Top 5 tips for a fresh smelling home over the holidays

Season's greetings and wishing you a happy and healthy home.

This morning I was thinking about a phone call I had yesterday and thought it was a good time for holiday reminder.

During the winter months and especially during the holidays, we close our houses and add lots of fragrances. A home has smells, it is part of living. Close up your house and those smells become a little more obvious. Of course, you don't want your house to smell like dirty socks or your cat box so what do you do? If you listen to the TV, you might choose the options of: spraying disinfectants and deodorizers, lighting scented candles, using plug ins, or misting fragrances.

What happened? Your home no longer smells like socks but pumpkin spice, misty mountain and cider apple. All good stuff right? Our sense of smell is very powerful, but our ability to guess what is giving us a headache, sinus infection, stuffy nose, or watery eyes may be harder to distinguish. If you or a family member is sensitive to fragrances, these added smells may be giving you more than you hoped for.

While your home is closed for the winter, be mindful of what you are adding back to your air. Sometimes the fragrances we add may not be so festive!

Top 5 tips for a fresh smelling and healthy home:

1. Open up your windows as often as possible
2. Keep your home clean- especially well vacuumed and dusted
3. Run you vents and fans during: showers, cooking and laundry
( make sure your vents, vent directly outside)
4. Remove the source of the odor, don't cover it up
5. Introduce healthy and yummy smells
Roast chestnuts:)
Bake cookies
Put a little fresh cinnamon and cloves on the stove

A clean home, a fresh home, and a loved home usually smell pretty good.

From our house to yours- Happy Holidays,
Denise and Dallas Frakes

Preventing and putting out kitchen fires

Last summer I had one of those days. My grandpa had made me a cutting board, which I hang over our stove top. On one crazy summer day it fell. Did you know a heavy cutting board dropping approximately 10 inches can shatter a glass cook top? It was also news to me...

After, a quick shopping trip, a bit of luck and a handy husband by evening, I was back in cooking business. As I was going through the paperwork for my new cook top, I came across this handout for safer cooking. It is all about preventing and putting out a fire in your kitchen. As the holidays are literally right around the corner, I though you might like a refresher on fire safety in the kitchen. Wishing all a very happy and safe holiday season.

The follow comes from the Association of Home Appliance Manufactures: Recipe for Safer Cooking:

To prevent a cooking fire in your kitchen:
Keep an eye on your cooking and stay in the kitchen. Unattended cooking is the #1 cause of cooking fires!!
Wear short or close fitting sleeves. Loose clothing can catch fire
Watch children closely. When old enough, teach children to cook safely.
Clean cooking surfaces to prevent food and grease build-up.
Keep curtains, towels and pot holders away from hot surfaces, and store solvents and flammable cleaners away from heart sources. Never keep gasoline in the house.
Turn pan handles inward to prevent food spills.

To Put out a cooking fire in your kitchen:
Call the fire department immediately in many cases, dialing 911 will give you Emergency Services
Slide a pan lid over flames to smother a grease or oil fire, then turn off the heat and leave the lid in place until the pan cools. Never carry the pan outside.
Extinguish other food fires with baking soda. Never use water or flour on cooking fires.
Keep the over door shut and turn off the heat to smother an oven or broiler fire.
Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Make sure you have the right type and training.
Keep a working smoke detector in your home and test it monthly.

Here's to safe cooking,
Denise

Blue Sky Services
Natural stone and tile care
Preventative maintenance and in this case fire prevention in our cooking!!

Hair and leaves falling like rain!

The leaves aren't the only thing falling this season. Our dog's hair is dropping just as fast. Keeping the soil out of your house is the number one way to keep it clean. But what if the soil/dirt/hair comes from inside???

Apparently, fall is the season for dogs to shed- at least ours. I used to think dogs only shed in the spring but I was very, very wrong. My dogs are loosing their summer coat at an alarming pace.

In cleaning, your best bet is always to remove the source of the soil first. Not to worry, I'm not getting rid of my dogs, but I am putting a little more time into brushing Sally and Reggy.

Over the years, the owner at my local Splish Splash dog wash, has introduced me to some incredible dog care tools. At our house, we need two different tools. Our dogs have completely different coats. Reggy has long hair, Sally short has short hair. If you aren't already in possession of these tools, I recommend you stop by your local pet store or dog wash place.

Wishing you a healthy and happy home,

Denise

Blue Sky Services

Stone, tile care

Preventative home care

Not to exceed

It seems our culture is always trying to exceed expectations. I think this is critical in business service but exceeding your quoted price is not so cool. If you look at our quotes usually they have a little statement over our price that says "not to exceed".

We hope to always exceed your service expectations but exceeding our quoted price is not where we excel. Not only do we stay below our quoted price, sometimes we can also go below that price. It is so hard to tell the exact details of a job until you are deep within. A job may go a little easier than expected in which case our invoices reflect the ease.

Of course, when additional services are requested and we are already on your job, it may to have exceed the quoted price, but you will know that up front. Many times we have added a service or two but the bottom line still stays the same. I think being a company that doesn't not exceed may be even better than one that over exceeds- especially where the bottom line is concerned!!

We are able give your this benefit because you are always working directly with owners. Blue Sky Services isn't just another pretty company it is also a company with a lot of TLC. Thanks for your business, please feel free to call anytime.

Wishing you a healthy and happy home.
Denise
Blue Sky Services: stone, tile and grout care
Preventative maintenance consulting and very effective tools!

An ounce of thanks

Is there any better time to say thank you than the present moment? Over the past 19 years of our business, I have been amazed over and over at the generosity and kindness of our customers. With a tough economy and lots of other great businesses out there, our phone continues to ring and business flows.

It is always a good time to remember to say thank you. For without you where would we be? In return we hope you feel confident knowing we are always just a phone call away. Ours is not a big company but what it lacks in size we make up in heart. We take our work personally, we do our very best to help out, even if it means referring you to another company. Having happy customers and the satisfaction of a job well done is pretty much what we shoot for.

Currently, I'm taking a online class from South Seattle Community College on Online business. My class assignment was to find our business a tag line. Do you think 'thanks" would work? As I was contemplating tag lines, here are the words that came to mind: confidence, honestly, relaxed, personal, experience, gratitude, fun and helpful. It's not a tag line but maybe those words that come to mind are what keeps us in business. We may not have the best web presence, I don't even write to you for web presence. Our business is more like conversations between friends. I hope remembering to say thanks is always part of those conversations!

with our deepest gratitude, we wish you a happy and healthy home,
Denise

Blue Sky Services

Tis the season to clean and clean out!!!

I know spring cleaning is the popular time for the big clean but Autumn cleaning makes more sense. Before you close up the house for the season, before the holidays arrive and before the new year resolutions start accumulating - clean out your cob webs.

It actually makes sense. Your cleaning efforts will last longer when your house tucked in for the season. You don't have as much foot traffic coming in and out, probably less dust with the windows closed and you will feel like a million bucks to have your home clean before company and the holidays arrive at your door.

Besides the obvious benefits there are also some hidden benefits. Clean and organized just plain feel better. I can't explain it so much as I know it. With 20 years of professional cleaning experieince, a life of personal home cleaning and zillions of chats with family and friends here is my verdict: Clean and organized feel good. I'm not talking perfect here, just refreshed and rejuvenated.

There is something almost magical about a home that has been deep cleaned. It comes with a deep breath and big cleansing-relaxing-letting go exhale! If you don't believe me, next time you catch yourself feeling overwhelmed and stressed stop and clean a closet or bookshelf. The act of quiet simple act of cleaning is also good for the soul!

May you breath deeply and have a healthy and happy home,
Denise

4 Steps to Healthier Air

Today, I was pondering which topic to visit about for the health of your home. There are so many but the one that has the strongest effect on my own health is fragrance.
That is our topic today: Fragrance and how it affects the health of your home

The over abundance of fragrances in a home, can be a hidden irritant to you and your families health. Almost everything and anything can have a fragrance added. Even, get this, unscented and natural products! To find an scent free product look for products listed as fragrance free.

Where do these fragrances come from...everywhere! A typical home can easily contain the following fragrance filled products: candles, plug ins, shampoos and cream rinces, cleaners, furniture polish, body deodorizer, body lotions and soaps, air freshener, disinfectant sprays, and perfume. Get the picture? They are everywhere and in almost everything.

Why is this unhealthy to your home? Because those fragrances are what you breath. Besides just being unhealthy in general, a lot of people, like me, are sensitive to different fragrances.

From the American Lung Association, here is a quote from Facts about Perfumes, Fragrances and Scented Products:
"People with asthma or allergies can have their respiratory problems triggered by perfumes. Small children, babies and the elderly are especially susceptible to these effects. People who are sensitive to perfumes sometimes notice headaches, problems breathing, watery eyes, nausea, fatigue and other symtoms."

For me, I get watery eyes, my throat gets all flemmy and my sinuses start giving me fits-how lovely is that!. Headaches and fatique are sneaky side affects of fragrance sensitivities that give many unsuspecting family members troubles.

What can you do?

4 Steps to Healthier Air
1) Start by becoming aware of the scented products in your home.
2) Notice how you or other members of your family feel around fragrances.
3) When you buy new products, look products listed as fragrance free.
4) Open up your windows, turn on your vents and consider getting a good air HEPA filter
in your home.

A home should be a place of health not the source of unhealth. Consider taking a deeper look at the fragrances and perfumes that may be lurking in your home and car.

If you have any questions, you are always welcome to call on us. I am not only the co-owner of Blue Sky Services but I'm also a Master Home Enviromentalist volunteer from the American Lung Association.

As always, we wish you a healthy and happy home,
Denise Frakes
Blue Sky Services

Labels Labels Labels......It is a big deal

On your moments of free time what do you do? Do you read the labels of your cleaning products? I'm guessing no. And really why would you? If you are like most families, you may not have oodles and oodles of free time. Why in the world would you add reading your cleaning labels to your list of a million and one to do's?
I can give you two very good reasons why you may want to re-think your free time priorities...

Reading the labels of your cleaners before using can...
1. Protect you and your family from harm
2. It can save you thousands of $$$$$$
Labels are not perfect, but they do give you enough information to be incredibly helpful.
For you and your families protection please at least read:

1) the CAUTION/WARNING/DANGER/POISON section.
This little section will help you know if the product you are cleaning with is dangerous.
It will give safety tips such as: fatal if swallowed; avoid eye contact; do not mix with bleach, mildew removers or any other household chemicals as hazardous gases may be released!!!!!
This is great info to have before you start cleaning!!!!

2) Directions
It is always a good idea to follow directions- enough said.

3) For use on or not to be used on...
You may have to hunt for this one but trust me it is soooo worth your time. The wrong cleaner can do thousands of dollars of damage. Just this week, I visited with the nicest lady who had just etched her travertine floors with an acidic cleaner. This happens all the time! Sometimes the label will be clear: Do not use on such and such, but sometimes you have to dig a little deeper.

A good hint is... if the cleaner says it removes hard water buildup, calcium and lime stains or rust stains it is most likely an acid. An acid will etch acid sensitive surfaces such as marble, travertine, onyx, limestone and grout.

I would love to say labels have all the information we need, but they are far from perfect. However and this is a big however, they do give you enough info to help protect you and your home. When in doubt call the 1-800 on the bottom of your product, look up the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) or call a professional before you clean.
Also, keep in mind some cleaners such as vinegar are considered food and do not have cleaning instructions. Vinegar is an acid, it may be pretty safe for you but it may still do big $$$$ damage.
If you ever have any questions, please feel free to call us or the manufacture of your cleaners. Today's blog is precisely where our blog site got it's name...
An Ounce of Prevention.

Wishing you a healthy and happy home.
Denise Frakes
Blue Sky Services: Stone and Tile Care
253-946-2056

7 clues you may need a nap

A healthy home is also a happy home. There is more to life than being serious and working all the time. Sometimes a good nap is in order.
In November of 2008, I wrote the 7 Clues You May Need a Nap. Today, feels like a good day to re-write that list (this afternoon I needed a nap)

1) If your friends and family's IQ's mysteriously plummet... you may need a nap.
2) If you accidental ask for a pillow instead of a double espresso... you may need a nap.
3) If you can't think of one thing that makes you happy, but can easily come up with 5 things that make you miserable... you may need a nap.
4) If the thought of going to bed early sounds better chocolate... you may need a nap.
5) If you find yourself nodding off at a stop light... you may need a nap.
6) If you start snapping at your pets just because they need to pee... you may need a nap.
7) An finally, if the last time you remember taking a nap was in kindergarten... you may need a nap.
A nap may not create world peace... but it sure can't hurt. May your naps feel as good as our cat Penny's naps.
Wishing you a healthy and happyhome,
Denise Frakes

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