torch that doesn’t need the expensive batteries forever replace; all I have to do is simply wind it up for 1 minute (the manual tells me doing this will lengthen the batteries life), and it’s ready to light the way.
This wind up torch by Active Products has 2 settings; turn the torch on the first time and you’ll get 3 LEDs, turn the torch off and on again and you’ll get 1 single LED; saving battery power. With 3 LEDs you’ll get 30 minutes of full use, and with 1 LED you can get up to 90 minutes. I tested this myself and got times very close to what the manufacturer states so was very pleased to see what this eco-gadget can really do.
The LEDs are more then bright enough for lighting up a dark room, perhaps no match for a Maglight but better then I initially expected from a wind up torch. I have found myself using this as a night light as it’s perfect for carrying downstairs for a midnight toilet visit.
I really love this LED Wind up Torch and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it; often I see green gadgets and think they look a bit gimmicky, and not very practical, but that is most definitely not the case with this wind up torch. What I find really sets this torch apart from standard torches is that it’s perfect for leaving in my drawer waiting to be used. Last year we had a lot of power cuts in Guildford and I found myself always searching for the nearest torch to find the batteries have gone flat, resulting in me having to stumble around the house looking for some new batteries in the pitch black. With my wind up torch, it can sit unused for years, then when I need it a quick wind up and it’s ready to go.
At around £4.50 I seriously recommend everyone go out and buy one. I love knowing that the power used has come from the energy I put into it and nothing else.
I’ve tried lots of different methods for removing labels from glass jars and other surfaces and most of the time ended up with sticky stuff smeared all over the place! I have found the best eco-friendly way to remove the sticky residue left from labels, making it a simple and straight forward affair that doesn’t require a single chemical!
All you need is a strong damp cloth (preferably a microfibre cloth) and plenty of elbow grease. I find wrapping the cloth around 1 of my fingers and pushing the cloth across the glue the most effective method. This works as the cloth grabs the first bit of glue, and then the glue on the cloth grabs the rest. If you have a large amount to remove try using a new clean part of the cloth to every now and again. This is the greenest method I know as it requires no chemicals what so ever, just one reusable cloth, and also is the lowest risk as you don’t need to risk scratching the surface with a scourer.
Not green enough? – Rather then using a microfibre cloth you could try using a cloth made from bamboo instead. I haven’t tested this myself and the bamboo cloth I was kindly given didn’t stay with me long so can’t guarantee it’ll work but perhaps worth a try.
If you find that a cloth alone isn’t enough to remove the glue, try using pure Eucalyptus oil. Soaking the glue in some Eucalyptus oil for 10-15 minutes and then using a microfibre cloth can remove almost all sticky residue, leaving nothing but a clear surface ready for the next label.
If you’ve got the time and if the glue is on a surface small enough, the least energy-consuming alternative method for loosening up label residue is to simply soak it overnight in hot water and eco friendly washing up soap. After a nights soaking you should find that all sticky residue is easily wiped off with a microfibre cloth.
You may find you have some non-water soluble glue or perhaps have some glue left on something that can’t be soaked in water so the method above wont work, instead try using a hair dryer. After 30 to 60 seconds of being heated up with a hair dryer, the glue should soften and be wiped away easily. Remember to take care not to burn yourself as the surface may be hot.
Over the years cleaning I have discovered many other ways to remove label glue. If none of the methods above work for you leave a comment below and I can post other methods. The ones listed above are my favourite and work almost every time.
Often the dirtiest place in the kitchen isn’t the worktops or the chopping boards, but the sponges used to “clean” the surfaces. Sponges often are left wet, next to the sink covered in all kinds of germs and dirt. Bacteria thrives in damp locations and as a result can quickly grow to hazardous levels, meaning your sponges need to be chucked far too often if you’re to be safe. One of the best ways to be green is to reduce unnecessary waste; this article will explain methods you can easily use to keep sponges safe and the reduce the need to replace them.
This is easily my favourite way to clean a sponge as it requires almost no effort from me; I simply place my dirty sponges (along with any other used cloth) in the top tray of my dishwasher every time that I put a load on. The hot water combined with the soap are powerful enough to remove almost all bacteria, making the sponges ready to clean another load of dirty surfaces.
For those that don’t have a dishwasher you could try soaking your sponges in the sink to remove as much bacteria as possible. A solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water will work the best but it comes with small health risks and can’t be used if you have a septic tank. If you don’t/can’t use bleach try leaving them in anti-bacterial soap overnight. After the sponge has been cleaned allow to air dry completely between uses as a small amount of bacteria will die in a dried sponge. Since soaking is less effective than putting the sponges through a dishwasher, but better than nothing, it should only be used as a last resort.
You could also try putting your sponges wet in the microwave for a minute or so. This requires a little more effort as you’ll need to keep an eye on them in case they start to burn and you’ll also have to remember to leave them to cool down after they’ve been cleaned as they’ll be hot enough to burn. In my opinion it’s not worth the risk as there’s far safer and easier alternatives to keeping your sponges clean.
If you have hard floors and are a pet owner or have kids running around, chances are one of your biggest problems is dealing with the constant dirt all over your floors. Although I recommend getting a weekly cleaning service to help maintain the floors, you may not be fortunate enough to have a house cleaning service yet to take care of it for you, and as this task can be very time consuming it can quickly get on top of you.
We have found the perfect solution to this problem, E-Cloth’s dry mop. It’s a light weight mop that uses a dry acrylic cloth to pick up pet hair and all other kinds of loose dirt off of hard floors in no time at all. The E-Mop is an Earth friendly cleaning product as you can wash the head in a hot wash and re-use many times, far more sustainable then disposable mop heads.
As the E-Mop is lightweight and has an extendable telescopic handle it can also be used on ceilings and walls; we use it regularly to remove cobwebs from the high ceiling houses we clean. This is perfect for us as we tend to go around in small vehicles when possible so we need to be smart with the limited space we have for our cleaning tools and green cleaning products, so finding another use for a tool we already carry around makes this a fantastic choice.
E-Cloth’s dry mop is a very quick fix to keeping hard floors clear from loose dirt and preventing pet hair from piling up. E-Cloth also make wet mop heads that can be used with this pole so all the more reason to buy an E-Mop. At approximately £25 for the full set the E-Mop may seem a tad on the expensive side, however what you get is a long lasting eco-friendly tool that will make keeping your floors clean quick and easy.
You may have noticed that we provide a domestic cleaning price guide and an online quote for our domestic cleans, which we feel works really well for our potential customers as they can easily get an idea of how much it’s going to cost for Green Clean Solution to regularly clean their property, however it doesn’t explain the details that goes into how we decide on a price. This article will briefly explain the reason behind the prices for our domestic cleaning service.
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