Natural Solutions for Treating Tile Grout

Natural Solutions for Treating Tile Grout

By Clifford Woods

It is possible to clean tile grout without having to do a lot of heavy scrubbing, however the products you would have to use consist of a number of rather harmful chemical substances. If a standard non-toxic method were accessible, it would be a breakthrough in the cleaning industry. The truth is that a combined strategy is required to maintain the clean appearance of your grout.

Mold Growth
Due to the fact grout has a rough and porous surface; it has a tendency to present cleaning difficulties which do not exist on the surface of polished stone or glazed tile. Filthy-looking grout is generally a mix of dirt, mildew, and mold. To be successfully cleaned, a blended approach should be used - one which extends into the small pores of the grout and puts a stop to any mold development at its origin.

In order for mildews and molds to develop, they will require a moisture source, food, along with a little bit of warmth. Lowering the temperature of your bathroom can be quite uncomfortable as you step out of the shower. Luckily, the most effective method of control is by lowering the food and water sources for mildew.

The food supply for the majority of these molds is actually our very own skin tissues along with the soaps we use. The phosphates present in soaps can also boost the growth of these molds. Trying to keep these residues at minimal amounts will decrease possible mold development. 

To lessen humidity, you can squeegee or towel down the wall surfaces of your shower area after every single use. If you would rather not do that, then you can leave the curtain and bathroom door open to better let it air circulate. Switching on a bathroom fan will also help to draw humidity from the area.

Scrubbing is Necessary
Chlorine bleach is one of the most typical ingredients employed to lighten up items, so there's a chance you're convinced that it can be used to whiten grout. While bleach will do a good job of eliminating mold spores, just putting it on is not really sufficient to eliminate mold for good.
The crud within your tile grout is generally located behind a coating of soap scum which in most cases is not easily apparent. 

Remember that many of these cleaning responses take place at a molecular level, so a thin coating of soap residue a hundredth of an inch thick can easily stop the bleach from making contact with the grime under the layer of soap residue.

For this reason physical scrubbing as well as utilization of acidic substances, such as the phosphoric acid solution present in toilet bowl solutions, can break up this soap layer. However, one of many complications of using these chemical substances, besides the ecological and skin contact problems, is the harmful consequences to the grout itself. 

Grouts are made from cement and can be worn away by acidic ingredients. Bleach however is less harmful to the grout than any acid solution; however you will need to do some scrubbing for that to work.

Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Grout Cleaning
If you would rather not use any chemicals at all, which is much better for health purposes, then one particular choice would be to install a darker shade of grout. Lighter grouts are definitely more difficult to keep looking nice than a darker shade.If installing new grout is not for you, below are a few alternate options to bleach and hazardous chemical substances:

• Borax
• Steam Cleaners
• Oxygen Bleach Powder
• Baking Soda 
• Vinegar
• Blend of Baking Soda and Vinegar 
• Organic All-Purpose Clean with Beneficial Microorganisms

Scrubbing is required for most of these alternatives. 
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Clifford Woods is the CEO of Effective Environmental Services and Organic Environmental Technology.
We brew Beneficial Microorganisms and offer Natural Organic Solutions

Tips for Cleaning the Kitchen

Tips for Cleaning the Kitchen

By Clifford Woods

Based on the words of the mass media, our kitchens have harmful bacteria thriving in them. They state that salmonella, E. coli, and various other harmful germs are everywhere. Fortunately, this is all completely wrong unless you have piles of raw chicken all over the place.

The reality is that regular care and consideration with a couple simple organic cleaning ingredients will make your kitchen area as clean and bacteria-free as it should be.

If you are using chemical-based products, it would be a good idea to switch to all-natural solutions such as those that contain beneficial microorganisms as they are much better for your health and the environment.

If you want to use only natural products found in your home, baking soda is a great eco-friendly cleaning solution to make use of, particularly in the kitchen. It is safe to use around food and has absolutely no smell. Baking soda is also slightly coarse; however it will not harm your surfaces at all. Lemon juice and vinegar are also cleaning solutions to have around the home. 

Fruit
If you are stressing about what insect poison or some other chemical residues might be lurking on your fresh vegetables and fruit, then cleaning your produce with a small amount of baking soda will give you a peace of mind as this is a guaranteed way to get rid of chemicals and dirt. Rinse off the fruit or vegetable well and make sure to dry it if you plan on storing it for a long time.

Floors
Tile floors can be washed using a bucket of warm water combined with a half cup of baking soda. Just mop as normal while using the combination and rinse extensively. You can add a bit of lemon juice to the water to produce a refreshing aroma. 

Sink Drains
Once weekly, pour a quarter cup of baking soda straight down each of your kitchen drains along with a half cup of vinegar. Allow this blend to sit in the drain for twenty minutes or more without the other fluids going down. As this is resting, boil some water on your stove. Lastly, rinse the drain with the boiling water you just prepared.

Microwaves
To simply eliminate splatters and build-ups in the microwave, put a quarter cup of vinegar to one cup of water in a container and then place it into the microwave. Turn it on for three minutes and then let it steam for about ten minutes. Once the time has passed, the build up food should now be loose enough for you to wipe away with ease.

Freezer
If the cubes which are taken from the automated ice cube machine taste odd, consider washing the detachable parts of the device with a water and baking soda solution.

Coffee Mugs
Coffee stains can be removed from light-colored mugs simply by using a damp sponge or cloth dipped in baking soda. If the patches are proving to be persistent, try rubbing them with a bit of salt.

Counter tops
Wipe down your kitchen surfaces with vinegar daily as this will make them shinny and keep your kitchen smelling clean. You may also slice a lemon in half, spread some baking soda on it, and wash the counter top with this to obtain the same results.  Rinse well when done.

Silverware
Put just a little salt on to a soft cloth and gently rub the items. After that, clean the silverware manually with dish detergent and warm water. Cautiously dry each piece by blotting it. Sterling silver can be washed using a composite of two tablespoons of salt and a half cup of vinegar. Lightly apply in the paste, rinse, and dry extensively.
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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 Natural Organic Solutions.

Effective And Natural Pet Health Considerations

By Clifford Woods

People that own an animal are faced with a tremendous amount of responsibility in being able to contend with their health. Animals are heavily dependent on their owners for their necessary and daily levels of well being which are quite similar to humans in regard to being preventative, in avoiding major medical concerns. People focused on this effort should learn a few natural methods of maintaining a high degree of pet health throughout the life of the animal.

The industry of animal care and health products is actually quite comprehensive in what owners are able to shop for and utilize. Many owners discover that the products used on animals are filled with substances that are associated with being harmful on many levels and are actually avoided by humans. This concern is often what leads many owners to consider what is available to them for the sake of their animal for a more natural approach to wellness.

People considering these things are often not too sure of where to even begin their efforts. The newness that surrounds an all natural wellness approach has led to a vast amount of information that is readily available and can be difficult to sort through at times. Learning the most effective techniques helps any owner keep their pet as happy and healthy as possible.

Consumers learn that one of the most initial techniques in this process is maintaining a holistic and balanced diet for their animals. Animals are much like humans in that they get out of their bodies what is put into them. Good health requires a diet consisting of natural products and ingredients. Clearly reading all labels prior to making a purchase is all that is required for this effort.

Keeping the animal well groomed at all times is another effective and simple approach to take note of. The hair and nails of the pet are an integral source of wellness, as they are known to become dirty over time, which can create unique health issues. Ensuring that basic grooming processes are completed is effective in avoiding any unnecessary complication.

Maintaining a happy environment for the pet is also an integral phase of this process. Animals are highly susceptible to stress and changes in their surroundings which can create unnecessary strain on their immune systems and general well being. Keeping the home environment as calm and safe as possible helps the animal feel an enhanced sense of wellness.

Another effective and natural approach to wellness is ensuring the animal receives regular exercise. Taking them for walks or interacting with them in any kind of physical manner possible helps them exercise and keep their heart rates up. This is much the same as with human beings in that weight control and mental well being efforts are much more effective with physical activity.

Natural pet health is also achieved by ensuring that fleas and ticks are removed when present and are prevented when possible. There are now quite a few products available to owners that help ensure that the hair is kept as well guarded against many sorts of pests. Keeping the home clean and avoiding areas where ticks and fleas are commonly present is another effective and natural approach toward prevention.

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Author: Clifford Woods is the CEO of Effective Environmental Services and Organic Environmental Technology
They Brew Beneficial Microorganisms that Eat Toxins and Offer Environmentally Friendly Products

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Mold Free Home

By Clifford Woods

Keeping a mold free home can sometimes be a real chore that if not properly taken care of, can really get away from you, especially if you live in an area that has a lot of wetness or humidity during specific times of the year. But there are many ways that you can make a mold free home without having to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars.

You can do it all naturally and get your mold free home in no time. You can feel confident that what you are doing is good for both the environment and for the people who live in your home as well. People can get very sick if constantly exposed to mold and mildew, so it’s a good idea if you think you have mold to start working on it right away.

The easiest way that you can get rid of and kill mold is by fresh air and sunlight. You can get rid of mold or mildew on your laundry by allowing it to dry outside on a line. Move other smaller items outside as well, but make sure that you move them back into the house before it rains or the sprinklers come on, because that will worsen the mold problem at hand.

If you have a space in the house that has mold or the smell of mildew, you can provide light from grow lights that mimic the sunlight and you can also put a fan into a window to get the air moving around inside the room as well. These simple things will really help keep a mold free home.

Now, if you can see the mold on the walls or on your bathroom stall, then what you can do is make yourself a mixture of either all organic vinegar that you can buy from any health food store. The vinegar alone will help you get rid of almost all of the mold and mildew on contact and you don’t even need to wipe it clean, you can just spray and walk away (if you can endure the smell), because that will last until the vinegar dries.


Of course, you can make your own mixtures for natural organic mold removers by mixing together fresh spring water with organic oils, like tea tree oil or grape seed oil. The tee tree oil will be a bit more expensive and have an odor, but most people find the scent of it quite nice.

The grape seed oil usually costs a bit less and has absolutely no odor and both of these will help to kill the mold on contact, but its best go to back and scrub the walls or areas of the home that has the mold in it with a rough brush or a sponge with a course edge.

You can also add a bit of baking soda to the brush or sponge and this will ensure that you are getting up the rest of the mold or mildew that’s been left behind. You will have your mold free home in absolutely no time if you use all these organic and natural ways.

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Clifford Woods is the CEO of Effective Environmental Services and Organic Environmental Technology.
You can find out more about Organic Mold Removers at www.effens.com
We brew Beneficial Microorganisms that eat toxins in the environment and sell 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

The Natural and Organic Lawn

The Natural and Organic Lawn
By Clifford Woods

It really isn't a secret any more – organic means healthy above and beyond any alternative. The subject of lawns is certainly no exception to the rule either as it has been proven time and time again beyond all reasonable doubt that organic lawns given only 100% natural treatments and preparations are in turn 100% healthier and safer than their chemical-enriched counterparts. 

90 Million Pounds per Year? The trouble is, much of the world has become used to quick-fix and cheap solutions to their indoor and outdoor problems, which has in turn led to a million and one synthetic and chemical products hitting the shelves for use on laws and in gardens in general. 

This in turn has led to a steep decline in the number of strict no chemical lawns across the domestic world as a whole. In fact, recent studies have concluded that up to 90 million pounds of pesticides and dumped on lawns in the USA alone every year, which has the potential to lead to any number of problems both at home and for the environment. 


Why Go Natural? There are dozens of benefits to insisting on 100% naturally fed lawns, though among the most crucial are the following:

• As Nature Intended – Mother Nature never intended lawns and gardens as a whole to be doused with man made chemicals, therefore how can you expect lawns treated in such a way to be as healthy as naturally fed lawns? Exactly – common sense would dictate that you cannot and this is the absolute truth of the matter…period. 
• Known Content – Buy a 100% organic fertilizer or make your own compost and you can rest assured that you know each and every ingredient used to create the substances you will then be putting on your lawns. On the other hand, buy a synthetic or chemical product and chances are most will not understand a word of the composition list, so how on Earth can you be sure what you’re even using in the first place?
• Family Safety – Following on from the above, if you cannot say for sure what you are putting on 
• your non organic lawns, then how can you be sure whether or not it will be safe for the use of pets or children, for example? While no chemical lawns can be 100% guaranteed as non-toxic and harmless to kids and pets alike, while those doused in chemicals cannot. 
• Bigger Picture – Drenching lawns in harmful chemicals is bad enough, but what few seem to realize is what happens to these harmful chemicals once the rain comes and washed them away. In truth, they can end up in any number of rivers, streams and water supplies to create health and safety problems for animals and human beings.

The list goes on, but basically encompasses each and every one of the largely common sense reasons why fully organic lawns are infinitely more desirable in every way. It needn't involve much of an additional investment in time or money to insist only or organic, therefore why expose the household as a whole to unnecessary harm?

Summary: This article discusses the differences between the fully natural or organic lawn and those on which chemical treatments such as pesticides are used. It calls into account the dangers for the household and the environment alike, while weighing up common sense matters such as costs.

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

We brew Beneficial Microorganisms that eat toxins

in the environment and sell environmentally friendly products