Green Housekeeping

There is no better time to “Go Green” than right now. The following tips will help you achieve cleaning in an environmentally friendly way.

BUY ALL-PURPOSE CLEANERS
You do NOT need to buy a cleaner for every cleaning chore. This is simply a tactic used by manufacturers to get you to buy several different products. Try Watkins Natural All-Purpose Cleaners. These chemical-free, biodegradable products can take care of most of your cleaning chores. Safe for your family, safe for the environment.

READ THE LABELS
If a product label states “caution” or “warning” that product will have less of an impact on the environment than a label that states “danger”. Try Watkins Natural Plant-Based Home Care. These products are 100% safe for the environment.

USE COLD WATER
Whenever possible use cold water for cleaning. When washing a deck or your driveway you do not have to use hot water. Or when you are doing laundry cold water sometimes will work just as well as hot water. Try it!

NO MORE PAPER TOWELS
Try to clean with reusable products such as rags or sponges. Disposable cleaning cloths or paper towels may seem convenient but they are not good for the environment.

USE CONCENTRATED PRODUCTS
By using concentrated cleaning products you will be using less packaging. Try Watkins All-Purpose Concentrate. This earth friendly, ultra concentrated all-purpose cleaner will save you money and save the environment.

CLEAN DAILY
Don’t let dirt and dust pile up before you clean. It makes the most sense to clean daily. In the long run you will use less energy and less products than if you allowed the dirt to accumulate. Also, pick up clutter as you go through your day. You will be surprised how easy cleaning day will be.

RECYCLE
One of the most important things you can do for the environment is to recycle. It’s also one of the easiest, simply rinse and recycle. Most cities offer bins for you to recycle your plastics, glass, newspapers, etc. Check with your local city office and see what day they pick up.

USE GREEN CLEANING PRODUCTS
Whenever possible, and that should be most of the time, use eco-friendly cleaning products. Not only are they better for the environment, they will be safe for your family. These products clean great, smell great and best of all you can feel good what you use in your home. Watkins Natural Home Care is the better choice!

You don’t have make all your changes at once. Try one tip at a time until it becomes natural for you to have a “green” house.
Good Luck, Tracey
www.VanillaGourmet.com

Green Clothes Dryer

I love the smell of laundry after it’s been hung out on the line to dry, it smells so fresh and clean. It brings back fond memories of my childhood, my Mom never had an automatic clothes dryer so summer and winter all our laundry was hung on a clothes line to dry.

I have a electric dryer but when the weather permits I like to dry our laundry out side. It not only saves money but it’s another way we can be greener.

Using environmentally friendly cleaning products is healthier for you, your family and our planet. When choosing a household cleaning product look for non-toxic products that do not contain phosphates, chlorine, ammonia or petrochemicals that may give off harmful fumes.

Interestingly, household chemicals, including bleach, disinfectant and cleaning fluid, have been blamed for the huge surge in childhood asthma in Britain. A study of more than 7,000 children shows that children born into households which use them most are twice as likely to suffer persistent wheezing, often a precursor to asthma. A similar study was conducted in Austraila with similar results. Why take a chance with your children’s and your own health?

Multi-Purpose Organic Cleaner

Watkins Organic Multi-purpose Cleaner

Are you looking for a safe and effective alternative to the toxic cleaning products available in most retail stores? Watkins Organic Cleaner may just be the solution you are searching for! This multi-purpose household cleaner will simplify your life.

Environmentally friendly organic cleaner is non-toxic, completely biodegradable and phosphate-free. The concentrated formula is gentle, even for sensitive skin yet powerful enough for your toughest cleaning problems. Organic Cleaner has no scent, no added coloring and no fumes. It’s so versatile, it can literally replace dozens of cleansers in your home. Because this multi-purpose cleaner is concentrated a little goes a long ways, making up to 256 times it’s volume in cleaning solution. Watkins Organic dilutes instantly in hot or cold water, with no fuss and no mess.

Uses for Watkins Organic Cleaner

For general cleaning mix one teaspoon/5 ml of Watkins Organic cleaner to one quart/litre of water.

For mirrors and glass mix 2 drops of Watkins Organic cleaner to one quarter cup/60 ml of water.

For floors mix one half to 2 teaspoons (2.5 ml - 10 ml) of Watkins Organic cleaner to each gallon/4 litres of water.

• Dishes - gentle on hands and fine china yet powerful enough for pots and pans.
• Kitchen - cleaning kitchen appliances, counters and cupboards.
• Refrigerator - safe for cleaning inside and out.
• Floors - mopping and spot cleaning hard surface floors.
• Windows and glass - as a spray and wipe cleaner, prevents fogging.
• Dusting - as a spray and wipe or on a damp cloth.
• Perfect for washing walls, doors, and light switch plates.
• Laundry - pre-treats heavily-soiled clothes, soaks out stains, and washes delicate hand washables such as wool, nylons and other fragile fabrics.
• Bathroom - cuts through soap scum and grime.
• Bathing - safe for your baby and bathing your pets.
• Outdoors - washing exterior siding and decks, won’t harm your plants.
• Garden - use as an insecticidal soap to kill pests.
• Auto - clean the interior and exterior of your vehicle.
• Camping - one product does it all.
• Carpet - use to spot clean carpet and rugs or use in a steam cleaner.

You can use Watkins Organic Cleaner for cleaning just about everything. Are you wondering where you can find Watkins Organic cleaner? Visit the Watkins Online Store to learn more about Watkins and order your organic cleaner today. Or contact one of our authors, they’ll be happy to assist you.

Organic cleaning product review:

“We use Organic cleaner for all our day to day cleaning chores. It’s more convient to have just one mulitpurpose cleaner, and it also saves on storage space. We purchase the gallon size about once a year so it’s very economical. The best thing is my hands used to be rough, dry and sore but since I switched to organic I haven’t had this problem.”

Willa Mae, TN

Environmentally friendly or green housekeeping is not only good for our planet, it’s also healthier for you! You will be minimizing air pollution inside and outside of your home. We can all have a impact on air pollution and global warming with out having to sacrifice comfort or convenience. Personal health and environmental sustainability aren’t the only reasons why consumers across the nation are making the change toward earth friendly housekeeping, it’s also more frugal.

All Natural Non-toxic Plant Based Cleaners

What can you do?

The Three R’s Have It! Every time you reuse an item, recycle or use a recycled product, and reduce your consumption, you make a real difference to our planet.

• Reusable products are better for our environment and will save you money. Use reusable products rather than disposables.
• Recycle your used items. Use recycled goods whenever possible.
• Reduce your consumption of energy, resources and goods. Use energy efficient appliances, lighting, heating and cooling systems.
• Use nontoxic, natural based household cleaners that do not contain chlorine, ammonia or petrochemicals.

The summer heat is here and we are all doing our best to stay comfortable and cool  but that usually means a high electric bill! Here’s how to save energy and money this summer.

Keep the sun out! Close the curtains, drapes or blinds to keep the sun and heat it generates out of your home. Plant a vine so that it grows over your windows to shade them in the summer. Hang bamboo blinds over the outside of your windows. Add a heat blocking  liner to your drapes or temporarily hang a sheet or towel over a window with sheer or lace curtains to block the sun.

Turn your portable air conditioner down, and use the power saver option if it has one. Use fans to move and circulate the cool air. If you have central air, turn the thermostat up. 75 degrees feels cool when it’s hitting 90 or more outside!

If it cools off outside at night, open all your windows and let the cooler air in, then close them in the morning before the temperature rises. This works even better if there is a breeze, if not place fans in a few window facing out to blow the warm air out of your home.

Keep your home from heating up by keeping the sun out and letting the cool night air in, plus adjusting your air-conditioning to a warmer temperature and using fans will all save you energy and money this summer!

Did you know that there is a cleaning product that’s safe and all natural, cleans, disinfects and deodorizes, and doesn’t cost a fortune? And that you may already have it hidden in your refrigerator door!

So, what is this magical cleaning product? It’s plain old lemon juice. You can use lemon juice instead of bleach to clean your house safely and effectively. In fact, you can use it in places you wouldn’t consider putting bleach.

If you’ve even tasted lemon juice, it’s pretty obvious that it’s a strong acid. Have you ever tried using lemon juice to clean a penny? The beauty of an acid is that it dissolves things water can’t. This includes dirt, grease and also parts of bacteria vital to it’s survival. Next time you clean, ditch the sponge, bleach and chemical cleaners and pull out a fresh lemon. It’s easy to hold, packed full of cleaning power, and can be thrown away when you’re done.

You can mix lemon juice with water and put it in a squirt bottle. You can use it along with your all purpose cleaner to scrub the kitchen, bathroom, and even clean walls and floors. The acid will cut through mineral deposits on bathroom fixtures.

Instead of adding bleach to your whites, add lemon juice instead. After washing, hang your clothes in the sun to dry and you’ll see how white your laundry can be without the smell and dangers of bleach. You can mix lemon juice with cream of tartar and rub into stains.  Just don’t leave them out in the sun to dry as it may fade the spot.

Lemon juice can also be used to polish, shine, and remove tarnish from the copper, chrome, and other metals in your house. Simply add a little salt or baking soda to a freshly cut lemon and rub it onto the metal’s surface, rinse well and polish dry.

Try mixing lemon juice with baking soda to make a great natural drain cleaner. It works just as well as vinegar and baking soda, but leaves that lemony scent.

Have you noticed lately that most disinfecting products have an version that smells like lemons? That’s because lemons naturally have a fresh, clean scent. Instead of cleaning with lemon scented chemicals, what could be better than getting your fresh lemon scented kitchen from actual lemons?

Leave it to Watkins to improve on mother nature! We are pleased to introduce a new line of non-toxic plant-based cleaning products that harness the power of lemons naturally. You’ll can choose from all-purpose cleaner, liquid dish soap, automatic dish washing detergent, toilet bowl cleaner, furniture polish and liquid laundry detergent concentrate all scented with natural lemon oil.

These are just a few of the many uses of this powerful cleaner. Cleaning with the power of lemons not only removes dirt, it also disinfects to keep your family safe. What a great way to leave your house looking and smelling great.

April 22nd is Earth Day, it’s an important day for the human race, as well as all creatures great and small who share this wonderful world with us . We are becoming more aware of the affects of global warming. Shouldn’t we strive to keep our eco-system in tact and keep our rainforests from being destroyed? There is more we can do on an individual basis. Celebrating Earth Day with your kids highlights the importance of Earth Day and is the first step.

It is important to explain to your kids what Earth Day represents, and what your family does every day to preserve our environment, as they will be the future caretakers of our planet.

• Teach kids how to grow plants and herbs. If you have a place you could even plant a tree in your yard.
• Recycle as much as possible.
• If they are old enough have your kids walk or ride their bikes to school.
• When you leave the room turn out the lights, and when no one is at home, keep lights off.
• Ensure that you are preserving water by repairing leaky faucets. Conserve water by not leaving the water running when brushing teeth, limit the time in the shower, and wash your vehicle less often.
• Replace the filters in your furace and air conditioner regularly.
• When shopping at grocery store, use recyclable bags.
• Volunteer to help clean up your local park.
• Put a birdbath and, or bird feeder in your backyard.
• Make Earth Day posters with your child and display them at school or at home.

By implementing these suggestions, you are teaching your kids energy and resource conservation; recycling; increasing plant and tree growth; respect nature; save water; reduce toxins in the air; keep the environment clean; planting trees and flowers to increase oxygen; reduce air pollution; and love and respect all animals who inhabit the earth.

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone took the time to implement just one of these suggestions? Then we would truly be able to save what little we have left, thus preserving our precious earth for our children and generations to come. Teaching your kids the importance of Earth Day has become necessary to the future of our planet.

How often do you vacuum your lovable pooch? Yes, you read right, my darling dog was a rescue and her previous owner would vacuum her.

It is a hoot to see her scamper over to me when I bring the portable vacuum out. The first time she did this I didn’t know what to make of it. She would lie on her side waiting for me to start. When, I figured out what she was wanting, I open the hose to release some of the suction, put on the furniture attachment so not to injury her. This has become a routine with us every time I vacuum.

The advantages I have found are two fold, for the dog she is more comfortable less scratching and her bedding is cleaner. She is not sneezing from the loose hair and dirt in her coat.

For me it is having a home with a lot less dog hair and less dust. This has prompted me to vacuum and clean her bedding on a regular basis, not just when I can’t stand it anymore.

I have found we still have those not so wonderful days when she runs through the mud puddles with glee and arrives at the door looking like a dog that has been dipped in chocolate. My cure for that is giving her a bath with Watkins Botanical Pet Shampoo, I love the ingredients of aloe vera, lemon oil and vitamin E, and it leaves her coat shiny and smelling great, not like wet dog, yuck.

Mary Ellen

Associate #364297

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and the usual candy, flowers and cards can be so expensive these days. Wouldn’t you rather make homemade valentines? If so, here is how easy it is to make homemade valentines and save some money too.If you have a computer, (if you are reading this you probably do) you can make homemade valentines cards. Use Photoshop or some other card-making software, it is not only fun, but easy too and you can make loads of valentine cards in no time.

How about making a valentine wreath for your door? It’s easy, use red fabric of different textures to make heart shapes. Then stuff them with plastic grocery bags to give them fullness. You can make several hearts and sew them together to form a larger heart which you can then add to a round piece of wire.

How about a valentine’s basket? Fill the basket with homemade heart shaped cookies, your loved one’s favorite or some decorated with red icing. Here’s a quick and easy recipe:

Vanilla Wafers

Ingredients:
Watkins Cooking Spray
1 tbsp/15 mL all-purpose flour
1/2 cup/125 mL sugar
1/4 cup/60 mL cornstarch
2 tbsp/30 mL butter, melted
1 egg
2 tsp/10 mL Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla or Vanilla Nut Extract
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Butter Extract
3/4 cup/180 mL all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Baking Powder
1/8 tsp/0.6 mL salt

Cooking Directions: Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Spray two large baking sheets with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp/15 mL flour; set aside. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, margarine and extracts; mix well. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt; mix well. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls 2 side by side, using spoon to shape into a heart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pans and let cool on wire rack. Decorate as desired.

Makes 3 dozen, 30 calories each 2 per serving.

Or use your baking skills to prepare a homemade valentine cake, you can even shape it into a heart. Surprise your family with a wonderful after dinner treat!

You can make a valentine heart for your loved ones with some red construction paper, glue; and sparkles. Write your heartfelt sentiment on it and hang it so that your spouse can see it as soon as they walk in the door. Cut out heart shaped cards and write notes of love on each one! Give them to everyone who is special to you.

It doesn’t need to take much time or money to make homemade valentines. Just a little imagination and a few items you have around the house can really make a splash without having to spend a fortune. Remember, it’s the thought that counts!

Is your kitchen is the most lived in room in your home? It is for most families and this also means it can also be the messiest too! Here are some quick kitchen cleaning tips to help you keep the mess and clutter to a minimum:

• Start by removing all the clutter from your countertop; that includes dishes, papers, utensils, gadgets and other items you may have lying around.

• Try to store most of your small appliances inside the cabinets.

• Clean the kitchen cabinets, stove, refrigerator and counters tops with Watkins Organic Cleaner or Degrease and hot water.

• Sweep and then mop your kitchen floor using Organic cleaner and hot water.

• To remove skid marks on linoleum rub the spot with Watkins Creme Cleanser before washing the floor.

• Clean your kitchen sink with Watkins Creme Cleanser, it will make stainless steel sparkle and remove stains from enamel.

• Replace your dish cloth daily, as well as the sponge or scrubber you use for washing dishes.

Cleaning is a matter of preparation, determination and time management. All your kitchen needs now is a quick once-over, and you are ready for the next marathon of cooking and baking to begin.

You’ll find the effective cleaning products mentioned above and more at WatkinsOnline