Interesting Facts

Antibacterial soap has been controversial in public opinion, with the FDA and EPA wanting to take it off the market.I don’t think that antibacterial soap should be removed from stores, but there is a lot of conversation and whole websites dedicated to discussing the matter.

75% of moms with children in the household would be “angry” if the government took antibacterial soap off the market according to a 2011 survey released by American Cleaning Institute and the Personal Care Products Council. That’s a lot of angry moms! See the results of the survey in a slideshow here.

The American Cleaning Institute started a website called Fight Germs Now: The Official Source on Antibacterial Hygiene Products. This website’s purpose is to dispel myths about antibacterial soap and hand washing. There are critics of the site, saying that the website is presenting things as facts and science that may not be backed up.

Not only is antibacterial soap great for preventing flu and spreading disease, but some people use it regularly in industrial and food service operation. For example, using antibacterial soap after using the bathroom for employees in food preparation makes me feel much more confident about eating in restaurants or anyplace that I’m not responsible for cooking.

It might be a pet peeve, but I hate when I see people at home or at a friend’s start to prepare food without a proper hand washing! While there is no substitute for washing hands thoroughly, I think antibacterial soap allows for an added protection for neurotic minds like mine. While it shouldn’t be used for all hand washing purposes, I think that antibacterial soap has its place in the store. Consumers’ choice is an important element to consider when considering regulations on hygiene products.

One of our readers recommended a great resource for our readers. For those of you interested in green construction, a blog has compiled some of the top links from the web. See the Top 50 Forums, and Blogs about Green Construction

My favorite is Inhabitat, which has green information not only in Architecture, but in many areas that apply to daily life. There are compiled blog posts from all across the web, including this technology article, 5 Useful Green Gadgets for Women on the Go.

Thanks for the recommendation, please keep your suggestions coming! We love to hear from our readers, either comment below or e-mail feedback to molly@cicgo.com.

This Friday the 13th, shop CleaningProductsWorld.com and save $13! Just use lucky coupon code 13OFF130 at checkout. Shop now for cleaning supplies, janitorial supplies, and safety supplies for fast delivery in 2-3 days and free shipping on orders over $50! If that’s not enough to improve your luck, here’s my take on the 13 Ways to Improve Your Luck, originally taken from the Farmer’s Almanac Blog.

1. Keep your fingers crossed Maybe focusing on your fingers crossing will make you not notice anything unlucky going on.

2. Knock on Wood Scare away that unlucky by knocking on wood? I think anything resembling wood counts, including the wood grain on station wagons and pressboard painted to look like wood qualify, if you can’t find any real wood around.

3. Find a four-leaf clover I’ve still never found a four-leaf clover.

4. Put your clothes on inside out My coworker said he does this one all the time. He seems pretty lucky.

5. Look at the new moon over your right shoulder Research tells me you can make a wish too. Going to try this one next time I notice the new moon!

6. Sleep facing south This is like a feng shui idea, something to do with magnetic energy and such.

7. Break a clear, uncolored glass Not a mirror, but just a plain glass. The glass is supposed to absorb the bad luck.

8. Walk in the rain Some might say lucky, I say, you forgot an umbrella and your car broke down.

9. Sleep on un-ironed sheets Who really irons their sheets? I must be very lucky, because I’ve never ironed my sheets.

10. Avoid cracks in the sidewalk Kids still follow this phrase. I remember jumping over cracks to prevent “breaking my mother’s back,” as the saying goes.

11. Carry an acorn in your pocket Supposedly a fertility symbol. I think it just makes your pockets dirty.

12. Sneeze three times before breakfast Easy for those with allergies

13. Pick up a pencil, a pin, a penny, or a piece of coal in the street Who doesn’t like free stuff?

Want more? The Farmers Almanac just posted 13 More Ways to Improve Your Luck This Friday the 13th

Forgot to change your TimeMist air freshener refill?

Do you use TimeMist automatic air fresheners and refills? TimeMist now offers a no hassle e-fill reminder notification on their website. Just sign up for the interval of your TimeMist air freshener, either 30, 60 or 90 days and receive an e-mail reminder when it’s time to change your refill.

The 30 Day Reminder – is for TimeMist standard air fresheners, an automatic air freshener that releases a spray every 15 minutes. Requires 2 C-Cell Batteries.

The 60 Day Reminder- is for TimeWick air freshener refills, an air freshener that requires no electricity or batteries. The passive air freshener has a smaller carbon footprint with maximum fragrance for freshening the air.

The 90 Day Reminder- is for the TimeMist 9000 air freshener refills. These metered air fresheners can be set to spray every 7 or 15 minutes, depending on the odor level in the area. Requires 2 C-Cell Batteries.

Don’t get left with a stinky restroom! Sign up at TimeMist today. There’s no replacement for cleaning to deodorize houses, but pleasant smelling air fresheners help improve your patrons and customers scent-sual experience.

In a recent survey of adults in the U.S., it was found that 84 percent of those surveyed prefer to do business with a company that uses green cleaning products and practices. The telephone poll was commissioned by Cintas Corporation and conducted by Harris Interactive® in March 2011 among more than 1,000 adults ages 18 and older.

“Today’s consumers are environmentally-conscious and expect the businesses they patronize to use green cleaning practices,” said Mike Thompson, Senior Vice President, Cintas Facility Services. “This research affirms that using environmentally-friendly cleaning products and practices has a positive impact on the environment and can help drive repeat business.”

Has your business switched to green cleaning practices? Here are some of the articles from our 30 Days of Green to help you get started:

Green Cleaning Terms & Definitions

Green Cleaning Benefits

Evolution of Green Cleaning

Let’s face it: green cleaning can be confusing. From acronyms to certified products, interpreting what environmentally green cleaning terms actually mean can be a challenge. Buying cleaning supplies is easy with this Green Cleaning Glossary to help you understand even the most unclear green cleaning terms.

LEED: Stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a certification program for green buildings. The LEED program has four levels: certified, silver, gold, and platinum, and aims toward encouraging architects, builders, and maintenance personnel to design, construct, and maintain buildings in a way that is energy efficient as well as environmentally friendly. A variety of products, such as green toilet paper, can help a building qualify for LEED points and lead toward a certification as a green building.

A flushable bathroom cleaner

Biodegradable: A biodegradable product is one that will decompose naturally when exposed to the elements. Biodegradable products are environmentally friendly, and include items such as Scrubbing Bubbles Flushable Bathroom Cleaner Wipes.

Carcinogen: A carcinogen is any chemical that is known to cause cancer. Green cleaning products are known to contain fewer carcinogens and thus are healthier than nongreen products.

HEPA: Stands for High-Efficiency Particulates Air filters. HEPA filters are a common green cleaning feature on vacuums, and help reduce the number of particulates that pass through the filter, thus improving the overall air quality. HEPA vacuums such as the Saniataire Model SC5845 Bagless can be purchased at CleaningProductsWorld.

Post-Consumer Products: This term refers to products that have been discarded by a consumer and subsequently recycled into a new product. Post-Consumer Products include Sunrise Paper Towels and Green Heritage Jumbo Roll Tissue.

VOC: Stands for Volatile Organic Compounds and are given off by a variety of cleaning products including degreasers, disinfectants, and pesticides. VOCs can cause a multitude of health risks; however, many green cleaning products contain low VOCs.

FSC Certified: FCS stands for Forest Stewardship Council, an organization that ensures that all products with its certification are made from trees in FCS certified forests, controlled sources, or are recycled from post-consumer waste. Products carrying an FCS certification include Kleenex Hand Towels.

Let us know if there are any other terms you need defined!

You’ve come to the end of a roll of toilet paper or paper towels. You have a decision to make.

Thanks to coreyjune12 for the picture!

You can

There are hundreds of ways to reuse the cardboard roll that is left behind after a roll of toilet paper or paper towels is used; here we highlight some of the most creative and most popular.

Planters – Cut cardboard rolls down until they are about two inches tall and insert into potting soil. Sprinkle seeds inside of the cardboard circles and emerging plants will be protected by a compostable support system.

Plastic Bag Storage – Forgot your reusable shopping bags when you went to the grocery store and now you’re stuck with a bunch of plastic shopping bags? Use a paper towel tube to effectively store plastic bags until you’re ready to reuse them.  Stuff them in one-by-one on one end and pull them out in the same fashion on the other and you have yourself a handy plastic bag holder and dispenser!

Extension Cord Control/Storage – Trying to store electrical cords, extension cords, or Christmas lights and the cords end up incessantly tangled? Wrap the cords into a small circle or oval and then slip a cardboard toilet paper or paper towel tube over one end. Cords will maintain their shape and position and will not get tangled with themselves or with other cords.

Rodent Play – Paper towel tubes and toilet paper tubes are the perfect hiding places for mice, gerbils, hamsters, and other pet rodents. The paper nature of these tubes allows for them to be easily disposed of when soiled or dirtied, suppressing the need to clean plastic versions of such play tubes.

Packing – Need help separating your underwear, socks, jewelry, and other small items in your suitcase? Cut toilet paper rolls in half for an easy and convenient packing solution. Place cut rolls vertically in your suitcase and insert items inside to keep them secure and easy to find. Also works great for storing items in drawers.

Art Project for Kids – Toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls are a popular medium for toilet paper roll art for both adults and children alike. From pencil holders to firecrackers to animal sculptures, there are tons of different creative projects that can be made from a toilet paper or paper towel tube. A simple Google search results in a myriad of results with instructions, or just let your children use their imaginations!

Donate – If you have no need, use, or creative idea for reusing toilet paper and paper towel rolls, you can always donate those you have left over to senior centers, day cares, or elementary schools, all of which are bound to find a crafty way to reuse them!

5% Off Green Heritage Recycled Toilet Paper this week, with coupon code greentp. From standard bath tissue rolls to jumbo toilet paper rolls, in both 1 and 2 ply. Stock up and buy toilet paper for less!

CleaningProductsWorld carries a variety of recycled paper products ranging from toilet tissue, paper towels, napkins and wipers, and facial tissues. It is important to dispel the myth that using recycled paper products means you are using a product that has been recycled from someone else’s dirty tissues or soiled paper towels. These materials are not even suitable for recycling!

Rest assured, when treating your nose to a soft Fluff Out tissue, for example, you are using a product recycled from clean paper products. Read on to learn all about recycled paper products.

Making of Recycled Paper Products

The production of recycled paper products has a decreased environmental impact compared to the making of virgin (non recycled) paper products. Some of the advantages include a decreased affect on forests, less air and water pollution, less water and energy consumption, and less solid waste production. When you can impact the environment so significantly just from buying a certain kind of paper towel, why wouldn’t you?

Things to Look For When Buying Recycled Paper Products

The lingo behind recycled paper products can be extensive, so it’s often confusing to determine what you should be looking for. Key things to look for include a high percent recycled content and a high percent post-consumer content (the closer to 100% the better). Also important to look for is a bleaching process rating, which shows how much chlorine was used in the whitening of the paper product.

Good ratings include:

1. TCF (totally chlorine-free),
2. PCF (processed chlorine-free), or
3. ECF (elemental chlorine-free).

Recycling Guide

As previously stated, many paper products such as soiled paper towels, dirtied napkins, or used tissues cannot be recycled. Put only clean, uncontaminated, and dry paper items such as newspapers, magazines, and junk mailings into your paper recycling bin. Even pizza boxes with grease stains should not be recycled, but rather placed in trash receptacles.

Help the Planet!

According to the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), if every household in the USA bought ONE roll of recycled paper towels instead of their standard non recycled roll, 544,000 trees would be saved! Take a small, easy step in helping protect the environment by using recycled paper products!

Green cleaning practices have been evolving since the 1960s

There are many environmentally friendly policies, products, and processes that are in place today, but this was not always the case.  The formation and movement towards an environmentally conscious culture began developing in the 1960’s and is still evolving today. 

Society began to think about the danger of chemicals in products and how they effect the environment.  This led to the formation of regulatory bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency, and later Green Seal.  Eventually more policies were put in place at state and federal levels, making various industries have to re-evaluate their own methods and comply with new environmentally friendly procedures.  The following is a brief timeline of major events in the history of Green products and policies.

1962 – Silent Spring by biologist Rachel Carson detailed and questioned the extensive spraying of DDT, a pesticide, without understanding the environmental impacts or effects on humans and wildlife. 

1970 – Formation of the Environmental Protection Agency

1972 – The use of DDT as a pesticide was banned in the US.

1978 – CFC’s were banned from aerosol cans due to their effect on ozone depletion.

1980’s – A string of products were released that carried the labeling “Environmentally Friendly.”  However, there were no regulations in place for determining if a product was really environmentally friendly.

1989 – Green Seal, an independent, non-profit body for developing certifications and standards for environmentally friendly products was formed.

1992 – Bill Clinton signed Executive order 13101, defining “green cleaning” and forcing roughly 100,000 organizations to switch to green alternatives.

1995 – Formation of the Environmental Choice Program, another regulatory body that helps create standards for Green Products.

2000 – Bill Clinton signs Executive order 13148, expanding the scope of Executive order 13101.

2005 – Washington becomes the first state to enact Green Building legislation – an environmentally responsible method for designing, operating, maintaining, and demolishing buildings and structures.

2006 – New York requires the use of green products in all public and private schools.

As technology develops, the level of refinement increases in new products and procedures.  The future of Green is sure to hold new and exciting changes! Check out green cleaning products at CleaningProductsWorld!

Prevent Unnecessary Waste: Nix the Tube!

You’re already using green cleaning products in your home or business, and you’ve already made the switch to recycled paper products, yet you want to know how you can go even greener. Take the next step with coreless or tubeless toilet paper and paper towel rolls and eliminate waste and help your home or business go even greener.

According to a recent article in the USA Today, “Seventeen billion toilet paper tubes produced annually in the USA account for 160 million pounds of trash. That’s [a trip] from here to the moon and back – twice.”

One company that has gone tubeless is Kimberly Clark, who has reassured users with their patented winding technology on their tubes of toilet paper to ensure that the roll fits properly over the spindle.

Coreless toilet paper is also available in the jumbo roll variety, ideal for use in high-traffic restrooms. Purchase your coreless toilet paper from Cleaning Products World and enjoy low prices with fast, easy shipment.

Check out our 30 Days of Green promotion on CleaningProductsWorld.com for more information on green cleaning and chances to win product giveaways. You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates, and check back tomorrow, Friday, March 25 to find out the special prize being given away to all who make orders over $100!