Archive for January, 2010

Why Aerosol?

Monday, January 11th, 2010
 
 

BECAUSE… it works better, faster and more efficiently… and it is green and eco friendly too!

 

Better, faster and more efficient

Because our hands get very tired when you have to keep pumping the bottle to get the job done, AND aerosol cans deliver a consistent and even spray with a touch of a finger so that I don’t need to use as much of the product to do the job.

 

Have you ever noticed that a lot of popular branded products that we use to spray larger areas (I define this as needing more than 1 shot) are in aerosol cans? Non-stick pan sprays, carpet cleaners, furniture polishers, bathroom cleaners, clothes starch, oven cleaners, paint spray and hair sprays…

 

Green and eco friendly
As I wrote in my blog, aerosol cans are green and eco friendly because they are generally steel and recyclable, and since the 1978 ban, are not allowed to use CFCs (the bad stuff that poked holes in the earth’s ozone layer).

 

Pump sprayers, on the other hand, are generally made of plastic. Plastic is also recyclable, but not all the plastic materials you throw into the recycling bin gets recycled, and everything I have been reading lately seems to indicate that we should all reduce our use of plastics; see the Ecology Center article, http://www.ecologycenter.org/ptf/misconceptions.html .

  1. Steel is North America’s #1 recycled material.

  2. All steel containers are made up of an average of 25 percent recycled steel.

  3. About 19 billion steel containers are recycled and turned into new products each year.

  4. Recycling one ton of steel saves about 2.5 tons of iron ore, 1 ton of coal and 40 pounds of limestone.

  5. Steel cans’ magnetic attraction allows steel cans to be more easily separated (for recycling) from other recyclables (such as plastic) or from municipal solid waste.

 

Why we package Clean+Green in aerosol cans vs. pump spray

  1. Clean+Green works better under pressure; you don’t have to soak the area or scrub the product into the carpet or upholstery.

  2. It is easier to use for larger areas. No more tired hands having to pump the spray.

  3. You don’t use as much product for the same pet messes (compared to pump sprays or having to pour (and saturate) a pet mess area.

  4. Aerosol packaging is actually more eco-friendly than using plastic pump spray bottles.

I hope that we have answered your questions, Why Aerosol?

 
 
 

 

 Quincy and Simon

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Wood Floor Cleaning Do’s and Don’ts

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

 

My children were older, we got a dog and I was tired of cleaning the carpet.  About 10 years ago, we decided to get rid of the wall to wall carpeting in our home.  The great news was that we uncovered beautiful hardwood floors through most of the house; one of the few benefits of having an old 1928 San Francisco home.  The bad news is that we and our furniture had to move out of the house for 2 weeks while the contractor sanded the floors, put in new laminate wood floors where there was just concrete, and then lay down 3 layers of clear coat floor.  The good news is we came home to beautiful floors that have held up! After having wood floors, I know why people are constantly asking, is this (product) safe on wood?  There are a lot of misconceptions about cleaning and maintaining wood floors, and then there are some really simple common sense things to do.  Thought I’d share. 

  1.   Minimize water and liquids on the floor.  Natural wood floors expand and contract due to moisture.  So, wipe up spills ASAP, and definitely do not leave large amounts of liquids on the wood as this will make it swell, and possible cause the floor to crack.
  2. Stiletto heels are veroten unless you want to plan to have a mosaic of floor pock marks.  Since I stopped wearing heels, especially stiletto heels, after having my first child, this is not a problem for me.
  3. Trim your dog’s and cat’s nails regularly because they are the animal world’s version of stiletto heels when left to sharpen. 
  4. Put floor guards on your chairs and furniture.  The last thing you want to hear is a scratching noise as you pull out the chair from the table. 
  5. Place mats at all entry doorways to trap dirt and grit off of shoes entering the house.  Dirt and grit are like sandpaper on wood so keep them out! 
  6. Make sure that your wood floor finish is in good condition.  If not, make sure to put on a maintenance coat.  The finish protects the wood, and if the finish is worn away, your wood is left unprotected. 

 Cleaning Do’s and Dont’s

  1. Don’t vacuum your wood floor using an attachment that has hard bristles or rotors.
  2.  Do vacuum your wood floor with bare floor attachments.
  3.  Do lightly sweep the wood floor with a soft-bristled broom or dust mop regularly.  I think this is a better way to clean wood floors versus vacuuming, but that’s my preference.
  4.  Don’t clean your floor with just water or any cleaner that requires you to use a lot of liquid; water/liquids are not your floor’s friend and cause the wood and the finish to deteriorate.
  5.  Don’t use vinegar and water or any other acidic solution that will harm the wood finish.
  6. Don’t use oil soaps.  They leave a harmful film and can build up and create problems when it’stime to put a maintenace coat on the floor.
  7. Do use neutral pH cleaners made specifically for wood floors such as Clean+Green for Wood & Tile.


Well, there are my major Do’s and Don’ts.  Will they be yours?

 

Quincy and Simon

  

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