Merry Microfiber Newsletter 

Helping you to live a "greener" healthier life!

April 2009

Spring Has Sprung!

What do we think of when we think of spring? I think of April showers bringing May flowers! Allot of people think about its time to "spring" clean; to clean out those closets, wash windows, clean out the garage, sort through allot of stuff that has been accumulating all winter. It can also mean getting out and raking up the yard, removing mulch off of plants, picking up sticks and getting the garden ready to plant. So included in this month's newsletter are some Spring Cleaning Resources. 

Spring Cleaning Checklist:

• Clean out the refigerator, vaccuum off coils
• Reorganize closets - remove cooler weather clothing and replace with warmer weather clothing
• Remove heavier bedding and replace with lighter bedding
• Wash walls and ceilings
• Wash windows
• Clean the attic or basement
• Clean garage
• Clean out dryer vents and vaccuum out back of dryer, removing lint off belts and motor
• Shampoo carpets
• Wash or dry clean curtains
• Wash blinds
• Dust radiators or vaccuum out electric baseboard heater
• Oil window and door hinges

To get a more complete list go Here. (A Spring Cleaning Checklist on iVillage.com)

Microfiber cloths and towels will help make quicker work of cleaning, for they grab the dirt pulling it into the cloth. Washing windows, cleaning your refrigerator, washing walls and ceiling is easier and more efficient when using microfiber cloths and towels as your cleaning tools. Get a Green Cleaning Pack  to help speed your work along. Also remember to use "green" products when cleaning carpets etc.

Green Cleaning Cleaners from iVillageGoGreen:

Heavy Duty All-Purpose Counter Cleaner

Ingredients:
• 2 teaspoons washing soda
• 1/2 teaspoon natural liquid soap
• 2 teaspoons borax
• 1 cup hot water

Mix these ingredients in a spray bottle, shake well, and spray. Note that surfaces must be wiped thoroughly or a safe but unsightly whitish residue will be left behind by the washing soda. This formula will keep indefinitely for use over time.

Oven Cleaner

Believe it or not, Ms. Berthold-Bond swears by a safe and simple combination of baking soda and water for cleaning even the toughest, most baked-on oven messes. Just sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of the oven until it completely covers all offending matter, spray it with water until very damp, re-wet occasionally, and then let it sit overnight. In the morning, grease and grime will be easily wiped away.

20 Surprising Uses for Vinegar:

by Mary Ellen Pinkham, Everyday Problem Solver (iVillageGoGreen)

Do you think of white vinegar simply as a salad dressing ingredient? This household staple, which is really a mild acid (acetic acid), can be used for many cleaning, deodorizing and other jobs. Here are only a few examples:

1. Loosen a rusted screw or a rusted lock. Pour some vinegar on or into the area.

2. Tenderize meat. A strong vinegar and water marinade will make meat tender in just a few minutes.

3. Soften a hard paint brush. Boil it in vinegar, or soak it in very hot vinegar, then wash in soapy water.

4. Prevent a cat from digging in plants. Add some vinegar to the misting water.

5. Keep cheese from molding. Wrap it in a vinegar-soaked cloth, then place in a sealed container.

6. Prevent paint from peeling off cement floors. First "paint" the floor with white vinegar. Once it's dry, apply the paint. (Same trick works with galvanized metal.)

7. Remove soapy gunk around faucets. Soak a paper towel in white vinegar, squeeze it out, wrap it around the chrome for 10 minutes, then wipe dry.

8. Keep fruit flies away. Pour 1/2 inch of cider vinegar in the bottom of a small jar and punch a dozen or so holes in the lid (using an ice pick). The vinegar attracts the flies through the holes and they can't get out. Or just set out a small dish with the vinegar plus a few drops of dish detergent; it attracts, then drowns them.

9. Remove the odor of cigarette smoke. Leave bowls of vinegar around the room. Or saturate a towel with vinegar and wave it all around the room.

10. Clean a slimy sponge or loofah. Soak it in a strong solution of vinegar and water for a day, then rinse several times in cold water. Let dry in the sun. 

11. Repel fleas. Add about 1 cubic centimer of vinegar per 2 pounds of dog's body weight to the dog's food (not water) each day (for a 60-pound dog, that's 2 tablespoons of vinegar), and you'll help him repel fleas.

12. Remove decals. Sponge distilled vinegar on any decals that stubbornly resist removal. After a few minutes, you should be able to scrape them off. (Use the edge of an old credit card to avoid scratching any surface.)

13. Soften jeans. Add a cup of vinegar to the last rinse.

14. Clean patio furniture cushions. Scrub with a stiff brush dipped in white vinegar.

15. Remove dried paint. Heat white vinegar until it's lukewarm and apply with a plastic scrubbing pad.

16. Repel ants. Wash counters with vinegar.

17. Remove wallpaper. Pour a cup of white vinegar into 2 gallons of hot water, then transfer that into a spray bottle. Apply to wallpaper until very wet. Let stand about 15 minutes or until wallpaper is loose.

18. Clean copper, bronze, brass, dishes, pots, pans, skillets, glasses, windows. Mix with salt, rub, and rinse the item afterward.

19. Make "buttermilk" for baking. Add two tablespoons of vinegar to a cup of skim or 1- percent milk; let mixture stand five minutes.

20. Rinse clothes thoroughly. Add a cup of white vinegar to the last rinse water cycle, and the mild acid will neutralize the alkalis in soaps and detergents.

And for a seasonal treat, try cutting up sweet strawberries and drizzling them with balsamic vinegar. You're in for a surprise!

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