HOW: Place products with signal words in a locked cupboard in storage for your community's next Household Hazardous Pickup Day (see next tip); replace all hazardous products with safer versions in the future.

HIGHLIGHTS: No chemicals wafting into your household; safer environment for kids.

2. ABOUT HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE PICKUPS -
Take toxic products :
WHY: Hazardous materials shouldn't be poured down the drain or thrown away in the trash as they can cause serious pollution problems in the waste stream.

HOW: Call your local recycling centre, town or city hall. Most communities have at least one Household Hazardous Waste Pickup Day a year.


HIGHLIGHTS: There will be fewer toxic materials leaching out of landfills, burning in incinerators, and being washed into the wastewater stream.

3. REPLACE TOXIC PRODUCTS -
Choose non-toxic, biodegradable substitutes:
WHY: Help reduce the toxic burden of manufacturing, your home, and the waste stream.

HOW: Read "Signal Words" on labels? The signal words poison, danger, warning, or caution, found on the label of products such as pesticides and cleaning products, are placed there by order of the federal government and are primarily for your production. In some cases these signal words are on the label because of the potential impact the product can have on the environment. Poison/danger denotes a product of most concern, one that is highly toxic, and ingesting small amounts -- in some cases a few drops -- can be fatal. Warning means moderately toxic, as little as a teaspoonful can be fatal; and caution denotes a product that is less toxic, one in which it would be necessary to ingest between two tablespoons and two cups to be fatal. Corrosive products can damage skin and mucous membranes, and a strong sensitizer is a chemical that can increase allergies.

HIGHLIGHTS: Labels provide information by which you can protect yourself, your family, and the environment.

4. LEARN NONTOXIC CLEANING BASICS -
How to use kitchen cupboard ingredients:
WHY: Save money, protect your health, reduce your use of valuable resources of the earth, and avoid petroleum products and other non-renewable resources.

HOW: Learning to clean from scratch-making homemade recipes-can truly work if you take time to understand a bit about the chemistry behind how the materials work.
Caution
Make sure to keep all homemade formulas well labelled, and out of the reach of children.

HIGHLIGHTS: Establish a safe, cheap and simple lifestyle.

5. OF MOPS, SPONGES, RAGS, AND OTHER ACCESSORIES -
Natural, reusable:
WHY: Reduce your use of non-renewable resources; avoid products with potentially harmful ingredients such as sponges with antibacterial ingredients; reuse old shirts as rags and more. Use cloth rags instead of paper towels to save trees. Save money!

HOW: Look at your purchase of mops, paper towels, sponges, buckets, vacuums, and more with an eye towards their durability, health and environmental impact. If you must use paper towels buy recycled, unbleached paper.

HIGHLIGHTS: Reusable mops, rags instead of paper, safe sponges, HEPA vacuums all work towards providing your home and environment with fresh, clean air, and reduce your consumption of non-renewable resources.

6. LEARN ABOUT YOUR WATER -- Is it hard or soft?
WHY: With hard water you will most likely need to clean with a detergent instead of a soap to avoid soap scum.

HOW: Read here about when and why to choose a detergent or soap

HIGHLIGHTS: Choosing the right product for the right job reduces time and resources.

7. DISINFECTANTS? CHLORINE BLEACH? - Look for alternatives:
WHY: Just as antibiotics are causing drug resistance, so too are disinfectants. Chlorine bleach can cause cancer-causing chemicals to form in the wastewater stream

HOW: Visit your natural food store and ask for their recommended chlorine beach alternative. Seventh Generation and other brands offer alternatives that work.

HIGHLIGHTS: A healthier home and healthier environment.

8. CONSERVE WATER:
WHY: Clean water is one of our most precious and diminishing resources and we don't want to waste it.

HOW: Don't run the water unless you are using it or catching it in a bucket for use; sweep instead of wet mop when possible; put a tracking matt at the door to collect mud and dust so you will need to wash the floor less; etc. Use common sense.

HIGHLIGHTS: Do your part to preserve the earth's precious resources.

9. CLEAN INDOOR AIR WITH PLANTS:
WHY: Plants have been found to reduce indoor air pollution!

HOW: Here are the top ten plants that clear indoor air.

HIGHLIGHTS: Plants clean the air and provide more oxygen too!

10. USE YOUR SENSES - Smell, feel, hear …
WHY: If you use your nose you will know when food is rotten, when dog beds need to be cleaned, when toxic chemicals may be leaking from old product bottles, and more. If you use your sense of touch you will know when doorknobs are sticky, the floor needs washing, etc. If you allow your senses to be your guide you will stay on top of cleaning jobs that need to be attended to.

HOW: Listen to what your senses are telling you.

Eco cleaning
There are many eco friendly ways to clean your household and avoid exposure to the toxic chemicals in many household cleaning products. You'll find that most eco cleaning products basically amount to three or four types of natural cleaners, mixed into a paste,

1. For a soft scrub solution, mix 1 cup of baking soda with 1 cup of soap. Mix and use to scrub tile, bathtubs, toilets, and sinks. The soap can be a mild commercial detergent, but if you want to get really eco cleaning, use a natural soap from the local shop.

2. For an eco cleaning approach to liquid detergent, mix 1 cup of soap, 1/3 cup of salt, 1 cup of dissolved baking soda (dissolve the baking soda in low heat over the stove), 1 cup of vinegar, 40 drops of grapefruit seed extract, and fill a gallon jug halfway with water. Then pour in the mix, and shake well. Use the solution on tubs, sinks, and tile. The soap and the grapefruit seed oil can be purchased at the co op- don't use grapefruit essential oils, like the kind that are used in incense or eco room fresheners; it's not the same thing.

3. To make an eco-friendly disinfectant, mix ¼ cup of Borax with a half gallon of hot water. Put in a spray bottle and disinfect. Borax is great, its one of the cleaners that Grandma used, and it is as eco friendly as you can get for a "commercial" product.

4. For an eco friendly way to use foam carpet cleaner, mix ¼ cup of oil-based liquid soap, and 3 tbsp. water. Whip the mixture in a bowl until it becomes foamy. Rub the foam into stained areas of your rug or carpet, and then rinse.

5. To polish silver, rub white non gel toothpaste on your silver piece. Let it dry, and then rinse it well with water. This is a time tested trick from the sixties. Toothpaste is a great cleaner because it is abrasive enough to get the job done but won't take the surface off your silver-or your teeth.

The Five Basics for Non-toxic Cleaning
Learning to clean from scratch-making homemade recipes-can truly work if you take time to understand a bit about the chemistry behind how the materials work. Here are the five ingredients that I find to be the safest, most effective, and useful for cleaning.

Baking Soda:
A commonly available mineral full of many cleaning attributes, baking soda is made from soda ash, and is slightly alkaline (it's pH is around 8.1; 7 is neutral). It neutralizes acid-based odours in water, and adsorbs odours from the air. Sprinkled on a damp sponge or cloth, baking soda can be used as a gentle nonabrasive cleanser for kitchen counter tops, sinks, bathtubs, ovens, and fibreglass. It will eliminate perspiration odours and even neutralize the smell of many chemicals if you add up to a cup per load to the laundry. It is a useful air freshener, and a fine carpet deodorizer.

Washing Soda:
A chemical neighbour of baking soda, washing soda (sodium carbonate) is much more strongly alkaline, with a pH around 11. It releases no harmful fumes and is far safer than a commercial solvent formula, but you should wear gloves when using it because it is caustic. Washing soda cuts grease, cleans petroleum oil, removes wax or lipstick, and neutralizes odours in the same way that baking soda does. Don't use it on fibreglass, aluminium or waxed floors-unless you intend to remove the wax.

White Vinegar and Lemon Juice:
White vinegar and lemon juice are acidic-they neutralize alkaline substances such as scale from hard water. Acids dissolve gummy build-up, eat away tarnish, and remove dirt from wood surfaces.

Liquid Soaps and Detergent:
Liquid soaps and detergents are necessary for cutting grease, and they are not the same thing. Soap is made from fats and lye. Detergents are synthetic materials discovered and synthesized early in this century. Unlike soap, detergents are designed specifically so that they don't react with hard water minerals and cause soap scum. If you have hard water buy a biodegradable detergent without perfumes; if you have soft water you can use liquid soap (both are available in health food stores).

Mold Killers and Disinfectants:
For a substance to be registered by the EPA as a disinfectant it must go through extensive and expensive tests. EPA recommends simple soap to use as a disinfectant there are many essential oils, such as lavender, clove, and tea tree oil (an excellent natural fungicide), that are very antiseptic, as is grapefruit seed extract, even though they aren't registered as such. Use one teaspoon of essential oil to 2 cups of water in a spray bottle (make sure to avoid eyes). Adding 20 drops of extract to a quart of water can make a grapefruit seed extract spray.

Caution:
Make sure to keep all homemade formulas well labelled, and out of the reach of children.

Cleaning Outdoors Furniture and Grills:
You can forget the steel brushes, rolled up sleeves, dirty clothes, elbow grease and toxic solvents you think you need to clean black mildew off outdoor furniture and old grime off cooking grills. Our great-grandmothers knew the right stuff for this sort of heavy-duty cleaning job, and it is non-toxic and cheap.

Learn the easy way to get those lawn chairs and grills ready for use!

The answer is washing soda!

I first learned about the wonders of washing soda when I needed to peel wax off a floor. I'd read that this mineral was the basis of old folk formulas for tough cleaning jobs, so I decided to give it a try. Wow, did it do the job! I used a thick, damp paste, let it set for 3-4 hours, and it peeled the wax right off. I've been sold on the product for heavy-duty cleaning jobs ever since.

Washing soda (sodium carbonate) is also known as soda ash, and it can be found in the laundry section at the supermarket. It has many uses besides being a laundry booster, and it also neutralizes and eliminates odours.

Here are some fabulous old-fashioned (and not so old-fashioned) formulas for cleaning outdoor furniture and grills.

Plastic Lawn Furniture Cleaner
1/2 cup washing soda
1-gallon hot water

Dissolve the washing soda in a bucket of hot water. Wearing gloves and using a sponge, slather the water onto the furniture, and let it set for ten minutes or so before rinsing. For stubborn stains, redo leaving the water on the plastic for an extra ten minutes before rinsing thoroughly.

Mildew and Mold Cushion Cleaner
Tea tree oil is an essential oil that is a broad-spectrum fungicide. It is available in health food stores.

2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle. Spot test on cushions to make sure there is no discoloration. Spray on the cushions. Don't rinse. In a few days both the strong smell of the tea tree oil and the mold will dissipate.

Cushion Cleaner
Assuming you can rinse your cushions, after you have killed the mold and mildew, spot clean cushions using the Plastic Lawn Furniture Cleaner, above. Rinse.

Note: Spot test the washing soda mixture on wood furniture first. It is a powerful cleanser, and you don't want to peel off any existing wood finish.

Grill Soak
1-2 cups washing soda
enough hot water to cover the grills

In a pan big enough to hold the grill (or the kitchen sink might work), soak the grills overnight in the washing soda and water. In the morning the grime on the grill will come off easily. Wash with soap and water, and rinse.

New Carpet Cleaning
Slow, deliberate passes with the vacuum cleaner are more effective than quick strokes to remove soil. Make at least four passes forward and backward over the same area. Wet the spot with cold water and blot it. Spills caused by a hot substance such as coffee should be removed with water the same temperature as the spilled material after attempting to remove it with cold water. Always blot by pressing downward.
Never rub in a circular motion; this can

spread the stain. Blot with a white, cotton towel or suction block (a pad specially designed for blotting wet stains) so the color of the spot can be seen on the towel or block as it comes out of the carpet.

Tips for a healthier home:
1. DUST MITES
Eighty percent of people with allergies and asthma test positive to dust mites in allergy skin testing. The microscopic bugs called dust mites and their faecal material thrive in warm and humid places such as beds, upholstered furniture, and carpets and live on the skin cells that people and pets shed. Reducing exposure to dust mite waste is central to effective treatment.

Tips
• Wash bedding weekly in hot water. Dry on high to kill dust mites.
• Use anti-allergen encasements for bedding, including pillows, mattresses, duvet covers, and box springs.
• Vacuum thoroughly using a High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) filter vacuum and bags that seal in dust.
• Clean thoroughly once a week using equipment that traps dust rather than releasing it back into the air.
• Filter the air with a HEPA air purifier, which will eliminate 99.7 percent of indoor airborne allergens.
• Dehumidify the air. Dust mites thrive in humidity levels above 50 percent. Reduce humidity levels to between 30-50 percent with a dehumidifier. Use a small dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from closets, cabinets and other small, enclosed spaces. Monitor humidity levels with a hygrometer.
• Use High Efficiency Low Pressure Air (HELPA) air filters on heating and air conditioning systems.
• Replace non-washable stuffed toys with hypoallergenic toys that can be washed in hot water.

2. POLLEN
There is 35.0 million people who are allergic to pollen. Avoiding exposure to pollen is central to effective treatment.

Tips
• Avoid outdoor activities in the morning. Days that are dry and breezy have higher pollen counts, so exercise indoors to avoid allergens.
• Avoid mowing the lawn.
• Keep car windows up and air conditioning on when you're driving.
• Wear a HEPA filter mask when pollen counts are high to avoid outdoor pollen exposure.
• Close all your windows at home. Use filter screens if windows must be opened, and a window fan with built-in filter.
• Try not to hang laundry outside during pollen season.
• Remove shoes before entering your home. Shower and wash your hair every night before gong to bed. Pollen collects on clothing, hair, and exposed parts of your body.
• Use HELPA air filters on heating and air conditioning systems.

3. PET DANDER
About 10 percent of Americans are allergic to pet dander. When pets groom themselves, allergens such as animal dander (skin flakes) and proteins from their saliva get into the air. Steps can be taken to reduce animal allergen exposures when giving away a pet is not an option.

Tips
• Wipe down indoor surfaces frequently to remove animal hair and dander.
• Keep your pet's outdoors as much as possible, and at least out of the bedroom.
• Use HEPA air filters to remove microscopic particles of animal dander and hair from room air.
• Vacuum frequently using a HEPA vacuum cleaner.
• Use a dust mask when cleaning.
• Install High Efficiency Low Pressure Air (HELPA) filters on home heating and air condition systems.
• Cover room heating and air conditioning vents with vent filter clothes to filter the air.
• Wash your pet weekly with a dander-reducing shampoo, and then follow with an anti-dander spray.
• Wash your hands after touching your pet.

4. MOLD
Mold is one of the four most common allergic triggers, especially in humid areas. Avoiding exposure to mold spores is central to effective treatment. High humidity promotes growth of mold spores in places such as damp basements, closets, refrigerator drip pans, air conditioners, garbage pails, and shower stalls.

Tips
• Clean the refrigerator drip pan every few months. When mold grows in this pan, the refrigerator fan blows the mold spores into the room.
• Remove visible mold with non-toxic cleaning products.
• Keep the humidity level in your home below 50 percent with an air conditioner or dehumidifier and monitor humidity levels by using a hygrometer.
• Use exhaust fans in the kitchen and the bathroom.
• Check air conditioner vents and under the sink for water leaks. Address water leaks immediately.
• Wear a protective mask while gardening, raking, or mowing.
• Open windows on days when humidity levels are low to air out the house.
• Use a HEPA air purifier to reduce indoor airborne mold spores.
• Install High Efficiency Low Pressure Air (HELPA) filters on home heating and air condition systems to trap mold spores.

Note: Airborne irritants, including tobacco smoke, fuel particles and chemicals, will be discussed in a future article. Many of the same steps apply to reducing airborne irritants, such as using a HEPA air filter, but there are different approaches for detection and avoidance.

Disclaimer: streamline does not warrant and shall have no liability for information provided in this newsletter each individual person, fabric, or material may react differently to a particular suggested use. It is recommended that before you begin to use any formula, you read the directions carefully and test it first. Should you have any health care-related questions or concerns, please call or see your physician or other health care provider?

The Effect of Temperature
& Humidity on the Performance of Floor Finish
The effects of humidity on the drying and performance of a floor finish is very important. High humidity retards the evaporation of water from the polish film, leaving the film soft, incompletely dry, and very Scuffable. Floor finish films, like latex paints, dry (harden) from the surface inward towards the flooring. Thus a floor finish which appears to be dry and feels dry to touch can in fact be wet and soft down close to the floor. Adequate ventilation during and after applying a floor finish is very important. If the air in the area being finished is high in humidity, close the windows and run the air conditioner to lower the humidity. In the winter, turn up the heat to dry the air and also warm-up the substrate (flooring).

Arizona doctors reported in the New England Journal of Medicine on the case of a 53-year-old worker who nearly died when she mixed bleach with an over-the-counter liquid cleaner and inhaled the fumes while wiping down a walk-in freezer. The woman's throat was so swollen that doctors were forced to perform an emergency tracheotomy; and the woman remained in the hospital for seven days.

In a letter to the Journal, Dr. David Tanen and his colleagues at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Phoenix, say the combination of ammonia and bleach releases chloramine gas, which can react with the moisture in the throat to release ammonia, hydrochloric acid and free radicals

"Although it occurs infrequently, exposure to chloramine gas represents a substantial risk when household cleaners containing bleach and ammonia are mixed," said the doctors.

Furniture cleaning tips: How to remove sticker tape, pitch, tar and gum
Forget buying those expensive products at the store.

Touch of Oranges will remove any gummy, waxy, greasy substance.

Simply spray on area to be treated, let it sit for a few minutes or longer depending upon severity. Remove substance and wipe clean.
Repeat if necessary.

Cleaning stained furniture:
Apply first a dry solvent cleaner to discolor the stain of your furniture. Then apply an oil-based grease on the same area. Now reapply the same solvent that you applied before and leave it for some time. Now take some detergent solution and rinse the area with this solution followed by water and let it dry.

Vinegar Kills Bacteria, Mold and Germs:
Vinegar is a mainstay of the old folk recipes for cleaning, and with good reason. The vim of the vinegar is that it kills bacteria, mold, and germs.


Heinz company spokesperson Michael Mullen references numerous studies to show that a straight 5 percent solution of vinegar-such as you can buy in the supermarket-kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses). He noted that Heinz couldn't claim on their packaging that vinegar is a disinfectant since the company has not registered it as a pesticide with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, it seems to be common knowledge in the industry that vinegar is powerfully antibacterial. Even the CBS news show 48 Hours had a special last December with Heloise reporting on tests from The Good Housekeeping Institute that showed this.


Just like antibiotics, common disinfectants found in sponges and household sprays may contribute to drug resistant bacteria, according to researchers of drug resistance at Tufts New England Medical Centre. Furthermore, research at the Government Accounting Office shows that many commercial disinfectants are ineffective to begin with, just like antibiotics.


Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board, and in your bathroom, and use them for cleaning. I often spray the vinegar on our cutting board before going to bed at night, and don't even rinse, but let it set overnight. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.