Thieves Safe Cleaning Products

Thieves Household Cleaner is an all-natural ingredient formulation to distribute the power of therapeutic-grade essential oils in your home while killing germs and bacteria.

It is a superior natural alternative to chemicals and is a marvelous cleaning product. The anti-microbial power of Thieves, combined with a non-toxic coconut oil based cleaning solution that is safe for your whole family. This product is very gentle on the skin & safe for children and pets.

Dilute this concentrate as directed on label, to clean dishes, laundry, windows, bathrooms, stains, floors, wood, leather, upholstery, walls everything you can think of.

Professional cleaning services are using Thieves Cleaner and receiving feedback from their clients that allergies are easing in their homes and offices.

Thieves® was created based on research about four thieves in France who protected themselves with cloves, rosemary, and other aromatics while robbing plague victims. This proprietary blend was university-tested and found to be highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health.*

Click here to order Thieves alternative cleaners today!

Just Say No to Plastic

Great Article from Green America's Blog:

...Because once you really start thinking about it, you notice that plastic is EVERYWHERE. As author Susan Freinkel points out in her book Plastic: A Love Story, you probably can’t go five minutes after waking up in the morning without touching something plastic (i.e. alarm clock, glasses, toothbrush, soap dispenser, towel rack, and oh-my-gosh … toilet seat)

(read more...)

Blogger Beth Terry (MyPlasticFreeLife.com) says that the two biggest things people can do to get rid of stupid plastic are to give up bottled water and to bring your own reusable bags to the store. What are your top ways to purge plastic from your life? 

Question of the Day

My wife would like to know if it would be possible to use some germ-killing and mold-killing agents like Lysol and Clorox, or it that outside the realm of green cleaning?

 

Answer:

Yes, I'm afraid those things are very toxic and we don’t use them.  If you have things cleaned on a regular basis those mildew prone places should stay in better shape. You never prevent mold you just hold it off and the harsh chemicals have to be reapplied just as often. 

 

A tip for holding the mold at bay a little longer is to rinse your shower/tub with cold water after your shower and squeegee the walls.

 

Using natural non-toxic products will prolong your life!

Workshops

Sunrise Cleaning Service hosts workshops to educate the public on safe, alternative cleaning products.

Please contact tracy@sunriseclean.com if you would like to host a workshop at your home or place of business.

A Safer Home Environment

  

A Safer Home Environment

If your household cleaning needs are under control and your concern is for the possible effects of short or long-term exposure to cleaning and other household products, you may benefit from a consultation with the experts at Sunrise Cleaning Service. With only a couple of visits from our knowledgeable staff, you can be well on your way to a healthier lifestyle. You watch what you eat and you take precautions in your everyday lives like insurance, safety gates, smoke detectors. Why not remove the very things that are harming you in a slow, unknowing way? Sunrise Cleaning Service is dedicated on saving the environment and teaching the public about the dangers of household chemicals. We will provide you with the tools to eliminate toxins from your home.

In the News

THINK CLEAN, THINK GREEN
Law Makes Schools Use 'Environmentally Friendly' Supplies
By Cara Matthews
Journal Albany bureau
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060901/NEWS02/609010346
September 1, 2006

ALBANY > Products with names such as Earth's Choice, Sustainable Earth and Green Knight will fill janitors' closets this fall as schools around the state comply with a new law that requires "environmentally friendly" cleaning supplies.
Concerns about the harmful health effects chemicals can have, especially on children, and a realization that cleaners with reduced amounts of potentially dangerous ingredients are increasingly available, prompted the legislation, which takes effect today.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates human exposure to air pollutants indoors can be two to five times higher than outdoor levels. Some of the culprits are cleaners, waxes and deodorizers. Reducing or eliminating potentially harmful ingredients helps protect the environment and water supply, according to the legislation's sponsors.

The state School Boards Association supports the measure but has had some questions about the law, such as whether the "greener" products would cost more and clean as well as traditional ones, spokesman David Ernst said.
"There are certainly concerns about student health that may be addressed by some of these products," he said. "(For) a lot of these concerns ... the source of the health problem hasn't been pinpointed, but certainly chemicals can be one."
Prices of the environmentally friendly cleaners are comparable to others on the market, said Christine Burling, At least two districts in Dutchess County will have a jump start on other local schools. The Pine Plains school district has been using green and environmentally friendly cleaning supplies for about four years, while the Rhinebeck school district has been using the products for about two years.

"The products are easier on the people who are applying them," said Thomas Garrick, director of operations and maintenance for Pine Plains schools. "It's just healthier on the people who apply them."

Because the prices are so similar, the district didn't need to make too big an adjustment, Garrick said.
Laurie Rich, president of the Rhinebeck school board, is vice president of programs for INFORM, Inc. The nonprofit organization examines the effects of business practices on the environment and on human health.

The Rhinebeck school district made the switch after INFORM performed a free audit of its cleaning supplies. She said the greener cleaning products have an immediate benefit not only to the workers who apply them, but to the entire school population.

"It's well documented that when you clean up the quality of the air we breathe indoors, students' attendance rates go up, attention spans in the classroom improve and students perform better," Rich said.
Greg Decker, custodial supervisor at the Rhinebeck school district, said the green products were comparable in performance.

"The transition was difficult because there are a lot of items out there that we had to try out and we were just trying to hope for the best," Decker said. "We wanted to make sure that the products that were on the market could do the same job."

In some cases, it may take a little longer for the green or environmentally friendlier products to work. For instance, environmentally friendly bathroom disinfectant may take longer to work than traditional bathroom cleaners.
Since bathroom cleaners are designed to kill germs, it's impossible to find a cleaner that is completely green.

Grandfather Clause

Schools don't have to throw away cleaners that aren't on the state's list of approved products for cleaning products, vacuum cleaners and sanitary paper products, she said. They can use them up before buying green ones. The new law applies to buildings and grounds at all public and private elementary and secondary schools.

A number of groups and parents have criticized the regulations, saying they don't go far enough to protect children. The state stands by the guidelines, Burling said.

"They're a living document. As science and technology evolve, we anticipate that we'll be making changes," she said.
The Office of General Services and the state Education Department have to issue a report by June 1 on the law's impact on schools.

The legislation, which passed in 2005, was sponsored by state Sen. Steve Saland, R-Poughkeepsie, and Sen. James Alesi, R-Perinton, Monroe County.

Grassroots Environmental Education, a nonprofit on Long Island, thinks the state should have adopted stricter guidelines, said Patti Wood, executive director. For example, the organization wanted to exclude all products with added fragrances and chemicals that can negatively affect the endocrine system, she said.

"Overall, it didn't go far enough. They missed an opportunity to really protect children, who are uniquely vulnerable to all kinds of environmental exposures," she said.

More Susceptible

Children, especially young ones, are more likely to come into contact with cleaning chemicals, and they are more vulnerable than adults because of their size and age, she said.

The state's list of products notes which ones have added fragrances, and the guidelines recommend reducing the use of those to the extent possible.

Most cleaners on the state's list are certified by Green Seal or Environmental Choice. According to Wood, the standards are not as strict as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment program, which includes information on eco-friendly cleaning products.

A statement on the Office of General Services' Web site said the agency anticipates working with the Design for the Environment program, among others, in updating regulations, but any changes will be based on "solid scientific studies and research."

Potential harmful effects of cleaners, waxes and deodorizers are skin and eye irritation, asthma attacks and neurological effects, Wood said. Some parents have taken their children out of school because of exposure to chemicals there, she said.

"If there is a single ingredient in any cleaning product that will cause an asthmatic attack, it would be the fragrance, and there are a lot of children with asthma in our schools," she said.

Grassroots Environmental Education will provide information to each school about its own recommendations for green cleaning products, Wood said.

New York State United Teachers, the state's largest union, backed the legislation as a good first step toward making schools healthier and safer for children and staff, spokesman Carl Korn said. But the union has a concern similar to that of Wood's group.

"The legislation requires them to use green, healthy products but not the highest rated ones, and that's something that we're going to be working towards in the future," he said.

The Civil Service Employees Association thinks the law is a good one but will require involvement from community members to make sure it is implemented on a local level, spokesman Stephen Madarasz said.

"I think all habits take a long time to change sometimes, so I think a lot of this will involve some grassroots involvement from people and our members," he said.

Journal staff writer Rasheed Oluwa contributed to this report.

Cleaning Solutions You (and the Earth) Can Live With...

Although most of us don't realize it, the plethora of potentially toxic cleaning solutions living under our sinks could be reduced to a half dozen extremely inexpensive, environmentally-friendly solutions made mostly from ingredients you may already have on hand.

Vinegar and water, long-known to be excellent for cleaning windows, still outshines the dozens of window-washing products on the market, and baking soda and vinegar are ideal for unplugging a sluggish drain.
Most of the cleansers on the market are harsh, abrasive and contain chlorine. Bon Ami, one of those products that has been around for as long as anyone can remember, still outscrubs all of it's chlorine-laden counterparts and is useful on many surfaces.

The following table shows you what common, everyday ingredients can be used as an alternative to your existing products. 
 

Hazordous Waste Drop Off Program

HAVE YOU TRIED THE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE (HHW) DROP-OFF PROGRAM?

The City of Santa Cruz HHW Drop-off site at the Resource Recovery Facility on Dimeo Lane is up and running. This facility offers a safe and convenient place for you to drop off toxic and dangerous materials that you no longer need or want.

Be sure to stop by their 2nd Chance Store. When you bring your products to the HHW facility, they sort through them and offer usable items to the public, free of charge. Pick up some free house paint for your next home improvement project!

Residents may still also drop off their HHW at the Ben Lomond Transfer Station or the Buena Vista Landfill. All three facilities take items such as:

• Aerosol cans • Cleaning Products • Hobby Products • Fertilizers • Pesticides • Pool Chemicals

• Smoke detectors • Glues • Automotive fluids • Batteries • Paint products • Insect Poisons

The City of Santa Cruz HHW Facility and the 2nd Chance Store are open 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays only. Please call 831.454.2606 for more information. Or visit their web site:
http://www.dpw.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/hazwaste.htm

Bon Ami - Tried and True

Childs and Albert Erickson created the chick as a symbol and “Hasn’t scratched yet” as the slogan in 1901–chosen because Bon Ami does not scratch hard surfaces and chicks do not scratch for food for two or three days after hatching.

In the 117 years since its creation, Bon Ami has enjoyed a rich history of ads, posters and packaging that are largely preserved today, along with the original formula. Bon Ami packaging, advertisemets and memorabilia have become popular with collectors and are found online. Historical Bon Ami products are also featured online at The American Package Museum, along with other interesting products that our great-grandparents would have seen at the local store.

We are very happy with Bon Ami because it does so much, very simply.

Sprinkle it on a wet cloth or sponge, or on the moistened surface to be cleaned. Rub, then rinse and wipe dry. Use it for cleaning and polishing windows, mirrors, porcelain and stainless steel sinks, tubs & showers, pots and pans, painted surfaces, tile, aluminum, white shoes etc. and many other hard surfaces around your home and garage Bon Ami’s unique ingredients remove dried on splatters and spills, burned-on grease, baked-on food and sticky messes. Bon Ami works great on windows and mirrors, and is recommended by car manufacturers for cleaning windshields.

Environmentally sensitive people prefer it because it contains no chlorine, perfumes, dyes or phosphates. The packaging contains an excess of 75% recycled material.

Illuminating Aluminum

ANTIPERSPIRANTS/DEODORANTS

It is a scientific fact that the largest organ of our body, the skin, is also a gateway to the interior of the body through absorption. Underarms in particular are receptive sites for chemical absorption. Women who shave their underarms also open up the skin further to allow that absorption.

Advertisers have force-fed the public the idea of chemical prevention of perspiration and odor. Aluminum chlorohydrate or aluminum chlorohydroxide works by blocking pores to prevent perspiration, while possibly leading to neurological damage.

Aluminum is a toxic metal found in numerous studies to be in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. It is also believed to cause skeletal damage in infants and adults. 

So how do we eliminate the possibility of body odor without exposing ourselves to harmful ingredients? Is the only answer to use chemical-laden deodorant?

There are an array of non-chemical and natural products in the stores today. The key is to read ingredient labels and look for herb and plant-derived ingredients.

A few other things to avoid are: cooking with or having your hot food come in contact with aluminum foil or foil-like wrappings. Also, avoid products packaged in aluminum. The best items I have found to cook with are glass pots and pans!

Toxic Villains

Many common household cleaning and home maintenance products contain toxic chemicals, including carcinogens and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. When the same products are used in the workplace, federal legislation requires that the hazardous ingredients be labeled, but there is no such requirement for consumer use.

Some detergents and toilet bowl cleaners, for example, contain ethoxolated nonylphenols, endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can interfere with reproduction in marine and other species. Some laundry detergents contain trisodium nitrilotriacetate, listed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a possible human carcinogen. It also impedes the elimination of metals in wastewater and has been banned in some countries because of that.

The 2005 CancerSmart Consumer Guide, published by the Labour Environmental Alliance Society (LEAS) and available
for order on the back page, is a useful reference to check out the ingredients in common consumer products and find alternatives. You can also call the 1-800 number listed on many products and request a Material Safety Data Sheet that lists product ingredients.

Lay it on me

Every day we go about our day to day routine using soaps and detergents and
cosmetics to help us stay clean and free of bacteria and dirt and other undesirables.
What we don't know is that these products have chemicals that are extremely toxic
to our health.

Recently a six month investigation was done by the Environmental Working Group
(EWG) http://www.ewg.org/ on more than 10,500 ingredients found in personal care
products.
 
What they found was very startling. The vast majority-- some 89% of
the ingredients found in the products that we rub onto our skin spread onto our
faces and wash your hands with has never been evaluated for safety.

The Cosmetic Industry Review panel and the FDA or any other institution has
never evaluated these ingredients for their safety and the CIR panel is run and
funded by the cosmetics industry and is supposed to thoroughly review and assess
the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics.
These companies produce their own studies. That being said would you trust them
to have your best interest in mind?

Consider these facts produced by the Environmental Working Group (EWG)

• 99.6 percent of the products contain one or more ingredients that have
never been safety tested by the CIR. (CIR, a panel run and funded by the
cosmetic industry, is supposed to "thoroughly review and assess the safety of
ingredients used in cosmetics.")

• One of every 120 products contains ingredients classified as known or
probable human carcinogens by the government.

• One-third of all products contain one or more ingredients classified as
possible human carcinogens.

(This is a big one)
• 55 percent of all products contain "penetration enhancers," (including some
that contain known or probable human carcinogens) which increase the
product's ability to penetrate the skin and get into the bloodstream.

The FDA has banned or restricted only nine personal care product
ingredients. For comparison, the European Union has banned 450.

The best thing that we can do to avoid these chemicals is read labels. If you can't
pronounce it you should probably avoid it. Look for locally produced cosmetics and
lotions.

Some are listed here:

Copper moon apothecary has a wonderful lotions and salves product line. http://
coppermoon.net/

Also Naturopathic Doctor Natalie Metz
www.drnataliemetz.com has an abundant array of medicinal products she creates
herself from natural ingredients you can pronounce.

Or just shop at the local natural food store. We are very lucky to live in a city that
has many to choose from with a staff of very knowledgeable employee’s.

Dust if you must

Dust if you must but wouldn't it be better,
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not kind.
And when you go and go you must,
You, yourself, will make more dust.

-Author Unknown