How "Martha" are you with Betsy Karetnick

As an accomplished broadcaster, journalist and media host, Betsy Karetnick is a dream to interview. We had a great time sharing cleaning conundrums, secrets and lots of laughs. Betsy worked for seven years with Martha Stewart Living Radio on the Morning Living Show and has a vast knowledge of everything that pertains to lifestyle. We talked about stains, cooking and took questions from our listeners. You can check out her blog at www.iamnotarestaurant.com

Here is a post from Betsy:

As I was erasing evidence of kids and pets from my front hallway, a thought mentioned by cleaning coach Leslie Reichert popped into my head. When I was on her radio show on W4WN.com, she asked, why do so many people hate to clean? Some of it may have to do with the factory like nature of cleaning (I was pretty sure I’d been in that hallway with a similar sponge not too long ago). Some with the connectivity inherent to the job – rats, now that the walls are clean, I can see the light fixture is filthy…OMG, cobwebs above the doorframe! But I think sometimes we’ve lost sight of just how easy it is to keep a clean house in a century that offers magic in sponges and vacuums that move by themselves. As a radio host for more than seven years on Martha Stewart Living Radio I tried to focus on the upside of cleaning. Yes it is remarkably repetitive, but there is much to be celebrated too.

Here are a few things I've learned along the way from experts like Leslie and from a huge family of listeners.

1.      Everyone needs to be appreciated. I don’t care what you clean – thank yourself for a job well done. Every Monday we used to play “How Martha Were You” over the weekend. It seems like a silly game until you realize you processed 12 loads of laundry, cooked, entertained, organized…all while driving endless carpools. Promise yourself a reward after de-griming the kitchen. Enjoy a cup of tea with two chapters of a ridiculous novel.

2.      If your kids give you clothes that are inside out, wash them inside out, fold them inside out and return them inside out. Either they will start to right their clothing or they won’t care. If they don’t care, neither do you.

3.      Teach children laundry skills. And take a lesson from me – discuss emptying pockets first! Have you ever seen what gum and ink can do to a dryer?!!

4.      Cleaning equals a free gym membership. Don’t believe me? Try this. Vacuum your whole house. Fill a bucket with hot water, a drop of dish soap and a dollop of white vinegar. Mop your wood floors. After each room, either “skate” two dry t-shirts around the room or dry the floors on your hands and knees. Repeat the following week and get back to me.

5.      Lemons can be your cleaning buddies. Try this recipe for cleaning the microwave. Zap slices of a spent lemon in a bowl of water for 5 minutes. Wipe away debris. Smile.

6.      Lemon juice and mayo make your wood furniture sparkle – I learned that from Leslie Reichert, my favorite cleaning coach. But you need her book (thejoyofgreencleaning.com) for the recipe.

Gloria Gemma's Carol Donnelly Journey

by Carol Donnelly

 

I have lived with a compromised immune system ever since I lost my spleen in a car accident over 25 years ago and there were periods in my life where it seemed that I was sick more than I was well.  Eventually, I got sick and tired of being sick and tired, and decided to take matters into my own hands.

    
The first thing I did was fill a cupboard with the strongest cleaning products I could find—especially ones that claimed to be disinfectants or had antibacterial agents in them or bleach.  Yes, bleach was my BFF.  I used it to wash my linens. I used it to clean my bathroom, and clean the toilet bowl.  I used it to clean my small white appliances.  I even used it outside on the vinyl siding! I thought that using bleach to clean just about everything would kill the germs, and it waskilling the germs, but what I didn’t know was that my BFF bleach was also my frenemy.    
   
Two breast cancer diagnoses in five years got me thinking about how I could reduce my risk of another cancer diagnosis, but the big question was: where to start?  There’s so much material out there, and sifting through endless streams of it to find legitimate information was a daunting task.  Fortunately for me, I began working for the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, and part of their mission is to “increase breast health education…and generate funding for local breast health programs.” The classes they offer at their center, and classes offered by their partners, like Whole Foods, gave me the knowledge I needed to effectuate changes in my environment.
    
One of those classes was taught by Leslie Reichert, the green cleaning coach. What I learned in that hour and a half astounded me! I had no idea that in my effort to keep my house clean and germ-free, I was potentially harming myself and my family. I also learned how to make my own cleaning products for a fraction of the cost of buying them.  Needless to say, I bought her book, and then went home and symbolically kicked bleach to the curb.  Don’t worry, bleach wasn’t alone when it got the boot, I gave a popular scouring powder and several other products the heave ho, too.        

In my journey to get my family and myself healthier, I discovered that “everything old is new again,” and going green is nothing new, nor does it have to be expensive—our grandparents did it, and saved lots of money in the process.    

Sara Snow Is My Guest On Clean Green Talk

Join me as I interview green living expert, Sara Snow. Sara understands healthy and natural living in a way few of us do, and it’s her mission to help impart that knowledge and experience to people all over the world so they too can live a greener lifestyle. Learn how Sara’s family and upbringing shaped her and how that experience earned her the title of “green living’s real deal.” You can call and ask her questions at 1-866-50clean (1-866-502-5326) or join the conversation on my facebook pagewww.facebook.com/greencleaningcoach