Bleach alternatives ::

Archive for Bleach alternatives

All about enzymes

I’ve seen a whole lot of ‘enzyme’ cleaners lately – laundry detergents, kitchen cleaners, bathroom cleaners, hardwood cleaners. It seems like they’re all invading my path all of a sudden. They sure sound nice – kind of sciencey, but a little zany and green too. Enzyme. I just like to say it. But is it [...]

Best way to clean cutting boards

There’s nothing better than creating a home cooked meal from scratch, using the season’s finest and freshest to bring the most flavor to the table. But unless you’re a vegetarian you probably also have raw meat you’ll be chopping now and then, and potentially leaving dangerous germs on your chopping block. Here’s what we suggest:

Use [...]

Disinfecting, sanitizing, sterilizing. . .

What do they mean? When you’re looking for a cleaner, what’s important? There are different things you want your cleaner to do. Most of us assume that clean means germ-free, but in reality not all cleaners hit the mark. The use of these words on product labels is regulated by the EPA, and here’s what [...]

Essential oils: Oregano

What can cure a fungal infection? What can stop a drug-resistant strain of of staphylococcus (”staph infection”)? What can kill E. Coli and Salmonela on your countertops? Or clean just about any bacteria found in your bathroom? What can take care of gastrointestinal and bronchial infections? What can kill and prevent yeast infections faster than [...]

Natural disinfectants

A question we get pretty frequently asks if natural cleaning methods will really get rid of the bacterias we don’t want in our homes. Sure, vinegar, baking soda, and lemon are great old wives’ tales, but do they really work?

Bleach myths

This week we received a question about when to use bleach. The thing is, for most purposes, I’d say never. And here’s why:

Mold and mildew: On porous surfaces (grout, drywall, wood, etc.) mold grows deep into the surface. The way bleach is ionized prevents it from getting into the pores. Bleach is not an effective [...]

Questions about bleach

When I look at the keyword searches that brought people here, I’m always a little surprised at what I find. One of the more frequent search phrases is “toilet encrusted” with, well, you can use your imagination on that one. Let me just set the record straight. If your toilet is encrusted, you might want [...]