This powerful liquid can do just about anything your roster of cleaning products can, and at a fraction of a cost.

From making cut flowers last longer to ridding our boots of salt stains, our favourite household staple is a powerful ally to any cleaning regimen.

Here are a favourite ways to use it.

	Clean Your Windows A smidgen of white vinegar can clean your windows as well as any commercial cleaner. Mix 1 cup of water with 1/8 cup of white vinegar and put them in a spray bottle and use it just like you would use your normal window cleaner.
	Keep Cut Flowers Fresh Keep your cut flowers looking fresh with a combination of two tablespoons of white vinegar and two tablespoons of sugar. Simply add the mix to two cups of water in your vase, and your bouquet will look better for longer.
	Remove Salt Stains from Boots Salt stains can wreck your favourite leather boots. Protect and clean your best pair with two tablespoons of white vinegar, one tablespoon of dish soap and two tablespoons of water. Place on sponge and wipe down your boots until thoroughly cleaned.
	Use Vinegar as a Natural Fabric Softener Skip the harsh perfumes of most fabric softeners and opt for 3/4 of a cup of white vinegar in your rinse cycle. Your clothes will come out soft and scent-free. (And they won’t smell like you work in a fish and chip shop, we promise!)
	Keep Cats and Dogs Away Your cat or dog might adore napping on your sofa, but you might not love it as much. Simply spray your sofa (or anywhere you might like) with a solution of pure vinegar. Felines hate the scent and will keep far, far away.
	Clean Your Brass and Copper A combination of one teaspoon of salt dissolved in one cup of white vinegar can bring your brass and copper back to life. (Just be sure to dissolve the salt so it won’t be abrasive to the surfaces.)
	Poach Perfect Eggs Who knew? Two tablespoons of white vinegar to your poaching water ensures that the egg whites will firm up faster.
	Clean Your Coffee Maker Vinegar can quickly rid your coffee pot of built-up stains. Just add a cup to your percolator (with no coffee) and run it through a regular cycle, or add a cup of boiling vinegar to your glass percolator and let sit.
	Remove Mildew from Clothes Mildew can make your clothes smell terrible, but put them through a hot wash cycle with a cup of vinegar and a teaspoon of baking soda, and the mildew will disappear in no time.
	Banish Onion-Scented Hands Before and after cutting an onion, garlic or any other strong-smelling foods, rub vinegar on your hands to keep them scent-free.           By Sweetspot.ca

How is Particulate Matter Produced?

Particle pollution is produced in a great number of ways that can be classified into either mechanical or chemical processes. The mechanical process of particle pollution involves the breaking down of bigger matter into smaller particles without the material changing, only becoming smaller. Agriculture, coal and oil combustion’s, dust storms and construction are some activities that produce many of the larger or coarse particles. The chemical process of particle formation can be from sources that burn fuel and emit gases. Here, the pollutant vaporizes and then condenses to become a particle of the same chemical compound. The small particles can further react or combine with other compounds in the atmosphere. A major source for particles formed this way are the burning of fossil fuels in industry, transportation, agriculture, etc.

Particles come in many, many shapes and sizes, and can be solid particles or liquid droplets. The size of particles is directly linked to their potential for causing heath problems. Traditionally, the environmental sciences have divided particles into two main groups and these two groups are different in many ways.

PM10 is particles between 2.5 and 10 microns (micrometers) in diameter (a human hair is about 60 micron in diameter). PM2.5 is particles smaller than 2.5 microns. The PM10 and PM2.5 measurements you might have seen reported, by the EPA for example, refer to the total weight of the particle found. This is a holdover from when the available technology had difficulty detecting individual particles. More modern monitoring equipment, such as that used in clean room monitoring, count and size individual particles.

There is more than size that is different in these types of particles. Each type of particle has different material compositions and can come from different places. The smaller the particle the longer it can remain suspended in the air before settling. PM2.5 can stay in the air from hours to weeks and travel very long distances because it is smaller and lighter. PM10 can stay in the air for minutes to hours and can travel shorter distances from hundreds of yards to many mile because it is larger and heavier.

Particulate Matter-What You Breathe!

When you inhale, you breathe in air along with any particles that are in the air. This breath of air, along with the particles, travel into your respiratory system, and along the way the particles can stick to the sides of the airway or travel much deeper into the lungs. Your lungs produce mucous to trap particles and there are also tiny hairs (called cilia) that move the mucous and particles out of the lungs. PM2.5 can get down into the deepest (alveolar) portions of the lungs when gas exchange occurs between the air and your blood stream. These are the most dangerous particles because the alveolar portion of the lungs has no efficient means of removing them and if the particles are water soluble, they can pass into the blood stream within minutes. If they are not water soluble, they remain in the alveolar portion of the lungs for a long time.

However, when the small particles go deeply into the lungs and become trapped this can result in lung disease, emphysema and/or lung cancer in some cases. Exercise and physical activity cause people to breather faster and more deeply and to take more particles into their lungs. The United States Environmental Protection Agency reported “studies suggested small particles can leave the lung and travel through the blood to other organs, including the heart”.

The main effects associated with exposure to particulate matter may include: premature mortality, aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease (indicated by increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits, school absences, loss of work days, and restricted activity days) aggravated asthma, acute respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis, decreased lung function and increased myocardial infarction. Epidemiologic studies suggest that exposure to particulate matter may result in tens of thousands of excess deaths per year, and many more cases of illness among the US population.

People with heart or lung diseases such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at an increased risk, because particles aggravate these diseases. People with diabetes also may be at an increased risk, possibly because they are more likely to have underlying cardiovascular disease, and older people may be at greater risk due to undiagnosed heart or lung disease or diabetes. Infants and children are also at risk for several reasons, first their lungs are still developing and they have an increased level of activity and play. This is when they would be more likely to have asthma or acute respiratory disease, which is aggravated when particle levels are at their highest. It has also been suggested that high exposure to particle levels may attribute to low birth weights in infants, pre-term deliveries and possible fetal and infant deaths.

For a free Indoor Air Quality Test that will check particulate matter density, call Kastle Klean today to set up an appointment.

Green product or services include a minimum of additives and derive their surfactants and other in-organics from normal sources, rather than using the industry-standard inorganic compounds that can be hazardous to the skin and lungs.   While each one loves a clean home or business, no one prefers the smell of bleach. When cleaning a business or location such as a hospital where disinfecting is very important, the concentrations of bleach frequently used can burn the eyes, noses, and lungs of sensitive people and make the experience unpleasant for each one.

Home Green Cleaning Solutions

One excellent method that has a myriad of possible solutions is using steam to disinfect and clean any type of surface. It’s efficient even against mildew stains, and there are no in-organics whatsoever: a steam machine uses pure water. The vapor dissipates in the air afterward and the only thing left behind is a clean, disinfected surface. This is specially great for use in the home, in enclosed spaces that are poorly ventilated, and in children’s areas.

Another normal cleaner that’s extremely inexpensive, while being potent for use in many situations, is vinegar and baking soda. You may remember them as a way to make “volcano’s” in school, but that fizzing action will unstop a stubborn drain in no time, and is definitely safe for septic tanks. Making a Paste with baking soda can be used in any way you would ordinarily use a chemical-based scrubber. Baking soda is very good against stains and it’s abrasive enough to take on the most stubborn tasks.

Liquid castille soap can take the spot of any soaps or detergents you might ordinarily use. It is made purely from plant sources, with no animal products involved, and it works as a all objective cleaner, grease-cutter, and disinfectant. Liquid castille soap is so gentle that it can be used by even the most sensitive hands.  To polish furniture, instead of making use of sprays, simply use olive oil. considering it contains no aromas and is a food-grade solution, it is family-friendly. It can be mixed with a little citrus oil to make it more potent, as well as give it a nice organic scent.

Green cleaning is the rising wave of the future.  Whether for work or home you can always find green cleaning solutions.

Traditional cleaning methods and products have been shown to have potentially adverse effects on your health. But what are these effects? What risks are there to your body? To understand the need for green cleaning, you must know why it necessary. As scientific data becomes more readily available, we are learning more every day about the harmful effects that many chemicals have on the human body.

Harmful Effects of Not Green Cleaning

Health effects can be classified into two groups, acute and chronic. Acute effects are those brought on due to a single event and can cause severe health problems, even death. Examples of such instances include:

• Blindness due to eye contact with certain chemicals, such as acid cleaners, leading to temporary or permanent damage of the eyes
• Poisoning from ingesting or absorbing into the skin toxic chemicals, leading to a wide range of health problems including headaches, nausea, gastric problems, and even death
• Burns of the eyes and skin caused by chemical contact or by mixing incompatible chemicals
• Frostbite from certain aerosol products

Chronic health effects are those which develop over the time from repeated exposure. These types of effects are often difficult to determine, as they slowly develop through long-term exposure. Examples of these health effects include:

• Reproductive disorders including birth defects
• Cancer
• Respiratory ailments
• Endocrine system disorders
• Chemical sensitization resulting in lowered tolerances to future exposure
• Allergic reactions including sneezing, wheezing, hives, skin irritations, and increased sensitivity
• Central nervous system disorders

Some types of exposure may lead to both acute and chronic reactions, including skin and eye irritation, kidney and liver damage, and central nervous system disorders. These effects can be permanent and debilitating.

How do people get exposed to these chemicals? Most of the acute health problems are more of an issue for your employees. Daily use and close physical contact with cleaning chemicals put your cleaners more at risk for “accidents.” Breathing in of fumes, skin absorption, and ingestion are more likely risks for your cleaners. Mislabeled or unlabeled containers can make the improper mixing of chemicals a possibility. If chemicals are stored or used around food areas, exposure is a risk. Improper dispensing equipment or methods can create exposure, as well as exposure from cleaning up chemical spills. Perhaps the greatest risk is due to improper training. A lack of knowledge about chemicals and their risks puts the user in a vulnerable position.

What are the risks for your customers?  Improper use of chemicals and poor maintenance practices can lead to what is known as sick building syndrome (SBS).  There are several unrelated causes of SBS, such as poor ventilation, moisture problems, mold, and artificial lighting to name a few. Chemical contamination and excessive dust can contribute to these problems resulting in this syndrome. Fragrances in cleaning chemicals can also be a culprit. It is usually a combination of several of these factors, but removing as many as possible will contribute to a more-healthy environment. Symptoms of SBS include:

• Eye, nose, and throat irritations
• Skin irritations
• Neurotoxic symptoms including headaches, sluggishness, mental and physical fatigue, difficulty in concentrating, dizziness, and vomiting
• Hypersensitivity resulting in runny nose, teary eyes, and asthma-like symptoms

How Green Cleaning Helps

How can cleaning companies help reduce these risks?  Well, green cleaning of course! The proper use environmentally friendly cleaning supplies, equipment, and techniques will help reduce exposure to harmful chemicals.  Green cleaning chemicals replace hazardous ingredients traditionally found in many cleaning chemicals, and avoid the use of carcinogens, phosphates, dyes, fragrances, and other undesirable ingredients. Look for products which have the Green Seal®, a certification from a third-party, independent organization that certifies environmentally friendly products.

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Jean Hanson helps owners of small cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through her online community at TheJanitorialStore.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for weekly cleaning tips at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com.

There are so many changes you can make in your home to impact the way we recycle and in the end, will help you keep some of the money in your pocket.

Having recycling bins set up so that you can properly sort the items that are recycled is a great first step.  That activity alone can cut down greatly on the items that end up in the landfills rather than where they can be recycled.

Keeping your televisions, DVDs, stereos and computers plugged in to a power strip or surge protector rather than directly into the wall and then turning off the power strip will cut back greatly on power “leaks” that can cost you money on your utility bill.  Being aware to turn these items off, is the first step, and then having them plugged into the power strip will just further the action for saving money and energy.

Don’t leave a light on when you walk out of a room and no one else is in there.  And have you changed your light bulbs from the traditional ones to the compact flourescent kind?  Did you know that the newer lights use 75% less energy to run and they will out live a traditional light bulb by up to 10 years?  Make the changes that need to be made in your home.

Don’t run the dishwasher or the washing machine unless they are full.  It’s a waste of energy and water to run a cycle through the dishwasher when it’s only half full.  Don’t turn it on until you have a full load to wash and then just wash them all at once.

Use microfiber cloths for cleaning all kinds of surfaces like furniture, counters and sinks.  The bonus is that these items can be tossed into the washer and are perfectly able to be reused again and again.  Think of the savings in paper towels alone!  Talk about a win-win; if we use fewer paper towles, then that means fewer trees need to be cut to make them in the first place.  How can we go wrong with thinking like that?

Take shorter showers and see if you can pick up a shower head that is a water-conserving item, already in place, that will save you money and you’ll never even notice the difference during your shower.

There is so much you can do in the efforts to recycle, just be sure you’re doing your part.

The robot type vacuums were invented by Electrolux then introduced into the consumer market in 2001. After that came Roomba vacuums, as they perfected cordless vacuums and took things to the next playing field.  If your wondering how they can improve your life, just think about coming home after a hard day at work, sitting down to watch television, and letting the robot do all of the vacuuming for you.

The Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners use a 3 stage cleaning system that is designed to clean the edge of your walls, underneath your furniture, and  anywhere else it detects dirt.  These robots can actually detect the dirty areas on your carpet or floors and do extra cleaning in those specific areas to get the job done right.

These vacuums actually have a brain of sorts, so they can detect such things as stairs and stay clear of them.  By using infrared sensors to detect the stairs in your home, they can quickly and easily stay away from them.

After the room as been cleaned, the robotic vacuum cleaner will go back to the recharge station to charge its battery for the next time you need to use it.  Keep in mind that Roomba isn’t the only company that makes robotic vacuum cleaners, as  other models worth checking out include Karcher RC 3000, EVac, and Samsung.  The most popular type however, is the Roomba Discovery SE.

When you look at things as a whole, you’ll quickly see that robotic vacuum cleaners are the way to go.  They can save you a lot of money in the long run, and a lot of time and effort as well.  When you get a robotic vacuum cleaner, you can rest  assured that your days of vacuuming are over.

When it comes to price, the price will vary  depending on the model you select.  You can find Roomba models these days for under 100 dollars,  which is perfect for those on a budget.  Now days, you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a robot vacuum cleaner for your home.

To get your robotic vacuum cleaner, you can check your local store or online.  You can find some impressive deals online, with hundreds of stores at your fingertips.  All you have to do is select the model you like best, buy it, then watch it do all of your vacuuming from here on out!

Scuffs and marks on woodwork can be removed with a pencil eraser – these marks, from shoes, wheels, or rubber bumping against things are hard to remove any other way, but come off with ease with a rubber. Toothpaste isn’t just great for cleaning teeth – you can use it to remove stubborn ink, crayon, or scuff stains from any surface – be careful to test it on wallpaper first in an inconspicuous place.  You’ll have to remove most of these stains from walls before painting as they can show through several layers of paint.

Toothpaste For Cleaning?

Toothpaste is also good for removing crayon from radiators, or glass – just rub lightly with a non abrasive cloth, or for tough stains, leave to sit for up to one hour before scrubbing gently.

You can remove unwanted paint from most woodwork by carefully scouring with a brass scourer – not too hard though, or you’ll scratch the other paintwork. Scum stains, dried toothpaste and lime scale come off with liberal application of an oxy based paste – you can get any ‘oxy’ based cleaner (one that fizzes and heats up the water slightly) in most supermarkets.

You can remove moldy or damp smells just about anywhere with bicarbonate of soda.  Simply apply to the smelly area (or leave a tub open in a cupboard or fridge) and the smell should be vastly diminished or gone within 24 hours.  The same goes for activated charcoal, or a few drops of vanilla on a cloth.  Baking soda is good for a whole month, so can be used continually, not just for cleaning for a move.

If you’re washing textured walls, use a nylon sock to do so – it means you won’t leave fluff in your wake – and always wash walls from the bottom up to avoid streaking, applying any cleaning solution you’re using (once tested to ensure paint, or wallpaper fastness) in small patches whilst you’re cleaning. You can remove wax from carpets, floors or curtains simply by using an absorbent cloth and a hot iron – the wax should stick to the absorbent cloth and peel away easily.

Finally, don’t mix cleaning products – most contain either ammonia or bleach and when combined the fumes are deadly.  Care should be taken when cleaning any are that has been spot treated with a  different solution than you are mopping with, because not only are some mixes deadly, but others can react with one another and cause spotting, or ugly marks.

When making your decision keep these following 7 tips in mind:

1. Ask for referrals or testimonials-  A good company should be more than happy to provide you with a few good customers. And if they can`t, take this as a warning sign that there service is a source of complaints and poor quality.

2. Avoid Lower Priced Companies – The old adage “you get what your pay for” applies here. We realize that it is very time consuming and difficult to pick the right company, so that is why it is important to pick right the first time.  Going with the “cheapest” bid is not always the best idea. The trend now a days is for a company to bid low, win the contract and sell it off to another competitive cleaning company.  In effect they become brokers. The problem with this is two-fold. One you lose control of who is actually doing the cleaning and two, because the company who bought the contract is now cleaning it for less than the original quote, quality may now suffer.

A cheaper bid could also be a reflection on the experience and low quality of the company . You may discover that by going with the cheapest bid you actually may end up paying more in the long run if you have to let them go and do the re-hire process all over again.

3.The Face to Face Meeting – It may seem like a hassle, but we strongly encourage that you take the time to meet your prospective cleaning professionals in person. This will give you a good sense of their confidence, competence and professionalism.  After all, a cleaning service shouldn’t just “look good” on paper. It should also “feel right” in your gut.

4.Are they Bonded and Insured? – This is a given. Only work with companies that treat your business seriously.  Any company that places value on their name will back up their service with the proper protective measures. Don’t just ask if they’re bonded. Ask for proof. Ask to see their papers. Anyone who refuses is probably lying.

5.Avoid large firms – Rather than building a reputation through relationships, some companies will opt to pay for marketing.  Many large firms don’t perform their own cleaning, and have no means of ensuring service quality. Instead, they make their money by selling franchises and contracts to new entrepreneurs.  You want a company that has its own employees, and performs their own work… not a franchise.

6.Here today, gone tomorrow syndrome – How long have they been around? Commercial cleaning is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Low barriers to entry mean that anyone can start a company with minimal investment.  Unfortunately, many of these smaller shops tend to shut down when they realize how difficult it actually is to provide quality service while staying profitable.  Nothing’s worse than being stuck because your cleaning company suddenly decided to go out of business without telling you.

7.Quality Control – You will want a company that not only trains there employees but offers full support. This includes on-going training and education, regular supervision and inspections.  Open and honest communication should be a top priority. Prompt follow ups and response times must be rectified within the day.

8. Green Cleaning-If the company you are thinking about hiring does not have a green program in place then they are behind the times.  Green cleaning is the way to clean now!  It reduces harmful toxins that most all cleaning chemicals have and eliminates germs thus saving your company money by reducing sick leave.  We all have to play a part in saving our environment, why should it only apply to our homes?  Our offices and work place must be safe as well and that starts with the cleaning company.

We hope that these tips will help you to make the right choice in selecting your next office cleaning company.

For a free no obligation quote, please call us today at (519) 301-1823 and ask for me, Troy.