Question: How can I get whiter whites without using bleach?
Answer: Vinegar! How about whiter whites, removing soap residue, softer clothes, and less static cling as well?
Here are some useful tips on how to use white distilled vinegar in your laundry:
Brighten colors by soaking clothes in one gallong of warm water mixed with one cup vinegar. Follow by rinsing in straight water.
Add 2 cups of vinegar to the rinse cycle in your washing machine when washing sheets and blankets. This will help to remove soap residue and make those blankies soft and fluffy! Adding vinegar to your rinse cycle will also reduce the chance of lint building up and pet hair sticking to your clothes. For softer clothes, add just 1/2 cup to the rinse cycle.
For delicate items, add 2 Tablespoons to the rinse cycle (or rinse water if washing by hand). Helps to remove soap residue!
Prevent silks, wools and linens from yellowing by adding 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse water.
If you left wet laundry in the machine to long and it smells sour, add two cups of vinegar (no laundry detergent) and run a normal cycle. Follow up with a normal cycle with laundry detergent and the sour smell is gone!
Spray full strength white distilled vinegar on underams stains and ring around the collar as a pretreat before washing. No more embarassing underarm and deodorant stains!
Follow this simple recipe for a stain pretreat. Keep in a labeled spray bottle away from children.
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup ammonia
2 tsp. liquid soap (detergent or soap base)
1/4 cup baking soda
1 qt. water
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Green Cleaning
Question: Do you recommend a green cleaner that can clean hard water off of fences and not harm the grass?
Answer: The best environmentally friendly cleaner you can find is usually right in your cupboard!
What can you to to clean green at home in between your Sure Systems Group deep cleans? You might be surprised to find out that some of the best natural cleaning agents are right in your kitchen. White distilled vinegar is not just for salad dressing, it has many purposes you may never have thought of and it is environmentally friendly. Try it on those hard water stains and it won't harm your grass.
Here are some other uses:
Scour that bathtub or kitchen sink. Spray with vinegar and scour with baking soda. Rinse with warm water.
Stinky drain? Make an all natural drain cleaner and deodorizer by mixing one cup of baking soda with one cup of hot vinegar. Pour mixture down drain and let it sit for 10 minutes. Just rinse with hot tap water and smells are gone!
Vinegar is great as an all purpose cleaner. Mix equal parts water and vinegar and use to clean your refrigerator and clean your counter tops. To really cut the grime (like on the stove top), use vinegar at full strength.
Vinegar is also useful to cut hard water and stains. Use at full strength. Inside, use on water spotted glassware, flatware and vases. Cut the stains from your coffee or tea mug by soaking them in vinegar.
Table salt and vinegar is another great mixture. Mix equal amounts to clean tarnish off brass and silver.
Pesky pests? Fruit flies leave when you set out a small bowl of undiluted vinegar. Ants won't come a crawling when you spray a small amount of undiluted vinegar in front of doorways, on window sills and around foundation cracks.
Clean your floors by making a simple solution: 3 drops of liquid dish detergent, 1/3 part vinegar, 1/3 part rubbing alcohol, and 1/3 part water. Keep in a separate spray bottle, spray sparingly and mop up. To make sure nobody mistakes solution for water, you can add a few drops of food coloring. Label well and as with all cleaners, keep out of reach of children.
Disinfect children's toys and board books with vinegar. For books, dampen a rag and simply wipe clean. Soak toys for 10 minutes and rinse with water.
Clean off price stickers and remove sticky gunk from scissors by wiping with a vinegar soaked cloth.
Tune in next week for more helpful tips with vinegar! Hint: Underarm stains on your white shirts?
Answer: The best environmentally friendly cleaner you can find is usually right in your cupboard!
What can you to to clean green at home in between your Sure Systems Group deep cleans? You might be surprised to find out that some of the best natural cleaning agents are right in your kitchen. White distilled vinegar is not just for salad dressing, it has many purposes you may never have thought of and it is environmentally friendly. Try it on those hard water stains and it won't harm your grass.
Here are some other uses:
Scour that bathtub or kitchen sink. Spray with vinegar and scour with baking soda. Rinse with warm water.
Stinky drain? Make an all natural drain cleaner and deodorizer by mixing one cup of baking soda with one cup of hot vinegar. Pour mixture down drain and let it sit for 10 minutes. Just rinse with hot tap water and smells are gone!
Vinegar is great as an all purpose cleaner. Mix equal parts water and vinegar and use to clean your refrigerator and clean your counter tops. To really cut the grime (like on the stove top), use vinegar at full strength.
Vinegar is also useful to cut hard water and stains. Use at full strength. Inside, use on water spotted glassware, flatware and vases. Cut the stains from your coffee or tea mug by soaking them in vinegar.
Table salt and vinegar is another great mixture. Mix equal amounts to clean tarnish off brass and silver.
Pesky pests? Fruit flies leave when you set out a small bowl of undiluted vinegar. Ants won't come a crawling when you spray a small amount of undiluted vinegar in front of doorways, on window sills and around foundation cracks.
Clean your floors by making a simple solution: 3 drops of liquid dish detergent, 1/3 part vinegar, 1/3 part rubbing alcohol, and 1/3 part water. Keep in a separate spray bottle, spray sparingly and mop up. To make sure nobody mistakes solution for water, you can add a few drops of food coloring. Label well and as with all cleaners, keep out of reach of children.
Disinfect children's toys and board books with vinegar. For books, dampen a rag and simply wipe clean. Soak toys for 10 minutes and rinse with water.
Clean off price stickers and remove sticky gunk from scissors by wiping with a vinegar soaked cloth.
Tune in next week for more helpful tips with vinegar! Hint: Underarm stains on your white shirts?
Friday, May 14, 2010
Reduce!
Question: I've always heard the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." What are some ways that I can reduce?
Reduce is referring to reducing the amount of waste that we each contribute to the landfills. Reducing waste is about changing our habits. Reducing is about changing the way we use our precious resources. How can we do this? Where can we do this?
We can reduce waste wherever we are, at home, travelling or in the office. Lead by example and you will soon see your family and co-workers reducing and thinking like minded.
At the Office
The biggest waste at the office is printer paper. Reducing paper usage will decrease deforestation. The good news is, according to the American Forest and Paper Association, that every ton of paper that is recycled saves about 3 1/3 cubic yards of landfill space. And, in 2009 63.4% of the paper in the US was recycled!
The first step at the office is to try to go electronic wherever possible. If a document doesn't need to be printed, don't print it! When something does need to be printed, make sure to use both sides of the paper and reduce your margins and font size, where possible.
When mailing information to clients or for marketing, ensure that your mailing list is current so that needless mailers aren't being sent out.
When you do use paper, purchase paper that has been recycled from a company that has done their part to reduce their carbon footprint. Look for paper that hasn't been bleached with chlorine. Bleaching with chlorine creates a toxic waste product known as dioxin.
You can also reuse and recycle printer and toner cartridges! No need to buy new, just refill ink cartridges and save a little money on your bottom line.
Start a recycling program in your office break room if you don't already have one. Save that extra trip to the dumpster and take your recyclables to a local drop off center or have Sure Systems come in weekly to pick them up.
At Home
There are so many things we can do at home to reduce waste. Start by purchasing good that have been packages in recycled materials. Also use reusable bags that are provided now by most retailers. Many stores are offering reusable bags at a low or at no cost. Most of these bags are made from recycled plastic! Gather a few and remember to take them with you to the grocery store and to the mall.
Try to shop at retailers who have a stated commitment to the environment and to reducing waste. Buy local when possible and support farmer's markets. Buy products that have little or no packaging to dispose of.
Buy in bulk! Shopping at warehouse retailers like Costco and Sam's Club actually reduces waste. There are no shopping bags offered and buying in bulk means less packaging. Save money and reduce waste!
Don't forget to recycle at home too! Most counties now offer curbside pickup for paper, plastic, metals, and cardboard. Take your glass to a local recycling center. Or, if curbside pickup is not available in your county contact Sure Systems Group for pickup at your home.
There is so much waste in the mail. Check with your bank, credit card company, and utility companies to see if they provide bill pay services or paperless billing options. Chances are you will actually receive a one time monetary credit for signing up! And you will have less to file and will get automated reminders prompting you to pay your bill.
Most companies now have a website where you can browse and purchase online. Stop receiving catalogs and shop online! Online catalogs are user friendly and many stores offer free shipping. Contact specific retailers to have the paper catalog mailings stop. Also, stop receiving unwanted solicitations by sending a request to Direct Marketing Association (see information below).
Start small, but start today! You will be surprised how easy it is to make small changes and create new, green habits.
Go green!
Sources:
www.reduce.org
www.ivillage.com
www.epa.gov
www.paperrecycles.org
www.the-dma.org
Reduce is referring to reducing the amount of waste that we each contribute to the landfills. Reducing waste is about changing our habits. Reducing is about changing the way we use our precious resources. How can we do this? Where can we do this?
We can reduce waste wherever we are, at home, travelling or in the office. Lead by example and you will soon see your family and co-workers reducing and thinking like minded.
At the Office
The biggest waste at the office is printer paper. Reducing paper usage will decrease deforestation. The good news is, according to the American Forest and Paper Association, that every ton of paper that is recycled saves about 3 1/3 cubic yards of landfill space. And, in 2009 63.4% of the paper in the US was recycled!
The first step at the office is to try to go electronic wherever possible. If a document doesn't need to be printed, don't print it! When something does need to be printed, make sure to use both sides of the paper and reduce your margins and font size, where possible.
When mailing information to clients or for marketing, ensure that your mailing list is current so that needless mailers aren't being sent out.
When you do use paper, purchase paper that has been recycled from a company that has done their part to reduce their carbon footprint. Look for paper that hasn't been bleached with chlorine. Bleaching with chlorine creates a toxic waste product known as dioxin.
You can also reuse and recycle printer and toner cartridges! No need to buy new, just refill ink cartridges and save a little money on your bottom line.
Start a recycling program in your office break room if you don't already have one. Save that extra trip to the dumpster and take your recyclables to a local drop off center or have Sure Systems come in weekly to pick them up.
At Home
There are so many things we can do at home to reduce waste. Start by purchasing good that have been packages in recycled materials. Also use reusable bags that are provided now by most retailers. Many stores are offering reusable bags at a low or at no cost. Most of these bags are made from recycled plastic! Gather a few and remember to take them with you to the grocery store and to the mall.
Try to shop at retailers who have a stated commitment to the environment and to reducing waste. Buy local when possible and support farmer's markets. Buy products that have little or no packaging to dispose of.
Buy in bulk! Shopping at warehouse retailers like Costco and Sam's Club actually reduces waste. There are no shopping bags offered and buying in bulk means less packaging. Save money and reduce waste!
Don't forget to recycle at home too! Most counties now offer curbside pickup for paper, plastic, metals, and cardboard. Take your glass to a local recycling center. Or, if curbside pickup is not available in your county contact Sure Systems Group for pickup at your home.
There is so much waste in the mail. Check with your bank, credit card company, and utility companies to see if they provide bill pay services or paperless billing options. Chances are you will actually receive a one time monetary credit for signing up! And you will have less to file and will get automated reminders prompting you to pay your bill.
Most companies now have a website where you can browse and purchase online. Stop receiving catalogs and shop online! Online catalogs are user friendly and many stores offer free shipping. Contact specific retailers to have the paper catalog mailings stop. Also, stop receiving unwanted solicitations by sending a request to Direct Marketing Association (see information below).
Start small, but start today! You will be surprised how easy it is to make small changes and create new, green habits.
Go green!
Sources:
www.reduce.org
www.ivillage.com
www.epa.gov
www.paperrecycles.org
www.the-dma.org
Friday, May 7, 2010
Welcome!
Welcome to our blog! Sure Systems is an environmentally friendly cleaning company with you and the Earth in mind. We focus and Earth friendly products and paper goods to reduce our carbon footprint and create a better world in which we all live.
This blog is dedicated to sharing information about how we can all live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle! Read and share!
This blog is dedicated to sharing information about how we can all live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle! Read and share!
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