Learn How To Clean Your Windows - With Just Water

Here is one simple tool that can make cleaning your windows a snap. I only wish I had found this while I had my house keeping service! I never agreed to clean windows because they are so hard to do correctly. We'd spend hours spraying glass cleaner and trying every kind of paper towel so we could avoid streaks and lint. This blue cloth does it all!

Something So Easy!

So I found a Lenox vase that my grandmother gave me years ago. It had some kind of strange film inside and I thought I'd just throw it into the dishwasher and clean it.

After the first time through the dishwasher, it came out just as dirty so I put it through a second time.

As you can see - still dirty.




So I thought I'd try something for fun. I poured Heinz distilled white vinegar in the vase and let it sit all day.
Look how wonderfully it came out!
Something so simple and easy - how wonderful!

A Review Of My Book By The Healthful Truth


Here is a review of my book by the Healthful Truth. Thanks Lily!

The Joy of Green Cleaning

Green Cleaning CoachI have a dream…that one day my home will be completely free of harsh chemicals! I was raised to use these toxic chemicals. My mother says “If you’re not using Clorox, it’s not clean!”. My mother even uses it in her dish water especially when someone gets sick in the home. I thought this was how it was done! (Sorry Mom!) Now I cringe when I smell bleach. Lysol All Purpose Cleaner gives me a raging headache.
What is my “why” when it comes to green cleaning? I didn’t actually start to make green, non-toxic changes until I became pregnant and started thinking about my daughter’s health. I thought about how she would be crawling on the floors absorbing toxic chemicals through her skin and mouth. They would be present on her clothes and inhaling these chemicals that kill brain cells, cause cancer, and irritate your skin. If you have kids you know that their skin is very sensitive and their guts are very permeable and these chemicals would quickly get in to her blood stream and wreck havoc. Not only did I think about the cleaners but also the baby products like shampoos and lotions. Another reason
why, is that we over do it when it comes to anti-bacterial products. We have been raised to think that killing all bacteria is good for us…WRONG. Most people don’t realize that there are good bacteria and bad bacteria. Antibacterial cleaners kill everything leaving the strongest bacterias to survive and get stronger. This results in the creation of super bacteria that become resistant to the antibacterial agents you use to kill them. You may actually be doing more harm to yourself by using these harsh chemicals to kill them then what the bad bacteria you are trying to kill may do to you.
So all this non-toxic talk brings me to my latest blog post which is really a book review of The Joy of Green Cleaning:) I absolutely love this recipe book! It’s a great handy resource book for green cleaning.  It was written by Leslie Reichert aka Green Cleaning Coach whose mission is to teach and encourage others in the art of home-keeping and green cleaning. In her book, Leslie explains what is the big deal about greening your cleaning. She says that most regular cleaning can be done without any toxic chemicals. It is true that you can clean with non-toxic items already in your pantry such as baking soda, vinegar, sea salt, lemon juice, and hydrogen peroxide.

Making Your Own Laundry Soap Is Easy And Frugal

You've heard about making your own laundry soap, but it really seems like a lot of work. I'm going to show you how easy it is in this video below
With just four simple ingredients you can make enough for 80 loads of laundry. And the price? I'm guessing that it really only costs 3.00 for the entire batch. Watch the video and if you decide you really don't want to do it yourself, you can purchase this beautiful Ball Jar container filled with the recipe here: http://www.backdoorvac.com/great-grandma39s-laundry-so39.html

Halloween Clean-Up Tips On Mom.me


Mom.me  Clean Halloween
Looking for some tips on how to clean up after Halloween? You definitely need to visit Mom.me and read my 14 tips on Halloween Clean. The post is written by Jenna Birch. Take a minute to go over and read this great article!
 http://mom.me/halloween/4516-halloween-clean/



The Pet Show On ABC Washington DC

On the set at the ABC Studios in Washington DC.
What a beautiful day in northern Virginia! It felt like summer in New England. I was lucky enough to be able to travel to DC and stay with some old friends before traveling off to Arlington to shoot a segment with Dr Katy and ABC. I hope you get to see the segment as we talked about how important it is to keep the toxic cleaners away from your pets (and kids too).  They want me to come back and do a Mixology Show. Sounds like fun - especially if I bring the vodka!

Cleaning Up After Halloween Pranks

http://www.dreamstime.com/halloween-imagefree33237
The morning after Halloween can be a real surprise if you've been pranked by some little goblins. Here are some solutions for cleaning up after four typical Halloween pranks.

1. Your house was "egged". If the neighborhood kids thought it would be fun to throw some eggs on your home, here's how to get it off. Time is of the essence, so make sure you deal with this mess right a way. Use your garden hose and wet the area underneath the egg. Moisten the area with cool water. Don't spray the egg directly, as it will just spray the mess everywhere. Once the entire area under the egg is wet, start gently spraying the siding above the egg. All you want to do is let the running water wash it off gently.

2. Your trees and lawn were "TP-ed"So you wake up to toilet paper all over your front yard. Get out there immediately with a broom or rake. You want to get the paper down before it turns to mush. Work from top to bottom and if the toilet paper isn't too wet you can try a leaf blower.

3. Your car has shaving cream all over the windows. Don't fret, this is easy to remove as long as you don't try to scrape it off. Just gently wash cool water over it until the shaving cream starts to dissolve.

4. They smashed your pumpkins The little pranksters just couldn't leave your pumpkins alone. It won't be a problem as long as you deal with it quickly. Remove all the big pieces with a shovel and wash off the "goop" with your garden hose. Don't let this sit for even one day. The sun and heat will bake it into your driveway in less than eight hours.

An Easy Way To Remove Dust, Dirt And Pollen From Your Screens

Your window screens are full of dust, dirt and pollen. How can you clean them quickly and easily? Watch this video and find out how...

The Highest Paid Cleaning Jobs in History



You won't complain about cleaning your home once you read this!!
Guest post by Paul Smith



Working as a cleaner may seem like a humble pastime but there is a lucrative side to this line of employment that is rarely talked about. Here are some areas of this sector where you literally can – clean up…
      






Refuse Collector
Source: http://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/default.aspx?pag38
As a starting point, it’s useful to look at the salary earned by a refuse collector and it may not be as low as many people think. In exchange for collecting your garbage on a weekly basis, operatives can expect to start on wages in the region of £20,000 per annum.
With time and training, this figure could rise to £27,000 and when you consider the weather conditions, the smell and the type of waste that’s being dealt with, maybe that isn’t such a bad reward.


  Portable Toilet Cleaner


This is arguably the worst cleaning role of all as it deals with a combination of the worst possible jobs around. The person employed in this job is playing the part of cleaner and refuse collector as they deal with the worst excesses of human waste.
Some cleaners are employed to deal with up to 60 toilets a day but once again, the remuneration is higher than you might expect and annual salary could increase to around £35,000.
       Sewer Cleaner

Take all the human waste and garbage from a portable toilet and then multiply that by several hundred and you might just have something approaching the scenario that faces a sewer inspector every day.
These people literally dive into the end product in order to check for cracks and blockages in the system. Alongside all the human outpourings are a wide range of nasties from the animal world including spiders, other insects and, of course rats. However, it’s not unknown for sewage workers to stumble across dead bodies as they go about their work.
They have to go through all of this and as their reward, a top sewage inspector can expect to earn around £40,000 per annum before tax.
4.      
High Rise Window Cleaner



As a self-employed window cleaner your wages are never likely to be the same from month to month. If you work for a contractor however, you might expect to earn an average of around £17,500 a year for cleaning ‘standard’ properties.
Window Cleaners for high rise buildings are in huge demand however and the risks involved mean that they can command much higher wages. Special certification is also required for working over a certain height and although sources vary in regard to their estimates, it’s generally claimed that anyone cleaning the tallest skyscrapers can expect to earn at least £40,000 a year.
5
     Crime Scene Cleaner
Imagine having to clean up after a murder and the sights and smells that greet you. Someone has to do it and once all the evidence has been taken away it’s up to the cleaner to get rid of blood, hair and other unspeakable remains.
Needless to say, this is a highly skilled task that also needs professional training but the rewards are there for those that persevere. This is generally accepted as being the highest paid of the cleaning jobs and if you can be flexible with your working hours, salaries of around £60,000 a year are quite common.
6.       .
Author Bio:
This post was written by Paul Smith of Ecocleen Cleaning Services Ltd, an office, commercial and industrial cleaning services company. Visit them at http://eslsolutions.co.uk/

EWG Releases Guide to Healthy Cleaning

from EWG.org

As an expert in the green cleaning industry for over 20 years, I had been anxiously awaiting the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Guide to Healthy Cleaning.  I was hopeful that this guide would be the resource I needed to educate people about the toxins in their conventional cleaning products.   I couldn’t wait to look up the brands I’d been recommending for years to show people that “green” products really are better for them than the grocery store cleaners we’ve been using for decades.  Unfortunately, when the guide was released last week, I found EWG’s grading system to be confusing from a consumer’s point of view.

EWG.org had been creating their Guide to Healthy Cleaning for over 14 months. It was to be THE source that would inform people about the dangerous ingredients in their cleaners. EWG’s overall goal is to “help consumers find safer products.” The Guide to Healthy Cleaning is the first online database with over 2000 products rated A through F for safety. Disappointingly, this database may not be as useful for a typical consumer as first thought.

A representative for EWG stated that they were looking to give consumers a guide to finding cleaning products with less hazardous ingredients. David Andrews, senior scientist for EWG, explained some of the details of their scoring system. Researchers used pictures of the labels, information available online and MSDS safety sheets to grade the products.  None of the manufacturers were contacted about the guide and no products were actually tested. For example, a score given to a natural cleaner was an overall A, but a closer look reveals that the individually listed ingredients in the product showed concern. Andrews states that the product provided full disclosure, which is why it rated so well in their guide. With disclosure as a key factor in their system, a product with six “Cs” and two “Ds” can still come away with an overall A.

 http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/1581-SimpleGreenNaturalsGlassSurfaceCareRosemaryMint
 
In looking through the guide I found the laundry soap I personally use scored an F in the ratings. Of the two ingredients rated in the soap, sodium carbonate was given an A. The other ingredient could not be identified from the label so EWG gave it an automatic F. This doesn’t mean the ingredient is unsafe, just unidentifiable. In most grading systems an average of an A and an F would have at least produced a C –, but unfortunately for my soap, they received an overall F.  


http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/5475-CharliesSoapHELaundryLiquid 
 
 
pop up on EWG's data base
Andrews stated that they are currently working with companies willing to give them additional information.  The database seems to be changing constantly.  Scoring for a company called Better Life has brought one of their cleaners from an F to a C overnight.  It further states, “EWG is updating the Guide to Healthy Cleaning to reflect new label information from Better Life”.  The Method Company’s scores have been totally removed from the guide. A pop up on the site states EWG is working with Method to update their scores.
 
Dana Ravech, a mother and an active member of Medfield Green, was very excited to see that the report had been published. She immediately opened the database and entered her favorite “green” cleaners. She was shocked to see that they were rated so poorly. She then entered some of the products she knew contained dangerous chemicals and was surprised that they got higher scores than the products she’s been using.  “This makes me doubt not only the study, but its motives.” states Ravech.  “I’m now questioning all the grading systems of EWG’s databases.”


While this guide may be a resource for people looking to find safer cleaning products, it may also confuse them. Many of the companies that have worked very hard to create safe products for their customers have scores that don’t reflect their efforts. Even though full disclosure is important, the consumer needs this guide to be a true resource for finding the safest cleaning products available to them. Hopefully EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning will become what I was looking for initially – a true resource to find the safest cleaning products.  


Here is a quick video to help you clean your ceiling fans!

Little Cleaning Box~Review and Giveaway


Brittany from Blabs from a Scam reviewed my Little Cleaning Box and LOVED it! She what she had to say about it here:
Over the last few months I have weeded out all unnatural cleaning products in my house.  No more chemicals or harsh smells in my house now!  I got the chance to try the Little Cleaning Box a few weeks ago.    When I first made the switch I was nervous that they wouldn't actually clean.  This is a perfect way to try out green household products to see if they really do work.  My box included:

  • Modern Mermaid-All Purpose and Glass Cleaner
  • Mrs. Meyers Dish Soap in Lavender, Basil, Geranium, and Lemon Verbena scents
  • Grab Green Laundry Detergent
  • Skoy Cloth
  • Just Bee Dryer Bag


The Modern Mermaid All Purpose and Glass Cleaner really does what it claims. I cleaned off our end table that is perpetually sticky from our daughter's juice boxes.  I also used it to clean off the windows behind our couch.  Anyone that knows what a dog's nose prints can do to a window knows how hard it is to clean.  It cleaned off the funk with no issues!  This is just as good as any non-green cleaner out there.




Up until recently, I only used the dishwasher to do our dishes.  But lately I have been washing my daughter's cup by hand.  So Mrs. Meyers Dish Soap was the first green dish soap I have tried.  I was curious about the different smells, fearing they might be overpowering.  But I found the scents mild and soothing.  The dish soap really works and it seemed like I didn't have to use that much soap.  


The Grab Green Laundry Detergent smells downright fantastic. I have never used a pod laundry detergent before and I really liked it.  You don't have to measure; just pop one in with the dirty clothes.  Really easy!  It got all our clothes clean with using any harsh chemicals. 






The Skoy cloth was my favorite thing I tried!  They are reuseable paper towels that can last for a full year!  You can throw it in the dishwasher or micromave to clean and disinfect it.  After a few washes they are better used as cleaning cloth or rag.  I absolutely hate using paper towels and this is a great, equally effective alternative.  I plan of buying a lot more of these!


I have never even heard of natural dryer bags before.  But man was I missing something!  These leave your laundry with a light but wonderful scent.  Each bags lasts up to ten loads of laundry.


The box is only $10 and is well worth it.  Unlike other higher priced boxes, this one is really a great value.  You get eight samples and they are samples you can use more then once!  If you find a product that you really love, you can order the full sized products on their website with free shipping.

Leslie Reichert is offering a free PDF copy of her book, The Joy of Green Cleaning, to anyone who purchases their own Little Cleaning Box!  Just let me know in a comment or email(britibee@gmail.com) that you made a purchase and I will have them send you the book!  


You can buy it here.
Also check it out on Facebook and Twitter.

Julia Child - Cleaning Up In The Kitchen


Everyone is writing, cooking and eating to honor the 100 birthday of the wonderful Julia Child. I have been a fan of hers from the very start of her TV career. I remember watching her TV show when they were being aired for the first time. Yes, that would be the early 1960’s and even as a  5 year old child, I loved her. I also remember what the Washington Post wrote about her style. “It wasn’t that she could do no wrong – it was that she made doing wrong so right!”  I love her!

So in honor of Julia’s 100th birthday, I pulled out my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and started to see if there was SOMETHING I could make so I could be a part of the celebration. It’s been three years since my husband bought me her book, hoping that someday I would get motivated and make something French for dinner. To date that hasn’t happened. I opened the book to the introduction and read her outlook on life. I especially liked the part about -  “have a good time!”  

I then started browsing through the forward and found her advice on cleaning:
“Use all the pans, bowls and equipment you need, but soak them in water as soon as you are through with them. Clean up after yourself frequently to avoid confusion.”  And again “have a good time!”
Who knew that Julia not only was an expert at cooking but also had great tips for cleaning. (Although if you watch her show she usually threw things right on the floor!) Really, every good cook has to clean up their own mess, unless of course you’re a celebrity chef and have a staff to do that.  Sometimes I think that cleaning up is the real reason I don’t like cooking!

As I continued into the pages of her book I found a “recipe” on page four under A Note on Copper Pans. Julia writes: … there is the cleaning problem, as copper tarnishes quikly. Ther are fast modern copper cleaners available. A good homemade mixture is half a cup of white vinegar and ¼ cup each of table salt and scouring powder. Rub the mixture over the copper, using steel wool if the pot is badly tarnished, then rinse in hot water.  Alias, the woman we celebrate for her cooking skills also knew how to clean and realized its importance.

So in honor of Julia’s 100 birthday, I suggest you mix up this copper scrub, find a pot that needs attention and get to cleaning! While you’re cleaning that pot, sing happy birthday to Julia! It will be a great way to avoid confusion and to have a good time!

Happy Cleaning, Julia! 


Introduction

JCS provides a comprehensive range of residential cleaning services. It is established to provide convenient assistance to busy working people, with two types of packages available to meet the needs of various households. Weekly Cleaning is for general house cleaning on a regular basis and One Time Cleaning is suitable moving to a new home or spring cleaning before a festive season.  As Quality is our top priority, our domestic cleaners are trained and certified in domestic cleaning. They go through a specially-developed training programme designed to meet the needs of our customers.

Packages Available for Weekly Cleaning (Min 4 services per month)

Weekday Package
(Monday - Friday)
Weekend Package
(Saturday / Sunday)
3 hours per visit 4 times per month RM200 per monthN/A
4 hours per visit 4 times per month RM250 per monthN/A

Weekly Cleaning – Job Scope

Bedrooms and Living Room
  • Vacuum and mop floor
  • Clean all mirrors
  • Dusting of furniture
  • Changing bed linen (once a month)
Bathroom
  • Clean and disinfect bathtub, basin, toilet bowl
  • Wash toilet floor and walls
  • Clean all mirrors
Kitchen
  • Mop floor
  • Wipe cooking stove and exterior electrical appliances
  • Wipe exterior surface of all cabinets
  • Wash basin
Others
  • Empty thrash
  • Clean windows* and grills (rotational basis)
  • Clean doors and metal gate (rotational basis)
  • Ironing
*(External window cleaning of high rise apartments or homes with more than one level not included)

One Time Cleaning – Job Scope

General Coverage
  • All windows and grilles (note exception)
  • All doors and gates
  • Balcony (if any)
  • All bathrooms (include tiles walls, floor, basin, toilet bowls and fittings)
  • Vacuum and mop all floor areas
  • Kitchen area (include tiled walls, cooking stove and exterior electrical appliances)
  • Exterior of all furniture including kitchen cabinets
  • Interior shelving (if empty)
  • Interior of cabinets (if empty)
  • Glass surfaces (mirrors and sliding doors)
  • Job scope does not include cleaning of ceiling and wall fans, high windows and grilles, exterior of windows and grilles of high rise apartments or homes with more than one level, curtain rails, shifting of furniture, removal of renovation debris, packing of personal effects, ironing and changing of bed linen.
Note: The job scope for both Weekly Cleaning and One Time Cleaning provides a general guide on the Domestic Cleaners' job coverage.  However, depending on your cleaning priorities and extent of cleaning required, the tasks that they are able to complete within specified time may not necessarily encompass all the items.

Cleaning  Equipment and Materials

Customer must provide cleaners with cleaning equipment such as vacuum cleaner, mop, window wiper, detergent for different floor types, cleaning cloth, ladder, pails and brushes for both Weekly and One Time Cleaning.




Feedback

I was very pleased and satisfied with the cleaning service provided by JCS and Mrs.Mani. She was always on time, fast & effective in her work and most importantly I could entrust her with our apartment keys or could ask her to change the cleaning routine if I had special requests. She was always flexible and practical in her response. I continue to enjoy JCS cleaning services as a highly satisfied customer.
Vanessa Katte,


Hi!  I have been a customer of your domestic cleaning service for the last 3 years.  I am very happy with the domestic cleaner you have assigned to me.  Mrs.Mani is a conscientious and responsible worker and she also cleans very well.  Not only that she gets on fabulously with my 19 month old son, and he looks forward to her visits.  She is currently cleaning my apartment every Friday afternoon for 4 hours.
I am very happy with the service provided by JCS and Mrs.Mani and will definitely recommend you to my friends. Having employed part-time cleaners for many years from various sources, I am most satisfied with the service provided by JCS and Mrs.Mani.

Yours sincerely
Ai Ling Sim-Devadas, 36,
Communications Manager

I would like to express my sincere thanks to JCS for sending Anjalai to work in my home for the last 3 or so years. She has been a most wonderful helper who went beyond her duties to ensure that my home is always in a good and spick-span condition. I have trusted her with my house keys from day one and she has withheld this heavy responsibility with integrity, to which I am grateful.
I have been most fortunate to be at the receiving end of her good housekeeping skills and I would certainly recommend Anjalai to anyone who needs help with household tasks.
It is JCS's gain that she is part of your team!
Best regards,
Vivien, 43,
HR Manager

Cleaning in the Outdoors

It's the time of year when you want to be outside, by the pool or eating your corn on the cob on your outdoor patio. But the furniture that gets left out all year or is stored in a shed tends to get kind of grimy. There is a simple way to keep your outdoor equipment nice. Charlie's Indoor Outdoor Cleanser is a highly effective biodegradable non-toxic cleanser that is created from natural washing soda and coconut oil based detergents. When I saw my white picket fence turning an unfortunate shade of green, I decided to give it a try. You can see how much of the algae the cleanser removed on the section I wiped especially when you look at how green the washcloth has become. Not only will it keep your outdoor furniture looking brand new, but it is also cars, bikes, boats, siding, and anything else that may strike your fancy. It's a useful cleaner that will not only save space in your cabinet but keep your outdoor living areas the way you like them.

Get Rid Of Ants With This Simple Recipe

It's that time of year where the ants are starting to drive me crazy. Watch this video and learn a quick way to get rid of them, without nasty pesticides.

Dusting Tips on Martha Stewart Living Radio



If you missed Morning Living on Martha Stewart Living Radio today, this is what we discussed. 

Dusting or Polishing
There is a difference between dusting and polishing. Dusting is something that removes the dust from surfaces while polishing is actually treating the wood. We have tried to combine the two by using polishing sprays while we are dusting. What's happened is that we are doing a poor job of both.

picture from http://multimenage.webs.com/dusting.htm
Dusting should be done once a week with just a clean microfiber cloth and a touch of a light spray. I mix up my "light dusting spray" and put it into a spray bottle.(Never spray anything directly on the furniture). Then just go over the piece and remove the dust. This is easy and quick. The less oily polish you use the longer it will stay dust free. The oils collect dust and make it harder to remove it.

Polishing should be done every 3-6 months. This is a lot of work, but keeps the furniture looking new and also keeps the wood and finish moisturized. I use my recipe - Lemony Furniture Polish - when I'm going to polish the furniture. And make sure you use a high quality microfiber cloth.

How to dust
I always say to myself "top to bottom, back to front" because i always want to go to the dusty thing i see first. Instead, start as high up as you can reach and work you way down to the floor. Also work in a circle around the room and you'll never miss anything. Make sure you get the tops of door jambs and all the wood trim. You can use a feather duster to knock off some dust, but for flat surfaces - use a cloth. You can also use a lambswool duster - high quality ones are able to be washed in the sink with a touch of dish detergent

Other ways to dust
Removing dust from pillows - use your dryer
Removing dust from knick-knacks - use your dishwasher
Removing dust from tight places - use a stiff paint brush and a vacuum

Bucket-less Mopping

Using a traditional mop and bucket can leave you feeling a little bit like a scurvy pirate mopping the deck of a ship with some dirty sea water. The water in the bucket gets dirty, you have to lug the water wherever you want to clean, and sometimes the floor doesn't even look cleaner after mopping. However, all of the hassle and grind of using a bucket is unnecessary. To learn about a faster, easier way to mop your floors, follow the link below to the third part in my ten video series that will help you achieve a safer, greener, and cleaner home.


Safe Germ Killers

Bleach is a household cleaning product for one reason. It is very effective in killing that bacteria on your countertops or other surfaces in your home. However, not only is bleach toxic to those micro-invaders but it is also terrible for you and your family, especially when it finds its way from you countertops to your food. There are better, safer ways to protect yourself from salmonella, e-coli, and other scary bacteria. Below is the link to watch part 2 of my 10 part video series to help you get a safer, green cleaning home.

http://www.greencleaningcoach.com/ar/safe-germ-killer

Not only will the tips in this video save you some money as you will be able to use common home ingredients but you will have the added benefit of knowing that the cleaning supplies you are using aren't harming the health of you and your family. The fact that creating your own cleaners can be fast, fun, and easy is just a bonus.

Wiping Away Wax

So you had a nice candlelit dinner at your home, or perhaps the power went out and you needed some light for the evening, and the hot wax from your candles dripped onto your tablecloth. This does not mark the end of your tablecloth's use. By following these steps, you can remove the wax from your tablecloth, although if the fabric is very delicate or antique you may want to consider taking the job to a professional.

  1. Wait for the wax to cool and harden before you try to get rid of it. Never wipe it when it is still hot as this will make a huge mess.
  2. You can leave the tablecloth in the freezer for a couple days to harden the wax and remove any moisture. This will make it easier to scrape off.
  3. Grab a spoon and carefully scrape off as much wax as possible and shake off any loose pieces. Be careful not to damage the fabric.
  4. Take a brown paper bag and cut out multiple pieces that are about twice as large as the spot of wax. Cover your ironing board with a rag to protect your ironing board from getting wax on it, then place the tablecloth on the board. Put a piece of brown paper under the spot on the tablecloth and another on top and press with a medium warm iron. This heat will be warm enough to melt the wax but not so hot that it will burn the fabric. Run the iron over the paper until an oily spot appears, than switch the paper and repeat until the oil fails to appear.
  5. Pretreat the fabric by rubbing bar soap like Ivory into the spot with a stiff brush, but still be careful not to hurt the fabric. If the wax was colored, you can remove the dye with some hydrogen peroxide or oxygen bleach. However if you try this, be sure to test the peroxide or bleach in an inconspicuous place of the tablecloth.
  6. Run the table cloth through your washing machine using the hottest water setting available. Then let it air dry and check to see if the spot is still there. You can continue to repeat the process until the spot is gone, and don't put your tablecloth into the dryer until it is. The heat from the dryer will set the spot and make it impossible to remove.

Radio Show With Bridgette Raes

If you have a minute this is a great radio show I did with Bridgette Raes.
Listen to internet radio with BridgetteRaes on Blog Talk Radio

The Basic Four - The first of a 10 video series

I'm kicking off a new video series called 10 Simple Steps that will help you make your home more Green, Clean, and Safe. The first step to any project is to make sure you have the right materials. In this video, I let you know about the four different supplies that you will need to create a green cleaning solution for just about anything in your home.

Picture from naturalhomeandgarden.com
These ingredients are all so common you can find them in the grocery store and so safe that you can store them in the pantry by your food.

By following the tips included in this video series you will virtually eliminate all toxic cleaners in your home, save a lot of money, and keep your home sparkling clean. To start watching this series just follow this link to the first video, The Basic Four.