Cleaners are not food or air

Yesterday, I wrote about noticing the huge overuse of cleaners in a home. Today, I thought I would explain why I think this is detrimental to the health of all those living in that home.

Please picture this with me. As you clean, say your shower walls, what do you do? Spray cleaner right? Where does that cleaner go? Most of it goes on your walls, but some of it goes in the air and you breath it, some of it lands on you and maybe some on the adjacent shower glass door. What if your next step is to clean the shower glass doors? Here is where this gets a little sticky!!! Now your spray the glass shower door. The cleaners go on you, in the air and on the shower. If your shower cleaner contains bleach and your glass cleaner contains ammonia you just created a toxic gas!!!!!

This accidental mixture and reaction of cleaners happens all the time. Toilet cleaners mixed with glass cleaners or all purpose cleaners is another unfortunate but very common mixture.
Your home should be a place you and your family can relax and rejuvenate, your home should not be the source of your un-health or stress.

Cleaners are often left behind in the cleaning process. This shows up as re-soiling but the unseen part of this is there are unintentional chemicals left around your home- every where!!!!!

Cleaners are not food, they should not be left on countertops. They aren't air, they shouldn't be put in our air and of course they are not something we want on our skin!

Here are some easy solutions-
Do not spray cleaner over your head
Apply cleaner directly to a microfiber or towel and then apply to surface
Always rinse and dry surface after using a cleaner

Wishing you a healthy and happy home,
Denise

Don't fall for the spray and destroy method of cleaning

One of the scariest constants I have seen over my last 20 years has been the over use of cleaners.

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There is a billion dollar industry out there trying to help us decide to buy their cleaners because we need their cleaners. Help and need are the key words. Help is actually a huge marketing plan to convince us that we can not live with out their products. Need is truly in the eye of the seller. If you listen to commercials you would think your life will come to an end if you don't disinfect your mirrors, wipe up any germs that dare enter your home and remove any trace of living from your home.

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The fact is you do not need 15 different cleaners in your home. Most cleaners you pick up at the grocery store are what I would call restorative cleaners. They are meant to spray and destroy. The spray and destroy method is not healthy for your home or your surfaces.

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For the next couple of months, we are going to help show you a new way to have a healthy home, a clean home and a long lasting home. We are not a billion dollar industry and we do not recommend the spray and destroy method, what you will find is a very passionate company trying to help prevent damage- to you and your home. Stay tuned!!

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Wishing you a healthy and happy home,

Denise

The value of a good designer

This morning I made a decision to focus the next 2 months on helping you have a healthy home. Why in the world would my first writing be on the value of a good designer? My answer to that is two part: First of all, tomorrow night I'm speaking at an association meeting of NWSID or Northwest Society of Interior Designers, so designers are kind of on my mind. The second reason is that I have had the privilege of working with multiple clients of these designers. What I find is, the clients of a good designer seem happier and more relaxed.

The bottom line is, when your home is in transition it is easy to become overwhelmed with chaos. Your stuff is everywhere, decisions must be made daily, finances get stretched and pulled, you wonder who you can trust, deadlines are extended and on and on it goes. A good designer can help you remember what your passions are, put them on paper and then into reality. A good designer can help you maneuver around land mines and costly mistakes, put you in contact with great contractors and subcontractors. A good designer will know which surfaces will fit your lifestyle and the ones that function better on paper than in reality.

A healthy home is a relaxed home. A home filled with stress is detrimental to you and your families health. Sometimes your best decision is the decision to ask for help and then relax. If you are considering taking on a major remodel or even just changing your paint colors, consider working with a good designer. The time and stress saved will be well worth the cost.

An effective way to find a good designer is to contact the Northwest Society of Interior Designers or NWSID. http://www.nwsid.net/

Wishing you a healthy and happy home,
Denise

The decision to walk 60 miles

This past weekend I spent it with a good friend on Whidbey Island. We were at a camp to walk 38 miles in 3 days. This was in preparation of the upcoming walk my friend will be doing. You may have heard of it... Susan G Komen 3 day for the cure.

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I went to this camp to support my friend.

During the 3 days of rain, water bottles, mole skin, pee stops, hugs, pink pom poms, two ducks, one large bale of hay, laughing, sound views, old houses, camp fires, fields of hubbard squash, lots of hugs and smiles, 38 miles of walking and camping in the rain we became a team.

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A team that will go on together and walk the 60 miles on Sept 24 here in Seattle. I realized when you are in pain a friend close by makes the pain so much less. Spontaneous laughter and lots of chatting also helps keeps your mind off your soar feet.

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Everyone I know seemed to already know I would go on to do the 60 mile walk. I'm always the last to know what is obvious to everyone else. Dallas is incredibly supportive as he always is. As I was walking this weekend, he was working on a big job. He knows this will take a lot of time and effort and he didn't even waver, he just supported me and our friend. He didn't even wince when I told him I need to raise $2,300.00 in 6 weeks. Now that is a good husband!!

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My friend is walking in memory of her friend who passed away on Sept 24th last year from breast cancer. I am walking to support my friend who went through breast cancer treatments this spring. If she can walk after what she has been through I can most certainly walk and raise $2,300 in 6 weeks.

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I'll be writing more about this later but this is a long over due blog. In my view, cancer can hopefully be prevented but if it can't be prevented then let it at least be diagnosed as early as possible.

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May you and your families be happy and healthy,

Denise

The Best in Travertine Floor Care

I was getting our travertine care info ready for a client and decided to share it with you as well. Here is our maintenance care info for your Travertine floors. Have a great day.

Characteristics of Travertine:
A neutral colored stone
Has small holes in the stone, which can either be left open or filled
Tends to be scratch sensitive and acid sensitive

Preventative Care for Travertine Floors
* Use a good and clean entryway mat at every entrance to your home or business
These mats act like filters to your home: Keep them clean
* Vacuum or sweep your floors often
Use a vacuum that is made for hard surface only
Frequent vacuuming or dusting is more better for your floors than frequent wet cleaning
* Wipe up spills quickly
Travertine is usually acid sensitive. Acids can etch your stone leaving dull marks
Common acids: cleaners, vinegar, vomit, urine, personal care products, toilet cleaners...
* Use felt pads on all furniture and chair legs, replace felt pads when then get dirty or worn
For chairs with rollers. Put chair casters on with a soft rubber wheel
These are the same you would use for hardwood floors
* Be careful with high heel shoes. Keep your shoes in good condition
* Keep your dog's nails trimmed. This will help prevent scratches.

Cleaning: Maintenance Care for Travertine Floors:
* Use a neutral cleaner made specifically for natural stone daily maintenance
General house hold cleaners can be high alkaline and acids- stay with neutral cleaners
* Leave your floors residue free.
If you leave soap/cleaner behind this can attract more soil.
If you leave water behind you can attract extra dust and leave mineral deposits behind.
* Whenever possible clean, rinse and dry floors for best long term beauty and care
* Protect your travertine floors with a high quality impregnating sealer
Please do not put coatings or finishes on travertine floors-
you know, the sealers that make your floor look shiny
* Penetrating sealers will not prevent scratches or acid etches so still be careful

Polishing, Repairing and Resealing your travertine floors
* Don't panic if your floors get an etch or scratched they can always be re-polished
* This also goes for the fill in travertine floors. It sometimes comes out -
but not to worry it can be refilled
* Periodically you may want to have your floors professionally cleaned and resealed. Stone can hold amazing amounts of soil. If your stone starts looking kind of grey or if water starts penetrating into your stone give us a call for a professional cleaning and resealing.

Hope this info helps but if you have Questions give us a call...
Blue Sky Services: stone and tile care 253-946-2056
New construction sealing, professional tools and techniques for residue free cleaning
Filling, resealing and deep cleaning

Wishing you a healthy, happy and beautiful home,
Denise

Dirty floors got you down?

Why do floors get so dirty so fast? Drips, spills, dirt, dust and sometimes slobber spots (if you have dogs) may be to blame, but there may be something else causing your floors to quickly re-soil.

It might just be your own cleaning causing the trouble. I know that sounds backwards - cleaning is causing dirt- but cleaning is exactly what causes a huge portion of floors to soil and then re-soil.

Consider this: How do you wash your windows, TV screens and mirrors? Would you ever consider taking your mop and smearing your windows and then just leaving them to dry on their own? You can imaging the soil, the wipes, the water spots, the soil! Oh my! Now think how those poor windows, TV screens and mirrors would look if you mopped them every week. Can you see where I'm headed with this? Mopping is not really cleaning, it is smearing.

If you currently mop your floors- not to worry. We can help. It's called residue free cleaning. Residue free cleaning is cleaning without leaving anything behind- soap or moisture. Residue free cleaning-with the right tools and techniques is fast and very effective. Plus, you won't have scrub off your own cleaners.

Residue free cleaning can help extend the life of your floors, keeping them looking great and as an added bonus... drum roll please... you are not leaving unwanted cleaner/chemicals behind on your floors. This is a big bonus to homes with pets and children.

At Blue Sky Services we practice and teach residue free cleaning- it is the only way to go. If you have any questions just give us a jingle. We are always here to help.

Wishing you a happy and healthy home,
Denise

The great laundry secret

If one glug of cleaner is good, two glugs must be better, right? Not!!! Not is the key word here. Not, is what suppliers, manufactures, technical support, cleaning instructors and Blue Sky Services teach. The tendency of adding too much cleaner is as common as rain in the northwest. For some reason, and I can't really tell you why, the tendency of more is better seems to be ingrained in our every cell.

This weekend, my step mom gave me an article she had saved for me from the Wall Street Journal about laundry and over soap application.

The article is called "The Great American Soap Overdose" by Ellen Byron. " 1-27-10
Here is a quote I though summarized the article.
"Detergent "overpouring" creates a high, foamy tide inside the machine, lifting solid and lint above the water level so it isn't rinsed away. That leaves residue on clothing that fades colors and attracts more dirt, they say. Inside the machine, detergent buildup encourages odor and bacteria growth, and leads in time to wear and tear that will require professional attention, washer manufactures say."

Over application of cleaner not only applies to cleaning your floors, countertops and showers, it also applies to your dishes, laundry, windows and pretty much everything we use a cleaner on.

What to do...
-Always read your labels and follow directions.
There is more to cleaning than just the cleaning chemicals.
-Cleaning is a science which includes many factors such as:
Inspection/testing, time, heat, agitation, water, cleaner, dry soil removal,
rinsing and drying Cleaning is not just using chemicals or cleaners
-Consider applying the cleaning philosophies of:
Less is more - more is often worse not better
Practice residue free cleaning - where no soap is left behind

Cleaning with less may be weird at first and you may not believe your clothes or dishes are as clean, but trust me they will be cleaner! If you have a spot on your clothes treat the spot and then use less cleaner.

Have you ever been in a hot tub where there is foam and bubbles everywhere? This is left over soap that gets reactivated with heat and water. Lots and lots of soap is left behind.

If you have concerns or questions about your laundry or dishes my best recommendation is to call the manufacture of your equipment and ask for technical support. Ask for their recommendations and suggestions on using their equipment the best way to achieve the very best results.

Wishing you a healthy and residue free home,
Denise

the big 5 surface sensitivities

This morning I was pondering all the things that can damage a surface. Every surface has sensitivities. Some surfaces have lots of sensitivities, others just a few and some are tough as nails- but keep in mind nails can be melted. Knowing what, when and how is priceless...

I whittled my list of sensitivities down to 5 and drum roll please..... here is my list.

1. Moisture/water
2. Chemicals/cleaners
3. Abrasives/dirt
4. Heat
5. Sunshine

I know there are more, but as a general rule these are the 5 things that your surfaces are most sensitive to. Keep in mind each surface may have levels of sensitivities. Take granite, it is generally acid resistant but can be etched with hydrofloric acid. Carpet can be cleaned with water but if flooded over time can de-laminate. A little abrasion is sometimes needed to break surface tension but scrub too hard on pretty much anything and walla... damage.

Examples of normal sensitivities:
marble is sensitive to abrasives and acids
carpet is sensitive to abrasives and bleaches
wood is sensitive to abrasives and water/moisture
laminate is sensitive to abrasives and heat
upholstery is sensitive to sunshine and bleach
grout is sensitive to abrasives and acids
Of course for any general rule there are always exceptions.

For an effective maintenance program it is essential to know the sensitivities of your surfaces and the exceptions. With good sensitivity knowledge, you can prevent and minimize damage thus extending the life and beauty of your surfaces.
If you have questions, give us a call, cleaning, teaching and minimizing damage is our business.

Wishing you a happy and healthy home,
Denise

Cleaning: rich ground for a practice

Fast food and frozen dinners are the first things that come to mind when I think of the convenience of food. Aggressive cleaners, loads of product and paper towels are what comes to mind in the convenience of cleaning. Neither of these conveniences are necessarily good for our health. Just like much of our culture, convenience has powerfully invaded our homes. Maybe it is time to take our homes and health back, turning cleaning into the practice of cleaning for health.

As a culture, we don't always value cleaning our homes, nor do we value the person doing the cleaning. So often it is shoved into nooks and crannies of a busy life, a kind of low man on the totem pole philosophy. I say it is time to let the true value of cleaning rise to the top. Not only is cleaning an essential element to a healthy home, when done with the skills and intent of cleaning for health, it also extends the life and value of your home. Cleaning is one of the guiding forces behind a great feeling, beautiful and smoothly run home. But beyond the obvious benefits of cleaning for health, cleaning for health also give us a rich time to practice mindful living.

Cleaning for health as a practice gives you time to do nothing but wash your dishes while breathing and relaxing your shoulders. A time to open up the windows, smell the fresh air and methodically vacuum your floors for the health of your home and not just to remove some fuzz before company comes. A moment each morning to quietly dry your showers walls with nothing in mind but watching the water absorb into the towel. Does this sound slow? On the contrary, slowing down and being mindful gives you time and as an added benefit, a healthy more relaxed home.

Wishing you all a relaxed, healthy and happy home,
Denise

How to avoid using a coating on your natural stone

One of the more frustrating calls we get is from someone who needs a coating removed from a brand new surface. Sometimes these coatings were improperly applied, applied to a non recommended surface, or the wet plastic look was not what was intended. Complete removal of a coating is expensive and in the case of a new surface not necessary and avoidable!

There are defiantly coating supporters out there but we spend much of our time inspecting coatings that have uglied out, looking at coatings that were improperly applied and removing coatings for multiple reasons. For us putting a coating on is the last option not the first.

How to avoid using a coating...

1. Pick the surface that has the look & characteristics you want from the start.
Don't select and try to alter the stone or tile after the installation

2. Have your stone and tile professionally cleaned after installation. So often a
surface will look dull and not at all what you remembered in the showroom. A lot of the
time, this is because it is dirty from travel, installation, grout haze and construction soil.
Have it cleaned and watch its true beauty emerge.

3. Don't fall for the "wet look". In the installation process, the stone will get wet,
we tend ooh and aah over the dark stones. Don't make any decisions now.
Wait until the stone is clean and dry. A shiny stone looses the natural essence of stone.
The texture, the color ranges and the true beauty can be hidden from the "wet look".

4. Before sealing, do your research. There are 3 basic types of sealers.
Impregnating sealers, enhancing impregnating sealers and coatings
These 3 sealers are all very different.
Make sure you know what type of sealer is being used, its maintenance and wear
characteristics and if it is even recommended for your surface.
If you want to change the look of your surface do multiple samples and then try to damage
those samples to see what may happen in the real world.

5. When in doubt please call us first.
Not only do we professionally seal but we can also help you make an informed decision.

Wishing you a happy and stress free home,
Denise