Several years ago I discovered microfibers, which are an amazing technology where the a cloth locks in the dirt and germs it comes in contact with to be released through rinsing. This allows for highly sanitary and efficient cleaning. It made my cleaning routine easier and faster. In time, however, I learned how the very tiny, barely visible, plastic filaments in microfiber products  breakdown and have become a serious environmental problem in oceans and even in our drinking supply. So I've decided that it's best to go back to older ways of cleaning.

It's been hard to 'kick the habit' and it's taking some time to work out effective methods that work as well. But I've been experimenting and am in the process now of converting.

​--My small contribution to our oceans.  

Here's something a little different. Ever wondered how airplane interiors are cleaned? Here is an innovation in the age of COVID to clean airplane seats more efficiently: germ-resistant seat covers! It's good to know the airlines are 'on it'!
www.cleanlink.com/news/article/Germ-Repelling-Seat-Covers-Could-Simplify-Airplane-Cleaning---27708?oly_enc_id=8353D0905923E1S&utm_source=enewsletterDaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cpnewsletter-2021
AIRPLANE SEAT CLEANING

My sweetie and I are now in the process of getting a cat to liven up our new home. --And here's a plug for cat adoption: There are so many cats needing a home right now, it's really a good deed to adopt if you have the space in your life to do it. But back to the main subject of this post--getting a cat has put us in mind to think about pet safety in relation to cleaning products in our and doing cleaning around the house. I came across this helpful guide from the Humane Society on this topic. Most advice is pretty commonsensical but it's a good checklist if you have a pet..

www.humanesociety.org/news/how-keep-your-pets-safe-around-cleaning-products

Here's a good list of areas in your home that you probably overlook when you do a cleaning. How about the silverware drawer? Aha, I knew it!



www.apartmenttherapy.com/fall-cleaning-ideas-youre-probably-forgetting-36972142?utm_medium=at_daily&user_email=b879fef78c8b039e7ea991b2207148eec823dd549ffda3de774196584935c874&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_campaign=Fri%20Daily%20%2809/24%29%20A/B&utm_content=Final&utm_term=AT%20Daily%20-%2090%20days%20engaged

We tend to think of toothpaste as a health product but it's actually a cleaner--and a very effective one. It has an assortment of creative uses aside from cleaning teeth. It's good at defogging glass, taking up water rings from wood, erasing crayon marks off walls, whitening sneakers, and many more applications. Check out this article for a longer list:

​www.healthywomen.org/content/article/20-surprising-uses-toothpaste

It's a simple process really. Actually, there are many ways to take tarnish off of silver. But the best method is to boil some baking soda and aluminum foil in water with the item to be cleaned. This article shows you the details and lists a number of other methods for the adventurous.

https://www.rd.com/list/how-to-clean-silver/

Did you make it the fair this year? Not me--too much social exposure. But if you did, you likely partook in some greasy food indulgences and maybe got some grease dripped on your shirt? Here's a link about a great and easy remedy for grease spots on clothes whenever it happens: dish detergent. Makes sense, right? They're all about "grease cutting" so let it work where you need it most! I've tried it and it works.

www.thekitchn.com/quick-tip-the-best-way-to-get-grease-stains-out-of-clothes-100069

After the long dry spell we're now seeing rainstorms come through. That is very good news but it does bring the risk of flooding. If you should be the victim of such a calamity here is a guide that shows you how flood clean up works. It includes points such as acting quickly, ventilating to prevent mold, and checking for hidden pockets of water and moisture. 

​https://www.cleanlink.com/news/article/Six-Safe-And-Speedy-Flood-Clean-up-Tips--19674?oly_enc_id=8353D0905923E1S&utm_source=enewsletterDaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cpnewsletter-2021

Yes, it really exists, at least it did for a number of years. Frances Gabe was an Oregon inventor and artist who designed the house and had it built in the 1980s to save women from the drudgery of housework. The contents of the house were made of waterproof materials and then spigots in the ceilings would spray each room with soap and then water, which emptied into drains in the floor. Dishes are washed inside their cabinets. The house has been called "functional and attractive" by architects and builders. Here is a video about it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h95O5dQkoD4

So here's the dilemma in cleaning technique. In a large shower stall you need to get yourself in there to clean it and you need to rinse the walls as part of the process so how do you do both those things without getting your shoe soles a sloppy mess that tracks through the rest of the bathroom? The solution: shower caps. Slip one on each shoe and simply take them off when you step out of the shower. No muss, no fuss!