Clean Dishes and Cookware With Chemical-Free Alternatives

By Clifford Woods

With modern day cookware, it is not advisable to use any type of chemical substance to clean them as this could ruin the quality and effectiveness of the products. You can, however, apply natural ingredients such as baking soda to tough areas or use an organic all-purpose solution packed with a beneficial microorganisms product to completely get rid of any bacteria.



Below is some advice on how to clean certain types of cookware without harsh chemicals. 

Ceramic Wares Ceramic wares, such as a casserole dish, with stuck food should be soaked in hot water and roughly three tablespoons of salt. Allow it to sit until the water cools down, then wash like normal.

Roasting and Broiler Pans Roasting and broiler pans may be one of the hardest to get thoroughly clean. In most cases, they will not fit into the dishwasher. Even if they do manage to fit in the washer, the machine does not perform a good job at cleaning them. An effective way to avoid having to clean them several times is to fill up or cover the pan with boiling water and just let it sit. If even more extreme steps have to be used, fill up the pan with water and then boil it on the stove top for a few minutes. After that, wipe clean or wash with some salt spread onto a cloth or sponge. For your most difficult spots, spread salt straight onto it and scrub hard. 

Frying Pans It is possible to thoroughly clean a gritty frying pan by putting it on the stove top with quarter inch of water and a half cup of vinegar for about ten minutes at simmer. After that, clean as normal.

Clay Pots Clay pots utilized for food preparation also can turn out to be discolored or take on smells. To resolve this issue, fill this type of pot with water and put in one to four tablespoons of baking soda. Allow the mixture to sit for half an hour or longer, then rinse off and dry completely. 

Occasionally, a clay cooker may start to develop patches of mildew. Brush the mold away using a paste made from half baking soda and half water then let it sit. If it is possible, give it an additional boost by placing the clay pot directly into the sunlight. After thirty minutes, wash the paste out and rinse the clay pot.

Copper-Bottom Pans If your copper-bottom pans need a bit of cleaning, avoid looking for harmful polishes. Polishes tend to be at the top of the list of cleaning solutions to steer clear of; as an alternative, make use of a salt and lemon juice blend. 

Copper-bottom pans could be made bright and new-looking once more with a substance made from these two natural ingredients. Simply rub the paste into a sponge or cloth and then wash and rinse out extensively. You may also clean copper-bottom cookware with a very similar substance treatment replacing lemon juice with white vinegar. Or you could try filling up a spray container with pure vinegar and applying it straight onto the underside of the pans. 

Allow it to sit for a little while and you should begin to see the blemishes start to disappear. Afterward, sprinkle with salt, scrub thoroughly, and wash it out. For extremely difficult stains, more coarse salt works more effectively as compared to table salt.

An additional procedure is to just cut a lemon in two, dip it in a bit of salt to cover it, and stroke the copper bottom using circular motions. Following that, wash and dry completely. 
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Clifford Woods is the CEO of Effective Environmental Services and Organic Environmental Technology
We brew Beneficial Microorganisms that eat toxins and offer Environmentally Friendly Products

All Purpose Cleaners

By Clifford Woods

All purpose cleaners are soaps and detergents that are multi-purpose. This means that they can be used for various cleaning duties, such as cleaning surfaces and appliances at the same time. While these all purpose cleaners are convenient, they have also come under massive disapproval due to their high toxic content. Many contain hazardous chemicals and in a bid to keep our homes clean, we are also filling them with lots of harmful toxins.

Though the law requires products to list their ingredients, what they do not indicate is the amount of toxicity you get by using these detergents. It is therefore, up to us to ensure that we know what products to use and avoid.

Some of the ingredients to avoid are:

• Petroleum solvents: Commonly found in oil-based paint, paint thinner, spot remover, gasoline, kerosene, and lubricating oil. This solvent can damage the mucous membranes and exposures to paint and solvents have been suggested as potential risk factors of childhood leukaemia.
• Phenols: Phenols are both naturally occurring chemicals and are manufactured by man. 'Phenol' is the name of the simplest member of the family of chemicals of that generic name. Pure phenol is a colorless or white crystalline solid with a powerful sickly sweet antiseptic odor. Commonly found in disinfectants. Excessive exposure to phenol may cause health effects on the brain, digestive system, eye, heart, kidney, liver, lung, peripheral nerve, skin and the unborn child. Phenol may also cause genetic damage.
• Diethylene glycol: Is a colorless, practically odorless, poisonous liquid with a sweetish taste commonly found in window cleaners, Diethylene glycol is toxic to the nervous system and has resulted in numerous epidemics of poisoning since the early 20th century.
• Perchloroethylene (Perc): This is a colorless, nonflammable liquid and another toxic chemical to avoid. It has been associated with liver and kidney damage as well as cancer. It is most popular in spot removers dry cleaning fluid and shoe polish.
•  Chlorinated phenols: Chlorinated phenols are believed to be almost entirely man-made in origin. These phenols are harmful to the circulatory and nervous system and are more toxic to aquatic life.
• Butoxyethanol also called Butyl cellosolve: This is a colorless liquid with a sweet, ether-like odor. It is a common chemical in the all-purpose cleaners. It’s quite toxic and has been known to damage the liver, kidneys, bone marrow and the nervous system amongst others.

Unfortunately, we cannot list all of the ingredients to steer clear of here as the list is far too long but we can suggest a better way forward, which is using the organic or non-toxic cleaners.

Buying Non Toxic Detergents There are many non-toxic detergents on the market and the good thing about these is that they are made using plant based and organic ingredients. This means that they are not only great for cleaning your home, but also do not harm your family or pets. They also do not become toxic when they interact with your sewage system or septic and you can rest assured knowing that you are not generating toxic fumes while cleaning the home.

Non Toxic Home Substitutes There are also ways you can keep your home safe from toxins without spending much on commercial all purpose detergents. This obviously depends on the cleaning duty you are undertaking. Great cleaning substitutes you can easily source from your pantry include:

1. Baking soda: This is one of the best multi cleaning products you can have in a home. It’s great for scouring and is a great deodorizer as well.
2. White vinegar: Vinegar can help you remove wax build up, grease, mildew, odors and certain stains.
3. Lemon juice: Lemon contains strong acids that are effective in cutting grease and disinfecting as well.
4. Borax: Borax not only cleans, it deodorizes, disinfects and softens water as well.
5. Plain soap: Plain soap consists of water, oil and alkali and has no synthetic additives, making it a great all purpose cleaning agent.
6. Cornstarch: Cornstarch acts as a great shampoo for rugs, carpets, and windows and can be used as a furniture polisher as well.

As you can see, there are simple ways to keep your home clean and toxic free either with manufactured cleaning agents or non toxic all purpose cleaner substitutes.

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Clifford Woods is the CEO of Effective Environmental Services and Organic Environmental Technology
Find out more about our Organic Cleaner
We brew Beneficial Microorganisms that eat toxins and offer Environmentally Friendly products

The Benefits of an Organic Dry Erase Board Cleaner

The Benefits of an Organic Dry Erase Board Cleaner

By Clifford Woods

Dry erase boards are used all over the world, at seminars, in classrooms and even in the comfort of homes. You are more likely to find them in an official setting than you are likely to find a pen because these implements are replacing paper more and more each day.

The only catch when using these useful items is that they have to be cleaned. The question most of us do not ask ourselves however is, what is in the cleaner we use for these boards? Is it healthy for humans to use at all?

Since the advent of the dry erase boards, many companies have set out to make a killing on the cleaners. Each company has its formula for coming up with the best cleaner possible and the cleaner is more often than not packaged inside a spray bottle for easy use. Unfortunately, efficient and convenient as they may seem, these fluids are made from inorganic ingredients that are toxic and therefore harmful to human beings. Body parts that come in contact with the cleaner such as the eyes, the skin, the nose and even the mouth can come to a lot of harm through continued use of these inorganic cleaner fluids.

It is common knowledge that most inorganically formulated board cleaner sprays contain isopropyl, ethanol and dichloroacetic acid. These are not naturally occurring and when used over a long period of time can cause severe damage to the human body as a whole. A great alternative to these harmful inorganic cleaning products is an organic dry erase board cleaner.

These are made using 100% natural ingredients and pose zero or no danger at all to the user regardless of how long they are used. A standard organic dry erase board cleaner would normally contain simple ingredients such as water, beneficial microorganisms, molasses, sea salt and other ingredients that pose no danger of any kind to the user.

A severely stained erase board may not become spotlessly clean when this kind of organic cleaner is used, but it will clean the it enough to be used efficiently. This alone can reduce the frequency with which inorganic cleaners are used.

An even better and more interesting way for you to make your dry erase board clean is by formulating your own safe cleaning product. Hand sanitizers can double up as a cleaner for instance. Water mixed with vinegar is also an option when it comes to a home-made cleaning fluid for your board. Other mixtures that have been known to function aptly include toothpaste infused into hairspray. Organic glass cleaner also gets the job done without leaving behind drastic health hazards.

Organic dry erase board cleaners are largely preferred over inorganic for a number of reasons.

First and foremost is the health issues mentioned. No use having a clean board that you will not be around to use long enough now is there? Secondly is the fact that these cleaners can be made right at home, using locally available ingredients. This not only reduces your expenditure but also makes the process safe for everyone.

Clifford Woods is the CEO of Effective Environmental Services and Organic Environmental Technology.
You can find out more about Organic Dry Erase Board Cleaners at www.effens.com
We brew Beneficial Microorganisms that eat toxins in the environment and offer Environmentally Friendly Products.

Chemical Free Schools

Chemical Free Schools

By Clifford Woods

You’d like to think that any environment in which kids spent most of their waking lives would be near enough 100% chemical free and therefore as safe as possible. Sadly however this has proven not to be the case as according to the results of recent studies, an alarming number of schools across the Western World are still packed to the rafters with harmful products and toxic chemicals that stand to cause untold damage in those most sensitive to harm. 

Wall-to-Wall Dangers: If a person was to actually have free run of a school for a couple of hours, chances are they would be in for quite the surprise as to how many chemicals and toxins are present outside the confines of the science labs. 

Committees are still pushing for chemical free schools as the current use of chemicals being used have the potential to do great harm in the years to come. But in the meantime awareness is still crucial. 

So what exactly are children at risk from in such environments?

• Solvents: Various paints, marker pens and craft supplies that may not have been vetted for safety. 
• Cleaning Products: Any number of cleaning products used by cleaners and the kids themselves from time to time that haven’t been thoroughly checked for harmful chemicals. 
• Vinyl: Certain types of vinyl products and supplies have been found to contain dangerous levels of toxins and still perpetuate in schools. 
• Airborne: Heaters and air-conditioners cleaned, maintained or built with toxic products/components. 

Take into account the above examples along with dozens of others and it can begin to appear that pushing for chemical free schools is an impossible task, but the truth is in fact quite to the contrary. 

Simple Steps to Chemical Free Schools

In order to protect the health of future generations, it is simply a case of taking small though decisive steps to introduce only natural products in schools and begin ruling out their harmful counterparts. 

There is really no reason to sit back

and accept that there are children at risk.

How to get started:

1. Rule out the purchase of any further vinyl products, as they may be inherently toxic.
2. Promote the use of recycled and 100% organic paper products.
3. Increase trash awareness and promote the use of reusable containers.
4. Organize discussion groups to air concerns and plan initiatives.
5. Check all cleaning supplies and immediately replace harmful chemicals with natural and organic cleaning products. 
6. Ensure all craft supplies used are 100% safe and natural. 
7. Eliminate the use of pesticides and chemicals both inside and outside the building.

For example, the use of an all organic dry erase board cleaner for schools

is an excellent step towards a chemical free school

The list goes on to encompass every part of the school where harmful substances may be in use. It isn't a case of trying to revolutionize the whole establishment overnight, but rather to build awareness and take the first steps toward insisting on chemical free schools that are safe for the kids and teachers alike. 

A Clear Choice: Fully natural, safe and organic products for use in schools are not only beneficial to the health of kids and the planet alike, but are also just as effective and affordable as their chemical counterparts. There really is no excuse for accepting anything less.

Summary: This article discusses the idea of chemical free schools, in the context of how chemicals and toxins found in schools currently can be harmful to kids and teachers alike. It brings into account the use of organic and natural products as a safe, viable and necessary alternative for the future.

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Clifford Woods is the CEO of Organic Environmental Technology.
You can find out more about Organic Cleaning Products at www.effens.com

We brew Beneficial Microorganisms that eat toxins and offer Environmentally Safe products