Michelle Viggiano healthyhomeaz

When I was a young child anything that was of an exotic, or to be more exact, of a Middle Eastern origin terrified me. Even, or should I say especially music of an Arab genre in a cartoon, which surprisingly there is quite a bit of, imparted a sense of entrapment and dread beyond reason. A glimpse of Middle Eastern script on a coffee label or signage left me running for safety with sweaty palms and dilated pupils. Now this is from a child that grew up in Los Angeles who at the age of seven rode public transportation buses throughout the vast city, just for fun without anyone knowing. So fearful and retiring, I wasn't.

This singular fear based behavior became a huge joke in my European born, well traveled family. One because I was the only member on both sides of my parents to be born in the US and the only sibling in the family that was born here. So you can imagine the xenophobic jokes, the past life jokes, the "you've got to hand it to her, she really reached to find a unique angle to get attention" jokes. And yes, for Halloween they all thought it was so funny to get me a belly dancing costume or some annoying get up that smacked of the dreaded region.

My mother being French and my father being Italian thought there must be some deranged gene in the opposing family lineage that brought on this absurd perception. But no luck, no breakthrough until I opened my eyes to some of the greatest art in the world. In my mother's wisdom, she brought me to a Spring celebration at her colleague's home. Of course it was a Persian Spring Celebration - Noruz - how was I to know to flee before the door opened?

I didn't have time, and in my family, no drama in public, under any circumstance, period, full stop. So I entered the house on top of the Hollywood Hills, with a view of the city. It was a gorgeous home with vast walls filled with exquisite contemporary art and huge wondrous Oriental rugs on honey colored stone floors. For the Noruz celebration which literally translates to "New Day", there was a large green colored marble table filled with beautiful objects that were symbolic for the occasion. Pots of hyacinth, a mother of pearl mirror, a stunning pair of candlesticks, pomegranates, honey almonds, gold fish in a hand blown bowl, ancient gold coins, etc graced the table on a hand embroidered cloth of gold and cerise.

I was starting to feel queasy as there was music playing, but the compelling visuals and the flowing good will from everyone somewhat quelled it. But I was distracted and stunned by the fresh splendor of it all and for the first time, my rather unusual family seemed quite staid in comparison. So, my eyes were opened with spring freshness on the day the sun is directly over the equator and the north and south poles of the earth lie along the solar terminator. This is when sunlight is evenly divided between the north and south hemispheres and I too became aligned with the spirit of spring.

Michelle Viggiano Phoenix & Scottsdale Four Winds Healthy Home Carpet & Air Duct Cleaning www.healthyhomeaz.com

Acqua Lianna is one of the first green "triple certified" 15,000 square foot mansions. It has an ocean view floor and also boasts many sustainable features that are considered eco-responsible and energy efficient. However the size and several other characteristics go against my mind set of "green"

It is a post by "Groovy Green" - one of the links I love and feature on my business website healthyhomeaz.com Here it is if you care to be shocked and confused:

http://www.groovygreen.com/groove/?p=3690

Michelle Viggiano Phoenix & Scottsdale Four Winds Healthy Home Carpet & Air Duct Cleaning http://www.healthyhomeaz.com

Creating a luxurious green cleaning kit is an exquisite change from conventional products where the only sense of well being comes from, well, having a clean environment. Or so one thinks... Generally, household cleaning with chemicals is quite an oxymoron. Think about it, cleaning while leaving chemical toxins behind, cleaning while obnoxious odors linger, cleaning while leaving build up and residue from the hardy strata of waxes, cleansers and gel like formulas. You may or may not see them with the naked eye, but they are there - as part of their working methodology is to create a chemical barrier.

The green cleaning kit featured here creates a sense of well being beyond the clean as it is non-toxic to children and pets as well as individuals with allergies or sensitive immune systems. The properties of the included essential oils ensures a boost of sanitizing power, a lift of the spirits and a luxurious aroma for a fraction of the price of purchased equivalents.

Vinegar, while it is not suitable for use on all surfaces, has been shown to have quite an impressive impact on eliminating viruses and bacteria on surfaces - "an astounding 80- 99% kill rate". Do not use vinegar on sealed and polished stone surfaces as it will break down the luster and seal. Better to use microfiber mops and cloths for that task.

The luxurious green kit that follows is one that I have given on various occasions. I also include a gift certificate for a service that would be appreciated. Whether it is for a window cleaning service, or an awning cleaning service, of course in my case, I can easily include a carpet, upholstery, air duct or dryer vent cleaning service. But sometimes depending on the need, I try to go out of my sphere, as it is a wonderful gesture to support your colleagues, for then it become a gift that radiates good will en masse.

When giving the basket, it is a nice and encouraging gesture to create attractive labels for each of the bottles with the Name of the Solution and all the ingredients should be listed recipe style. A Beautiful Fabric Ribbon tied around the handle of the basket with a few sprigs of lavender or whatever is fresh and gorgeous makes an elegant finishing touch for this luxurious green cleaning basket.

~ How To Make A Luxurious Green Cleaning Kit ~

Supplies

• A compartmentalized woven or molded basket
• 3 Spray Bottles with the easy on the hand trigger
• 2 Glass Jars with wide mouths preferably like the canning or storage type with the rubber seals and the fold over locking mechanism
• Baking Soda
• White Distilled Vinegar
• Vegetable Glycerin, naturally extends shelf life for the creamy cleanser
• Tea Tree Oil
• Plant Based Liquid detergent from BioKleen or any eco-friendly favorites
• Essential Oils such as Lavender, Grapefruit, Mint, Geranium, Thyme, Rosemary, Citrus of your liking
• Pure Vanilla Extract
• Microfiber Cloths
• Brush
• Microfiber Squeegee
• For the Air Fresher distilled water is required

General Use Spray Cleaner

• 2 cups hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda or washing soda
• 2 tablespoons of eco-friendly liquid soap
• 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil
• 2 teaspoons of lavender essential oil or any of the above combinations
• Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle

Window Cleaner

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 2 or 3 small drops of eco-friendly liquid detergent
• 2 teaspoons of Lavender essential oil
• 2 teaspoons of Rosemary essential oil
• Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle

Furniture Polish

• 1 teaspoon of almond oil (olive oil will go rancid)
• 1/2 cup of vinegar or fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lavender essential oil (citrus oils are not really desirable for this one)
• Mix the ingredients in a glass jar with tight fitting lid. Use sparingly on a soft cloth and wipe very well

Cream Cleanser

• 1 cup baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of vegetable glycerin
• 2 teaspoons of grapefruit essential oil
• 2 teaspoons of mint essential oil or any of the above combinations
• Add 1/4 cup or so of eco-friendly liquid detergent while whisking mixture into a mouse like texture
• Mix the ingredients in a bowl and scoop into a tight fitting glass jar

Air Fresher

• 1/4 cup baking soda
• distilled water - fill to the top of the bottle
• 8 - 10 drops of pure vanilla extract, you can also use other pure extracts of your choice
• Mix the ingredients in a plastic spray bottle

A few of my favorite sources for this kit are:

http://www.casabella.com/microfiber-cleaning.html

http://www.originalswissaromatics.com

http://www.picnic-basket.com/Tivoli-Market-Basket_P_2014.html

The basket pictured is the Tivoli Market Basket

Michelle Viggiano of Phoenix & Scottsdale, Four Winds Health Home Carpet and Air Duct Cleaning http://www.healthyhomeaz.com

I just visited the "Build It Green" expo in Phoenix today as an esteemed friend and associate had a booth at the venue. He has an eco-repsonsible home improvement store with an architectural division attached to it. He also offers LEED certification classes among others for professionals and non-professional alike in various best practices. While speaking with him, he mentioned sadly how much greenwashing was going on with many of the exhibitors. His was a tone that was lamentable but not bitter.

I noted this ruefully as lately I have read so many blogs and comments on this site that are scathing about green businesses and the Green Movement at large. Statements ranging from "...the Green Movement is a plot by our enemies, known and unknown, to destroy the economy of the United States" to "...green businesses are only interested in green of another sort.." But these declarations were angry, quite absolute and the volume of them was staggering to me. And it made me wonder how individuals who have not ventured into the personal up close economics of greeness could be so sarcastic and furious. What have they ventured and lost? Please don't tell me their innocence.

My friend, has a post graduate degree and could make a very fine living not being attached to anything related to greeness if he chose. Yes, he makes quite a bit less money but it is a choice due to his convictions. I have three companies and while two of them are eco-responsible one is all about luxury, quarried materials and mostly catering to the excesses of wealth. Yes, that is my confession in True Confessions of an Eco-Entrepreneur... For the first 7 years of one of my green companies, my accountant asked why I continue on at this appalling rate. But let's stay on track about the dissatisfaction with all things green by individuals who have not staked any claim financially or otherwise in this realm.

The reality is - for small business that are truly ecologically green, their revenue is smaller that the mainstream companies that are doing the exact same tasks. I know this. I don't just think I do. The large companies that are slapping on green labels that they don't want you to read too closely, they are making the lions share of dubious green profits. These are the same companies that perhaps, these angry detractors are quite loyal to. The giants, - Clorox, Unilever, & Johnson, yes, what we all used to know as the S & P 100, they are the ones that are duping the public en masse. Is that shade of green OK because the company has framed itself permanently as a traditional enterprise?

By the way, the answer to my accountant regarding that question about constantly subsidizing a fledgling company was this: the strength and longevity of your personal convictions lies within you and radiates outwardly - not the other way around. I now feel the sharpness of that double edged sword.

Michelle Viggiano Phoenix & Scottsdale Four Winds Healthy Home Carpet and Air Duct Cleaning www.healthyhomeaz.com

Scarlet and Rhett, Anthony and Cleopatra, Henry and Anne of a Thousand Days, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, are all diminutive in stature next to the greatest chemical romance in history ~ DDT and Montrose. Yes, I too was surprised at the lack of name recognition from the second half of the famous couple. However, for name dropping sake, Du Pont once was romantically linked with Miss D, but ditched her, for shall we say, a more financially secure partner. She came through for CIBA and a few others, but a less flashy sort, in, of all places, Southern California, was the one for her. Montrose Chemical Company soon became the world's largest producer of DDT. As with all stellar celebrity couples, there is still talk of the break up and finger pointing at whose to blame.

Some say it was purely politics, some say as they always do, The New York Times was to blame. In 1957, the NY Times ran an article advocating the restriction of DDT spraying in Nassau County. Shortly after, an editor at The New Yorker requested the biologist, Rachel Carson, to write about the suspected dangers of DDT. That request spawned one of the most influential books of the ecology movement ~ Silent Spring. But many others have thrown their hats into the arena from all sides. There were even professorial types devoted to the longevity of the famous couple. A professor at Arizona State University drank DDT daily to show it had no ill effects. Now that's a committed relationship...yet, presently, no one knows where he is.

Some have called Miss Carson a mass murderer. However she was mainly pointing out the folly of indiscriminate mass agricultural spraying and its detrimental effects on American wildlife and human health due to that frenzied practice. Today, the use of DDT for vector control is still in effect in some countries; primarily by a reduced method of indoor residual spraying or coating of interior walls, especially in India. Presently, the largest producers of DDT are China, North Korea and India. And surprisingly, at least to me, many here in the US are dying to get their hands on some of it. And not all of it is due to West Nile, Avian or any of that. Farmers are once again lamenting the 1972 ban as they need bigger and better yields on their crops to compete and pests are part of the problem. As an omnivore, this is a bit unsettling, to say the least.

There is one fact that all agree on ~ DDT and its offspring DDE and DDD all stay in the soil for about 75 years. So therefore we still have some of that heady cocktail infusion in our food and water chains. Even though the agricultural ban on DDT took place in 1972, twenty-seven years after its introduction in 1945. Here are some fairly recent alarming test results. I for one am not toasting to the comeback of DDT or the following: In 2002, the CDC found detectable levels of DDT in 50% of all blood samples tested by the agency. Later in 2005, while testing commercially produced milk, 85% had detectable levels of DDE, the breakdown product of DDT. If one consumes gourmet food products from other countries which still use DDT, the levels found in those food products would certainly be much higher. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, the dangers of DDT are still lurking well within your personal grasp.

Michelle Viggiano Phoenix & Scottsdale Four Winds Healthy Home Green Carpet and Air Duct Cleaning www.healthyhomeaz.com