Michelle Viggiano healthyhomeaz

Ironic isn't it that a synthetic cloth of non-eco-responsible fibers is one of the pillars of the green community. It just goes to show you that you can be a rebel or an outcast and still come out shining for the cause. So what is this darling of the greens, microfiber, actually all about. In a nutshell it is a polyester/polyamide cloth that can hold 7 times its weight in water, yet performs best when using little water - just a bit of dampness is all it actually requires to outperform scouring pads. Another contradiction, but we will get to that later. The woven fibers are quite thin, less than 1 denier per filament. Denier is a unit of measurement of linear density or simply put a measure of fiber fineness. The smaller the number, the finer the filament. A typical description of these filaments is that they are 100 times finer than human hair. Microfiber for all of its seemingly wimpy characteristics - exquisite drapability, exceptional softness, supreme thinness, and all that talk about holding its shape well, is, in fact, an insideously fierce cleaning machine.

Hospitals are its champion, as are commercial cleaners and other rough sorts. Several studies have shown that microfiber textiles clean on a nanno-scale compared to conventional cloths. When it comes to reducing the number of bacteria on a surface, the ratio is quite astounding - micofiber reduces it by 99% while conventional cleaning cloths reduce bacteria by only 33%. The reason for this is the inherent quality of the woven fibers, they have the capacity to create a vacuum like suction and retain the moisture it absorbs. It cleans but does not disinfect so the use of disinfectants are still necessary. The eco-friendly component of using microfiber for cleaning purposes really comes by a state of omission - it performs better with less water, it works best without cleaning fluids, it can be used 3000 times before it loses it's capabilities, it doesn't like to be dried in the dryer and so on.

So we understand its singular attitude but like all stars it has its "care should be exercised" clause. That applies when cleaning sensitive surfaces such as any high-tech coated surface or LED and plasma screens. Due to the microfiber cloth's ability to pick up gritty particles like lint and oils, these particulates, can then in turn be transferred onto these non-hardy surfaces. So to minimize the risk of scratching or otherwise defacing such surfaces, use a flatter, or what they call a non-rugged microfiber cloth, as this type is less prone to attract and entrap small grains of offending material. However, microfiber cloths are considered superior to use on these so called sensitive surfaces than conventional clothes and to prove that Canon and Nike use them to clean lenses, etc.

Ultrasuede, which burst on the scene in the swinging 70's was the precursor to current microfiber. Microfiber had a popular run in Europe for over a decade before coming Stateside. The first time I spotted microfiber was in the early 90's. I was working overseas and everyone was using it to detail their cars. My ex-husband handed me a few after using them and asked if I would these wash these microfiber cloths without any other cottons (for fear of attracting lint), no fabric softener (to avoid clogging the suction like abilities), no bleach (disintegrates the integrity of the weave) and do not put them in the dryer (further avoidance of lint and static). It was obvious to me even back then, that this cloth must be something special, as he was taking better care of it than my lingerie or finer clothing when he occasionally did the laundry. So I, for one, was not surprised to see it rise to such glowing heights.

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

Now, here is how you can brand it your own. Microfiber Tech, a wholesaler is offering printing on microfiber towels with any .tiff or .jpg image on it for $1.36 each. If you sign up for their newsletter you get 5% off on your order. Printing on this textile will not ruin the integrity and cleaning ability of the towel in the printed area, unlike screen printing or embroidery. I have read on Active Rain quite a few blogs where EcoBrokers and Realtors are giving away green cleaning baskets as closing gifts. Now you can add your personal imprint along with your good intentions. I will be placing my order next week, so if anyone would like to know what I think of them before ordering, please feel free to contact me. http://www.microfibertech.com

http://sustainablehospitals.org/PDF/tenreasonsmop.pdf

http://www.ucdms.ucdavis.edu/newsroom/releases/archives/other/2--6maps62006html

A few days ago a friend of mine was preparing a speech for an Interior Design industry function and asked me what I would say if I were speaking about being green. There were other speakers before her, architects and builders and she would be the last to speak. I put myself in that position and can only imagine how the audience at that point would be exhausted with data, tired of fear inducing talk about chemicals, bored with the same rhetoric in general. So I told her I would just say the following:

Be Grateful ~ when you are in a state of being grateful it is quite difficult to be wasteful.

Be Aware ~ of the needs of others. When you are cognizant of the many individuals that are in a state of need, it is unthinkable to dispose or hoard items rather than donate what could be life supporting to others.

Be Protective ~ when your treat the earth like family or a friend you are mindful of not wanting to harm it's well being with disregard.

Be Vigilant~ open your eyes and your mind to new ways of doing old things in a more eco-responsible fashion.

Be Generous ~ volunteer your time to an environmental cause that embodies a solution to a problem that you can relate to.

Be Nurturing ~ plant a tree, plant a green seed in a child's mind, plant good will in general.

Be Proactive ~ ask your grocer, your home supply store, your office, etc to obtain merchandise and supplies that are less toxic and safer for everyone. Ask repeatedly if necessary.

Be Joyous ~ operating in a joyful state does less harm, protects your immune system and that of others, induces optimism and attracts a kinder attitude in general, I can't think of anything greener than that.

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

Well said, Mr. Thoreau. There is no shortage of green wisdom out there. The funny thing is that it started thousands and thousands of years ago and we are still grappling with it today. Here are some of my favorites:

Opie, you haven't finished your milk. We can't put it back in the cow, you know. ~ Aunt Bee Taylor, The Andy Griffith Show

We say we love flowers, yet we pluck them. We say we love trees, yet we cut them down. And people still wonder why some are afraid when told they are loved. ~ Author Unknown

I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait 'til oil and coal run out before we tackle that. ~ Thomas Edison

There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew. ~ Marshall McLuhan, 1964

As we watch the sun go down, evening after evening, through the smog across the poisoned waters of our native earth, we must ask ourselves seriously whether we really wish some future universal historian on another planet to say about us: "With all their genius and with all their skill, they ran out of foresight and air and food and water and ideas," or, "They went on playing politics until their world collapsed around them." ~ U Thant, speech, 1970

For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death. ~ Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962

"If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed" ~ Chinese Proverb

One of the first laws against air pollution came in 1300 when King Edward I decreed the death penalty for burning coal. At least one execution for that offense is recorded. But economics triumphed over health considerations, and air pollution became an appalling problem in England. ~ Glen T. Seaborg, Atomic Energy Commission chairman, speech, Argonne National Laboratory, 1969

Don't blow it - good planets are hard to find. ~ Quoted in Time

This is a beautiful planet and not at all fragile. Earth can withstand significant volcanic eruptions, tectonic cataclysms, and ice ages. But this canny, intelligent, prolific, and extremely self-centered human creature has proven himself capable of more destruction of life than Mother Nature herself....We've got to be stopped. ~ Michael L. Fischer, Harper's July 1990

We are living on this planet as if we had another one to go to. ~ Terri Swearinger

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

Scent transports us. Many of our most profound memories can be triggered, almost involuntarily, by our sense of smell. While we at Four Winds Healthy Home use plant based solutions exclusively for our green carpet and air duct cleaning, plant based aromatherapy can be quite useful to our well being during these stressful times.

Why are fragrances able to stir us? Memories, as well as scent are stored in the limbic system - sometimes called the old brain. This region belongs to the most primitive part of our brain. Odor stimuli was an essential component of early survival for humans. Now, our frantically paced lives have downplayed the importance of our earliest and most vital sense. Aromatherapy can delightfully revive it.

The practice of naturally distilling botanical material is ancient. The essences are extracted from the petals, barks, resins, rinds, foots, seeds, stalks and stems of certain aromatic plants. Many pounds of plant material are required to produce even a small amount of essential oil It is staggering - five thousand pounds of rose petals produce only one pound of pure rose oil. Essential oils can be used in a variety of ways. We at healthyhomeaz employ highly concentrated grapefruit seed extract, orange peel extract, and tea tree oil for their sanitizing properties. Certain essential oils when blended together interact upon each other and render a more powerful outcome than if used individually.

The following are some formulas that can be used individually or blended to create synergy. One word of caution - do not use essential oils very close to cats, it is harmful to them.

To Induce Optimism - Neroli and Grapefruit together

For A Calming Effect - Lavender, Marjoram, Geranium, Frankincense

For An Energizing Effect - Rosemary, Cypress, Basil, Rose, Juniper

For Muscle Relief - Birch, Thyme, Juniper

For Healing - Roman Chamomile

To Heighten Concentration - Mint, Bergamont, Lemon Verbena, Lime, Lemongrass, Myrtle, Grapefruit

Michelle Viggiano Phoenix & Scottsdale Plant Based Healthy Home Carpet and Air Duct Cleaning http://www.healthyhomeaz.com

Who knew dust was so complicated.

And why should it be different on that account, than any other constant in our lives. So what exactly is dust and how does it affect us? Does it matter where it lands? Evidently so. The evidence stacks up the claim that the dust that settles on your television is far more dangerous than the dust on the coffee table in the same room.

Apparently dust in outer space is considered far more primitive than dust here on earth. "Who cares" we mutter as we dust on. But in these matters, content is king. According to William Bray on "The Mad Scientist Network, he states "...household dust is composed of primarily things like human's skin and hair, waxes, pollen, mold, fungi lichen, (and in the disco '70;s lots and lots of polyester), foam, rubber,..." He just goes on and on. Where are dust mites on his list? Absent as they and their feces are considered to be a by-product of the dust itself. Dust mites are responsible for allergies, asthma, and other aliments, A Danish dust mite study released in April of 2008 discovered that no product currently on the market has a significant impact on the symptoms described by many patients. In fact, most of these products, even the mattress covers and pillow covers that are mass marketed leave behind allergens and a chemical foot print which further aggravated asthma and causes multiple allergic reaction of their own accord.

However the most dangerous dust in my book is the chemical kind. From asbestos, of course, but also from many common household synthetic chemical compounds such as dyes, cosmetics, furniture, paints, stains, plastics, and even ice cream. TV dust contains flame retardant chemicals which are considered quite harmful in general, and specifically, are believed to be endocrine disrupters. The name for these particular chemicals are called PBDE's in short hand. But more importantly, I now know why the TV always has the most dust - it happens when the flame retardants inherent in the television set components heat up. Many in the scientific community are very concerned when we all switch to digital signals. That technical progression will ensure greater use of flame retardants, and it takes many years for them to dissolve.

If all this wasn't enough, household dust is the major culprit for feline thyroid disease. Cats are constantly grooming themselves and they ingest more of the harmful PBDE's, the flame retardant chemicals that are found in carpets, upholstery, and their very own bedding than we can imagine.

So what can we do now:

• Dust and carefully wipe down all surfaces regularly with a damp microfiber cloth. Wash it and reuse. Boring but effective. This is the cornerstone of green cleaning.
• Wipe the TV front and back after every prolonged use with a damp microfiber cloth.
• Do not use any additional cleaning or polishing agents while dusting. The point it so remove the dust, not create a climate where dust will be attracted to various product residue as well as create chemical off gassing. You will save money as well!
• Regularly vacuum your upholstery, draperies, and carpeted areas. Vacuum your mattress every few months. Get it steamed cleaned, front, back and sides every 18 months.
• Cover your mattressand pillows with non-chemical fabric covers.
• Don't use clay based kitty liter and brush your cat regularly. Consider cutting/shaving your cat's fur once in awhile. Mend any pet bedding that a rip or tear as soon as possible.
• Change your AC filters regularly, and get your air ducts cleaned and sanitized with plant based solutions rather than chemical sanitizers.
• Open your windows to help remove ongoing out gassing and VOC's from ordinary household chemicals and objects. Yes, it may bring in a bit of that dreaded dust but the pay off is greater in terms of your health and well being.

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

< a href="http://technoratti.com/claim/5nzt9yj96s"rel="me"TechnorattiProfile</a>