Kitchen cabinets, furniture, perfume, even candles and air fresheners – they can all contribute to the air pollution in our homes.

Dr. Bernard Hamel, former Director for the Institute for Environmental Studies at Drexil University, estimates that the levels of potentially deadly toxins in the average American home may be five times greater than the level of toxic pollutants found in the dirtiest city air.

Indoor air pollution poses a far greater risk to our health than outdoor pollution. Exposure to tobacco smoke, structural materials, mold, and even simple household dust can make us sick.

Biological contaminants such as mold and mildew allow disease-carrying pollutants to reproduce and spread their spores throughout the air. Toxic chemicals found in air fresheners, as well as average cleaning and grooming supplies can also be hazardous when build-up occurs in poorly ventilated rooms. Even the glue that holds 90% of today’s furniture together contains formaldehyde, which may cause nausea, headaches, lethargy and breathing problems in some people.

Another concern is lead paint, asbestos and radon, which were used in most homes, built before the 1980′s. Odorless, colorless and tasteless, these are all substances that are impossible to detect without proper testing.

When trying to safeguard your home against indoor pollution, follow these simple tips:

-Use pump bottles for cleaning supplies instead of spray cans. They spray less fumes and are easier to direct.

-Add more ventilation, or simply open your doors and windows more often to help air out the indoor pollution.

-Hire environmental testers to check for things like radon, lead and asbestos.

-Use “green” cleaning products. They’re cheaper and easy to make. Try these recipes for some common household cleaning jobs:

All Purpose Cleaner:
-1 qt. warm water
-1 tsp. liquid hand soap
-1/4 tsp. lemon juice

Works well on floors, countertops, rugs and upholstery

Oven Cleaner:
Cover grime with baking soda. Spray with water until wet, keeping dry for 3-4 hours. Let sit overnight. In the morning wipe clean with clear water.

Furniture Polish:
-1 pt. mineral oil
-1 tsp. lemon juice

Caustic household cleaners and chemicals ma be the #1 source of acute human exposure to toxic substances, according to research done by the American Association of Poison Control Centers. They make us sick and they damage the environment. When you have to use a caustic substance around your home, remember two important tips:

-Know how to use them properly: Always use caustic chemicals and cleaners in a well-ventilated area. Use an air mask if possible.

-Know how to dispose of them properly: Improper disposal of household cleaners, paints and other chemicals is the main source of toxic pollution in the United States today.

Follow these tips when getting rid of your household chemicals:

-Never pour any hazard household substance down the drain.

-Keep original containers for ingredient lists and storage.

-Take lids off paint and let dry prior to disposing.

-Take all chemical containers to your local hazardous waste site for disposal.

Matthew Hick
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/air-pollution-your-house-may-be-harming-your-family-131950.html

Kyoto Accord or not, it seems clear that Canadians are preparing to help lead the way in learning to live “green” – by adopting new habits and ideas that reduce the impact our lifestyles have on the planet. And if you make some changes as a homeowner, you’ll have the added benefit of a healthier home. Here are our top ten tips for living green.

1. Install a clothesline.

Give your clothesdryer a summer vacation and you’ll actually see the difference in your hydro bill. Install a clothesline: either the traditional long line or the more compact umbrella style. You’ll be hooked. Clothes dry fresher, faster…and free. Your dryer is one of the worst energy hogs in your house, but the sun and wind are yours for the taking. The old English “drying lawn” is even enjoying a revival in garden design. (Drying pillowslips over lavender hedges was an old trick for a sound sleep!) Don’t like the crisp texture of line drying? Soften towels, socks or jeans with a 5-minute tumble.

2. Use ceiling fans.

Far more energy efficient, economical, and quieter than air conditioning units — ceiling fans can cool almost any home. It’s ideal to put one above each bed for comfy sleeping, but make sure you put one in your stairwell too. Experts agree this is the best placement for overall cooling of the home. And in the winter — reverse the blade direction to help keep your expensive warm air down in the main living quarters.

3. Protect your deciduous trees.

Trees are like natural air conditioners and water pumps. They cool the Earth by giving shade and recycling water. And nothing can cool your home more inexpensively and beautifully than shade trees. A house in the shade can be up to ten degrees cooler than its sun-soaked neighbour! If you aren’t already enjoying the leafy benefits of mature trees, plant now for the future.

4. Choose natural materials.

Mother Nature’s designs are hard to beat. Wood floors will keep you warmer in winter, and cooler in the summer. Ditto for pure cotton sheets, or wool, cotton or natural sisal carpets. Plus.. if you stick to nature’s products when building or renovating — you will eliminate all of that unhealthy off-gassing that plagues new homes.

5. Use eco-friendly cleaning products.

Vinegar and baking soda are your best cleaning friends. Vinegar will clean windows, clear away mineral deposits and lift stubborn dirt. Baking soda is a great substitute for powdered cleansers. More additions for your cleaning bucket: washing soda, citrus oils, soap, detergent, and eco-friendly bleach.

6. Use your windows wisely.

See how long you can go without air conditioning. Open your windows at night, and close them up and draw the blinds during hot sunny days. Be sure to think about cross-ventilation; open opposing windows or doors to help the cool breezes flow efficiently through.

7. Understand your appliances.

A microwave is far more energy efficient that your stovetop or oven, so use it whenever you can. When using your stovetop, match pot size to element, and take advantage of residual heat by turning off the heat before cooking task is completed. Only run your dishwasher when it’s full, and use the energy saver option – it really makes a difference. Let dishes air dry after the cycles have run their course. In the laundry room, make sure you fill your washing machine to capacity, and use coldwater rinse always. Do not over-dry clothes in your dryer.

8. Look at your light bulbs.

Power saving light bulbs now available on the market use dramatically less energy. A popular one developed in Finland (Land of the Midnight Sun) casts a lovely natural daylight glow and is easy on the eye.

9. Use fewer paper products.

Save paper towels for the really nasty cleanups, but otherwise use and launder household cloths. When purchasing recycled kitchen and bathroom paper — look for post-consumer content labelling.

10. Put your house to bed every night.

Turn off lights and lamps (use nightlights in hallways), turn off all machinery (televisions, radios, computers, stereos) too, and sleep well — secure in the knowledge that you are taking good care of your home and planet.

The House Team Of Mortgage Intellingence
http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/top-10-tips-for-a-healthier-home-74734.html

Cleaning your home doesn’t mean you 100% free from harm. If you are using old cleaning products (manufactured ones), then you might be in great danger. Why? These products have lots of harmful chemicals in it that can bring about certain harm to your health.

Choosing Eco-friendly cleaning products will reduce the risk of diseases caused by manufactured products. Ensuring that you breathe with fresh clean air, these natural cleaning products will clean your surrounding as well as your conscience.

Starting at your homes and just by doing little things is really a great help. By following these simple steps, you can protect your family from diseases that chemical-based cleaning products can cause you:

1. Remove toxic products. These products lying around at your homes are a great threat to you children so remove these products and place them in a safe place (where your kids can’t touch them). Wait for hazardous chemical pick-ups and replace these products with natural ones afterwards. If there are no chemicals in your household your kids will be safer and also your environment,

2. Using biodegradable and non-toxic substitutes helps reduce the toxins at your home and waste stream of chemical products. Look at the labels of the products and avoid it if it has the word Poison, Danger and mostly Toxic.

3. Know more about natural cleaning products and how to make them. This way, you can save money (even earn some) and protect your health. There are books and other homemade cleaning recipes that can give you ideas on how to make them. Just make sure you keep it labeled and out of reach of children. Even if it is non-toxic, still there can be complications when swallowed accidentally.

4. Make use of reusable objects like sponge, rags, cloths, mops etc. This way, you can save your money and help reduce the use of some earth resources. Also, support recycled materials and organic cleaning products.

5. Always choose the right products for the objects you are cleaning to save time also money, if you bought natural cleaning products, read the instructions or labels carefully, see if it exact for the job that you were doing.

6. Disinfecting is a way of removing germs, but not all bacteria are harmful, using alternative for disinfectants really works and help reduce certain diseases, most of disinfectants uses chlorine bleach, chlorine bleach is a potential carcinogen and causes pollution when it reaches water streams.

7. Cleaning indoor air is also needed, this way we can avoid suffocation from the cleaning products we already used, plants are good indoor cleaners and provides oxygen too, another way is by opening your window and let the air flow or if you have ventilation fans turn it on, make use of some essential oils and lemons as an alternative for air fresheners, this way we can avoid air pollutions.

8. Help conserve natural resources, water is a good example, we always use water in lots of cleaning jobs but we often misused it or waste it, we should learn on how to conserve these resources and make use them wisely, support natural cleaning products or recycled products, and join others on preserving earth natural beauty.

9. If you just listen to what your senses are telling you then you can do the job more easy, like by just smelling you will know where to clean, and just by touching you will feel those sticky parts of your house, making use of your senses properly will make you feel better.

10. Last but not the least is by sharing, inform others what you learned about natural cleaning, and the benefits natural cleaning products can give, this way you can help in spreading and making a green toxic free community.

We all are linked together. That’s why we need to do our share in making life safer for our family and for our environment; just by supporting organic cleaning products we are doing our part in helping our mother nature.

Markus Skupeika
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/10-tips-on-how-to-make-our-nature-smile-and-homes-clean-678802.html

- To rid the yellowing from white appliances: Mix together 1/2 cup bleach, 1/4 cup baking soda and 4 cups of warm water. Apply with a sponge and let set for 10-15 minutes. Rinse and dry thoroughly.

- To clean a greasy blender: Fill with a little hot water and add a drop of detergent. Cover and turn it on for a few seconds. Rinse and drain dry.

- To rid cutting boards of onion, garlic or fish smell, cut a lime in two and rub the surface of the board. You can also apply a paste of baking soda and water and rinse.

- To clean copper and brassware, dip lemon halves in salt and rub. A solution of vinegar and salt sprayed liberally will also do the trick.

- For a fast and thorough clean-up of the grater, use a toothbrush to brush lemon rind, cheese, onion or whatever out of the grater before washing it.

- Before washing a meat grinder, run a slice of bread through it.

- To open a clogged drain: either use a couple of denture tablets, or pour a cup of salt and a cup of baking soda into the drain followed by a kettle of boiling water. The grease will usually dissolve and open the drain.

- Following a spill in an oven or on a stove, sprinkle with salt immediately. When oven is cool brush off burnt food and wipe with a damp sponge or cloth.

- Burners of gas stoves can be cleaned by soaking them in a solution of warm water mixed with ammonia. Use a wire brush to clean the burner holes. Rinse and dry.

- Coffee or tea stains from plastic cups can be scoured out by rubbing with baking soda. Rinse and dry.

- To rid plastic containers of foul smell, place crumpled newspaper (black and white only) into it.

- Cover tightly and leave overnight. Wash and dry in the normal way.

- To prevent mildew from forming in a refrigerator, wipe with a cloth dipped in vinegar. The acid effectively kills the mildew fungus.

- After the freezer has been defrosted, coat the inside with glycerine. The next time you defrost, the ice will loosen quickly and drop off in sheets.

- To help eliminate odours in the refrigerator, fill a small bowl with charcoal and place it on a shelf in the fridge. It absorbs odours rapidly. An open box of baking soda will also absorb odours from the refrigerator for at least a month or two.

- For a sparkling white kitchen sink, place paper towels across the bottom of your sink and saturate with household bleach. Leave for an hour or so. Scrub and rinse.

- Spots on stainless steel sinks can be removed with methylated spirit or with white vinegar. Club soda can also shine up your sink in minutes.

- To renew and freshen a cleaning sponge, soak overnight in salt or baking soda water. Wash out in the morning.

- To remove lime deposits from a tea kettle, fill with equal parts of vinegar and water. Bring to a boil and allow to stand overnight.

- To keep a thermos flask free of foul odours while storing, wash with warm soapy water. Rinse and dry well in the sun if possible. Place a tablespoon of sugar granules in it and store.

- To remove rust from tin pie pans, dip a raw potato in cleaning powder and scrub.

- To eliminate strong or pungent odours from a microwave, heat four tablespoons of vanilla for a minute in the microwave and leave overnight.

- To remove the smell of burnt food from a pan, simmer a few slices of lemon in water in it.

- If a cup of coffee is placed in the refrigerator, it helps in keeping the fridge smelling fresh.

- To avoid strong smells of fish, garlic etc from filling up your home, place white vinegar in a small bowl next to the stove while cooking.

- To clean and freshen dusty artificial flowers, put them in a paper bag with a handful of salt and shake well. The flowers will look as good as new.

Michael Douglas
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/cleaning-tips-for-your-kitchen-108452.html

Do you ever notice that people seem to be a little friendlier this time of year? The Christmas season brings out the best in everyone, it truly is the season to be jolly! It is a time for family and friends coming together and enjoying good food and good company. The cleanup is a reality of the holiday season that many people forget about after the celebrating is over. Not only do we have a mess to contend with but also many times we have spills and stains on the carpet; gravy, wine, beer, coffee and soda, to mention a few. I have learned that most people treat these spills wrong and cause the stain to set into the carpet, making the job of removing them much more difficult.

This article will provide a guide to cleaning the most common spills that you get after the holiday season. The most important thing to remember is that timing is everything when it comes to a spill, the faster you clean up after a spill the better chance you have of removing the stain completely. There is three important steps you must follow to clean any stain.

The first step is to immediately blot the spill with a dry white cloth, napkin or paper towel, try to remove as much liquid as possible before going on to the next step.

The second step is to clean the spot and in order to do that you should mix a solution of mild dish detergent (no bleach) and warm water. Once you have mixed the solution blot the stain.

The third step is to neutralize the stain with a solution. Each stain has a different mixture and a solution for a few of the most common stains is included. Put the mixture into a spray bottle, mist the spot after cleaning it, and blot with a paper towel to absorb excess liquid. You can also spray with plain water and blot after you are done to rinse the area and make sure there are no chemicals left on the carpet.

For coffee, tea, beer, or white wine, the neutralizing mixture is one third of a cup of white vinegar and two thirds of a cup of water. For cola, soda, or pop stains, the mixture is one tablespoon of household ammonia and half a cup of water. For gravy stains you do not put it into a spray bottle you blot the spot after cleaning with a small amount of dry cleaning solvent (you may substitute isopropyl alcohol), make sure to use very small amounts to avoid any damage to the carpet.

The trickiest spot of all to clean is red wine, it is very important to treat this spill properly or you risk setting it into the carpet. Simply follow step one, then instead of cleaning it with water and dish detergent you mix one teaspoon of neutral dish soap (dawn works great) with a cup of hydrogen peroxide. You can pour the mixture over the spill to pre-soak it. You should actually see the red wine disappear in front of your eyes. If there is still a residue left afterwards rinse it with water, blot, and then pour a mound of salt on, the spot (the salt will draw the moisture and residue out of the carpet) wait until morning and then simply vacuum up the stain.

These tips for stain removal will help you with any of your holiday spills. Just remember to test any of the chemicals you use on an inconspicuous section of carpet, you can do this by putting a small amount on a white cloth and hold it to the carpet for 30 – 60 seconds, if there is no color transfer on to the cloth you should be fine. Please remember as well, that when the instructions say to blot, do not rub at the carpet or you risk damaging the fibres and making the stain go deeper into the fabric. Good Luck with your stain removal and Happy Holidays!

Jim Thornton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/carpet-cleaning-tips-for-common-spills-during-the-holiday-season-688803.html

One of the chores that every women (and some men)dreads the most is cleaning the house, we can all use little shortcuts to help make the chore a little faster and easier.

Some of the so called antique ideas are great, grandma really had some fast ways to get the job done.

With all of the modern cleaning supplies on the market we tend to over look some of these simple ways to get the job done. Grandma was real good at taking a cleaning agent and finding more than one use for it. Most of the time, we will save time and money using the Grandma’s methods of household cleaning.

Sometimes it’s not only what we use but how to clean something, we tend to be in such a hurry that we make cleaning harder than it needs to be. The secret is to let the chemical do most of the work instead of scrubbing until our fingers are sore. Such as the first hint on the list;

Use Bar Keepers Friend to help to tackle those rust stains and lime build ups in the sink.
Wet the sink,
sprinkle on Bar Keepers Friend,
let sit 2-3 minutes and
wipe with the dish rag and rinse.
Results; a sparkling sink that looks like it took a lot of scrubbing to get done.

A sparkling Toilet without scrubbing:
before you start to clean the bathroom, take two Alka Selzer tablets and throw them in the toilet bowl, let them sit and fiz until you are finished cleaning the rest of the bathroom, wash the bowl with the brush and flush, it sparkles like crazy.

Alka Selzer works great for getting the scum out of the crevices in flower vases too. Fill the vase with water to about a 1/2 inch from the top and put two Alka Selzer tablets (for Large vase) in the vase and let soak for about 20 minutes. Wipe the inside with a rag, getting in as many crevices as possible and rinse with hot water.

Are you tired of notes all over the refrigerator?
Glue square cork tiles on the inside of the cupboard of pantry door and tack all of your notes in a hidden place.

Color co-ordinate your storage boxes.
Pink for Easter,
Red for Christmas,
Orange for Halloween,
Blue for the 4th of July etc.

Did you run out ammonia or vinegar for cleaning the windows?
Try air freshner, it works great and leaves the room smelling fresh and clean.

Stop plastic storage containers from turning red from food made with tomato products;
by spraying them first with cooking spray.
They always stay clean and spot free.

Dusty silk flowers.
Put a 1/2 cup of salt in a paper bag,
add the silk flowers and
shake about 15-20 times,
shake off the excess salt and
your flowers are just like new.
Throw the salt and bag away, no mess-no fuss. The salt absorbs the dust on the flowers and works as a rubbing agent to remove the dust.

Room deodorizer:
Sprinkle a little perfume or mans after shave on a light bulb in the room.
Inexpensive and lasts for hours.

Eliminate ice on steps in the winter:
Add 1 cup of Dawn dish soap to a gallon of water and pour over the steps.they won’t refreeze.
When it wears off, just reapply.

Jan Hayner
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/10-house-cleaning-tips-105970.html

Cleaning tips are everywhere. With years of experience you can bet your house cleaning tips are quick and easy ways to keep your house clean. These cleaning tips are merely suggestions for removing stains. Tips are merely suggestions and you may wish to contact your rug cleaning professional for advice. Remember using this advice for spot cleaning are to be used as a guide only. Household cleaning tips are passed down from generation to generation. Although some of those cleaning tips are cost effective and cheaper than buying usual cleaning products from the supermarket. The most common cleaning tips are as follows.

If there is a stain the best approach is to cover the stain with the towel or cloth and press down as many times until the stain is absorbed in the towel. We aim to provide quality upholstery stain cleaning tips and oriental carpet and rug that you can rely on as being 100% professional and dependable. These tips are to be used to make the carpet cleaner using these spot and stain removal techniques. To remove oil and sweat from the carpet, try shampoo and really rub it into the carpet. Over time, the stain-resistance of stain-resistant carpet wears down. Quick removal of stain will help to retain the originality of the carpet. Rub a small amount on the stain and then rinse with club soda. Pour floor cleaner around the stain so the fluid soaks under and loosens it. Then you should neutralize the stain with an ammonia solution. Scrubbing action can damage the fabric and spread the stain. If you have a tough stain and it is difficult to get out you might have to try one of the many brands of commercial cleaners.

There’s nothing better than fresh, clean carpet. Carpet decays and wear off are due to the dirt that collects on the carpet. If you want your carpet to wear well, try to follow good cleaning tips and keep your carpet clean at all times. Save yourself money and maintain a healthy home by using the following simple carpet care tips as well as carpet cleaning tips. Steam cleaning can swamp the dirt in your carpet pushing. The longer the stain is left on the carpet the greater the chances are of the stain setting. When there is a spill attend to it as quickly as you can, try to follow the carpet cleaning tips if you need more help cleaning the stain. One of the best ways to remove gum from carpet is to use mayonnaise. The mayonnaise breaks the structure of the gum so its easier to clean. By using the simple carpet cleaning tips you can make carpet cleaning and upkeep a breeze.

Whatever your cleaning style, we’ve got tips and tricks to make the mess more manageable. If you keep your carpets clean and continually keep up with getting out the stains your carpets will last longer. We all know that we don’t have enough time in the day to continually clean our carpets but we should make every effort to do so because it will save money in the long run.

Her enthusiasm is contagious, and cleaning tips are both effective and fun. I hope that these carpet cleaning tips are helpful to you. The following cleaning tips are recommended to maintain a longer lasting carpet.

David Marc Fishman
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/many-cleaning-tips-71293.html