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 100^th 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 month	N/A
4 hours per visit 4 times per month	RM250 per month	N/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.