Archive for September, 2009

Congratulations to Clorox Green Works’ Natural Bathroom Cleaner for being one of the first products to be awarded the new Green Seal of Approval from Good Housekeeeping!

I’ve been a big advocate of Green Works since its launch in 2008.  Unfortunately though, due to the lack of regulations in the Green cleaning products segment, I’ve seen some reluctantly from consumers to try various green cleaning products for either fear of the products not working as effectively or for not being “green” even when the products claim they are.

This new Green Seal by Good Housekeeping solves both of those problems.  In order for products to earn the Green Good Housekeeping Seal, they need to first meet all the requirements and pass all the same tests of a regular Good Housekeeping Seal product.  Additionally, Good Housekeeping has established an additional set of criteria (ranging from chemical composition to corporate social responsibility policies to banning animal testing) that the Green Seal products must also meet.

According to Good Housekeeping, their new “Green Seal” was established for 2 reasons:
1)    Give customers a reliable guide to products that are truly environmentally sound
2)    Encourage manufacturers to adopt more green practices into their composition, production, packaging, distribution, and use

So if you are looking for a completely unbiased guide to green products, remember to visit the Green Seal section of GoodHousekeeping.com.

With flu season sweeping the country and 21 states already reporting widespread flu activity, one of our biggest concerns continues to be catching the dreaded H1N1 (swine flu) virus.  But while everyone fears catching H1N1, how can you tell if you have actually have come down with a case of H1N1, seasonal flu, or just a simple cold?

Cold  Symptoms
-    Illness Time: 3-5 days
-    Patient exhibits: Common symptoms including  runny nose, nasal congestion, coughing, minor body pains

H1N1/Seasonal Flu Symptoms
-    Illness Time: Varies
-    Patient exhibits: Fever, more painful body aches, dry cough, diarrhea, severe fatigue
-    The seasonal flu & the H1N1 are respiratory illnesses, so symptoms can appear similar.  It is difficult to tell without testing which strand of flu is causing the illness.

In any case, always remember to keep in contact with your doctor when you are experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms.  The CDC recommends practicing good hand hygiene (washing hands with antibacterial hand soap and water or using an alcohol based hand sanitizer) as one of the most effective ways to reduce your chances of becoming ill this flu and cold season.

As a quick side note – we wanted to let you know about the newest addition to the Consumers Interstate Corporation (our parent company) family – MovingBoxWorld.com.   The site has been open for about six months now, and our current customers couldn’t be happier with the products or service they’ve received on the site.  (And we couldn’t be prouder of its success!!)

One of our customers recently wrote us saying:
In this day & age of lessening standards of customer service, it is shockingingly refreshing to find a company that treats their customers so well…. I am pleased I was able to find your site.    – William; Broomfield, CO

So if you or anyone you know is moving soon or has the need for packaging items, we highly recommend checking out MovingBoxWorld.com.  Its full of over 10,000 moving and packaging items from the most trusted and established names in the industry such as 3M, Rubbermaid, Ivex, Sealed Air, Intertape, and many more.  You’ll find anything you need including corrugated boxes, corrugated mailers, bin/storage containers, mailing bags/envelopes, mailing tubes, poly bags, labels, tags, shrink film, stretch film, bubble wrap, foam, kraft paper, newsprint, tape, ties, fasteners, adhesives, packing lists, and much more!

We've created a new category "Purell Products In Stock" to help you easily identify which items we have in stock

*** UPDATE September 28, 2009 – As of today, all of our Purell Products are out of stock.  As soon as they products become available, we will be sure to let you know.  In the mean time, please consider our Purell alternatives listed below.  We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this shortage. ****

It’s only two weeks into September and we’ve already seen an extremely high demand for Purell Products.  As you can imagine, with everyone across the country gearing for the flu season and the H1N1 virus (swine flu), some products are disappearing from our warehouse shelves faster than we can restock them.

GUARANTEED IN-STOCK Purell Products
In order to serve you best, we have created a special In-Stock Purell Products Category.  Every day, we will continuously monitor and update this page so it accurately reflects the Purell hand sanitizers, wipes, dispensers, and refills we can guarantee are in stock and can be delivered in our standard 2-3 day delivery time frame.  The Purell products found in the other categories are either in limited supply or temporarily on back order.

Limited Supply Purell Products
Purell items in limited supply have limited stock located sporadically across the country in our 36 warehouses.  Orders can still be placed for these items on the other category pages, but we unfortunately cannot guarantee our standard 2-3 day delivery on these items.  We will make every effort to fulfill your order in the most time effective manner possible.  Please be aware orders may arrive in partial shipments.

Backorder Purell Products
Items on temporary backorder are blocked from being ordered online.  If you wish to order these products now and have your order processed first when these products become available, please contact our customer service representative, Beth, at Beth@CICgo.com or 1-800-450-5447, Ext. 263 to help expedite this process.  We highly suggest this option to ensure your order arrives as quickly as possible when these items become available again.

Substitute Products
There are several substitute products available for their Purell counterparts which are equally as effective and economical.  Any Non-Purell brand flu control product (Clorox, Lysol, Dial, Sani-Hands, Scrubs, etc) not listed as back ordered is considered IN STOCK  and subject to our usual terms.   Please consider trying the following hand sanitizers:

• Clorox Instant Hand Sanitizer Spray Bottle, 2 oz.
• Clorox Instant Hand Sanitizer Pump Bottle, 500 ml.

Thank you in advance for your patience in dealing with this matter.

With flu season right around the corner & various reports of H1N1 cases (swine flu) already surfacing around the country, please be aware of these surprising places harmful germs are lurking.

1)    Vacuum Cleaner
The Problem:  Think about when you use your vacuum – when you’re cleaning.  So as your slug your vacuum around your dirty kitchen, bathroom, & bedroom, its picking up all the germs and bacteria from these dirty areas.  Researchers from the Univ. of Arizona discovered  100% of vacuums contain mold, 50% have fecal bacteria, and 13% contain e. coli (mainly on the brush)

The Solution: Spray the brush and entire vacuum with a disinfectant cleaner after EACH use. We recommend Lysol Disinfectant Spray.

2)    Shopping Cart Handles
The Problem: Univ. of Arizona researchers also found shopping cart handles to contain more bacteria than the average public restrooms.  Every time you grab a shopping cart you are 67% likely to come into contact with fecal bacteria.

The Solution: Always carry disinfectant wipes with you so you swipe your cart handles (or the entire thing if you are with children) clean.  Also, remember everyone won’t be disinfecting their carts, so skip the free food samples and make sure loose foods (fruits/veggies/etc) are in a plastic bag long before they get to your cart.

3)    Restaurant Menus
Problem:  Think about how many people touch a menu at a busy restaurant.  Now think about how many times those menus get washed or disinfected. Since restaurant patrons are generally making lots of hand to mouth contact while dining, the last thing you want to do is put those harmful germs in your mouth.

Solution:  Open the menu with the help of your  napkin and make sure the menu doesn’t come into contact with your silverware/plates.  Also, bring an alcohol based hand sanitizer to disinfectant your hands in case you have to touch the menu.

4)    Fruit slices in drinks
Problem: Sure we all love the crisp taste lemon wedges add to our water or Coronas, but researchers from the Journal of Environmental Health found fruit slices in drinks are 70% likely to contain disease-causing microbes including E. coli and fecal bacteria.

Solution: Unfortunately for this one the only solution is to skip the fruit slices all together.  While your drink may not be the same without the lemon, lime, or orange, it’s definitely not worth drinking fecal bacteria for.

Sometimes, running a household seems like a job for a superhero. “Now, where is my cape?” asks Michelle, the blogger behind The Adventures of Supermom.

Supes is a mother of four – a teenager, an infant and everything in between. She has been blogging for four years – a real veteran of the blogosphere. She blogs funny stories about raising four kids (and a husband), gardening, organic/locovore cooking (and her home base of Asheville, North Carolina has often been hailed as one of the best locations for great locally grown organic food) including recipes, and anything else that strikes her fancy. She’s also a self-professed “OCD clean freak,” and she gives great advice about cleaning and organization.

Check out Michelle’s blog to see why she’s considered one of the top mom blogs out there.

I just can't leave home with Sani Hands Wipes!

If there’s one product I’ve become addicted to recently thanks to the H1N1/Swine Flu hipe, its sanitizing wipes.  I literally never leave home without them.  And after many tries and tests of different brands/products of various different sanitizing wipes (one of the many perks of being a product tester!), I have truly fallen in love with Sani Hands II Instant Hand Sanitizing Wipes.

Sani Hands Wipes are packed full of moisturizer
One of the main reasons I love Sani Hands Wipes is because they contain a moisturizer, which helps me prevent and protect against dry skin.  This is especially usefull to prepare for the approaching cold weather!  You can’t get this benefit from gel hand sanitizers, which often dry out my skin

Perfect for use for hands, food prep, and other kitchen areas
Another reason I prefer sanitizing wipes to gel hand saniziters is their multi-functional use.  Sani Hands Wipes can be used to clean your hands, your countertops, your food prep stations – basically anywhere you wish to disenfect.  Just be sure to toss each wipe after use on a particular area to avoid cross contamination.

Visit CleaningProductsWorld.com now to order your Sani Hands Wipes or other Flu Control products .  As always,  FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50 and you can expect shipment to arrive in 2-3 business days!

**If interested in ordering Sani Hands Wipes, we highly recommend you to please stock up early.  While we always keep our warehouses stocked, we are anticipating another year of high demand for these wipes.**

In appreciation of our customers’ continuous commitment to protect the environment, all orders placed this week on CleaningProductsWorld.com will receive a free reusable grocery bag.  When shopping, these green reusable bags will help reduce the 12 million barrels of oil and the 14 million trees a year that go into the production of plastic shopping bags.

Simply place your order by Friday, 9/11 at 5 pm to receive your free bag!  Also, check out our Eco-Friendly Products section to continue shopping green.

Thank you to all who have already made the switch to these green & eco-friendly cleaning products!

*Bags will be shipped separately from order; Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery.

Excited about your first semester at college? It’s not all partying and basking in the warm glow of independence. Unless you have a compulsive roommate, you’re probably going to have to keep your dorm room clean and tidy.

So, what do you need?

1. Clorox Cleaning Wipes: Not only are wipes versatile and quick and easy, they don’t take up a lot of space – which means they’re easy to get out of the way when you don’t want your friends to get on your case for keeping your dorm neat.
2. Surge Protector: Odds are you will probably only have 1 outlet, or 2 sockets, to plug your computer, cell phone charger, printer, desk lamp, hairdryer, etc. into.  For $10, this is a smart investment and will save you lots of time & annoyance.  It will also protect your valuables in case of a power surge.
3. Rubbermaid Storage Boxes:  Odds also are its going to be a bit of squeeze getting all of your belongings into your 8×8 dorm room.  Buy a couple storage boxes and stack them in the corner for all the items you need, but may not need/use every day (spare sheets, towels, etc).
4. Glad Trash Bags: Because part of keeping clean is getting rid of stuff, and putting your trash in a bag is still the most efficient way of disposing of it.  Don’t fall prey to simply disposing of your items in a bin – its messy and attracts insects.  You also don’t have to worry about Glad bags breaking, ripping, or tearing – they recently earned Good Housekeeping’s coveted “Seal of Approval” as the best garbage bags on the market!
5. SPOT SHOT Carpet Cleaner: If you’ve seen enough college movies, you know that zany misadventures are de riguer for the college-bound. And part and parcel of that is never knowing what exactly is going to wind up on your carpet. At the very least, keeping a box of odor remover stowed away somewhere is a wise idea.
6. Purell Hand Sanitizer: You’re going to be mixing with a few hundred people at a time – some of them are going to have a cold. Even if it’s just a few sanitizing wipes in your purse or pocket or a bottle of Purell in your room, hand cleaning is one of the best ways to decrease your chances of coming down with whatever nasty illness the rest of your friends are going to catch.

No matter what dorm room cleaning necessities you need this semester, you can check out CleaningProductsWorld.com for all of it.

Sternos.. Life in the food service industry would be tought without them!

For those of us in the restaurant or catering industry, or anyone that has ever hosted a party before for that matter, we all know sternos are one product we just can’t live without.  For all the non-foodservice industry folks: these convenient little chafing fuel cans are used to keep food hot on buffets or catering locations.  While there are many different types and brands of chafing fuel, Sterno Brand is the best, the original, and the term most people refer to this product category by.  Here’s why we love sterno’s so much:

Consistent, Reliable Heat For 2-6 Hours
Depending on the type of sterno fuel you purchase, the cans deliver a constant, powerful heat source for either 2 or 6 hours. Once you light sterno cans, you don’t have to worry about your food staying hot any more – leaving you more time to concentrate on other tasks.

Keeps food hot while remaining cold to the touch
Sterno cans will keep your food – and only your food – hot.  The outer rim of the can won’t heat up, so they are easily AND safe to transport, even when lit.  This makes stern cans great for use when there are children around as well!

#1 brand of chafing fuel since 1893
For over 115 years now, Sterno Fuel has been providing the foodservice industry with innovative and category leading products. In 1893, in launched as S. Sternau & Co. and was the first flame in the industry.  Today, the name Sterno is the dominant industry term in the industry, similar to Kleenex or Bandaid in their respective product categories.

Whether you are catering an event for 20 or 2,000 Sternos are bound to make your life a lot easier.  Visit CleaningProductsWorld.com for FREE SHIPPING and 2-DAY DELIVERY on all of your foodservice supplies.